About us / People / Graduate students

Blasko, Brandy	Brandy Blasko is a second year doctoral student. She received her B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Administration of Justice from the University of Pittsburgh and her M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Brandy’s advisor is Dr. Hiller and her interests focus largely on developing research to inform sex offender policy and corrections decision making. In her spare time, Brandy works for the PA Department of Corrections as a Psychological Specialist and Director of Sex Offender Treatment at SCI Graterford.
Breen, Clairissa	Clairissa Breen is a native of upstate New York. She holds a B.S. in political science from St. John Fisher College, as well as a M.S. in criminal justice and a M.C. in public relations management from Buffalo State College. She is certified as an antiterrorism specialist by the Antiterrorism Accreditation Board. This is her fifth year at Temple in the criminal justice PhD program. Her research interests include terrorism, political and historical crime, criminal tattoos, displacement and disruption, research methods and statistics. She can be reached at cbreen@temple.edu
Castellano, Nicholas	Nicholas J. Castellano is pursuing a Masters degree in Criminal Justice. He is from Newtown, Pennsylvania and received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Kutztown University, graduating cum laude, in 2008. While in college, Nicholas interned for two summers at the Newtown Township Police Department, working on the state accreditation process as well as carrying out such tasks as data entry and field observation. He is pursuing this degree in order to acquire a better understanding of crime prevention and policing, in the hope of obtaining a career in federal law enforcement.
DaGrossa, Joseph	Joseph A. DaGrossa is a resident of southern New Jersey. He possesses an M.S. degree in Criminal Justice from St. Joseph's University and an M.A. degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from LaSalle University. He is currently employed as a U.S. Probation Officer for the District of New Jersey and in 2005 was named the district's Probation Officer of the Year. He has previously worked as a probation officer for the state of New Jersey and for the state's Intensive Supervision Program and has held adjunct teaching positions at Camden County College and Atlantic Cape Community College. Joe's research interests include program evaluation and the development of outcome-based measurements for use in community corrections settings. Joe can be reached at jdagrossa@verizon.net.
Gambino, Matthew
Haberman, Cory	Cory comes to Temple after receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. During his first year in the doctoral program, Cory will have the privilege of working with Dr. Elizabeth Groff as both a research and teaching assistant. Cory's broad research interests include police organizations, environmental criminology, and crime prevention. Cory's career goal is merge research from these disparate foci in order to improve the efficacy of policing and ultimately encourage the widespread adoption of evidence-based programs and policies in law enforcement.
Henderson, Jaime	Jaime S. Henderson is an advanced doctoral student at Temple hailing from Nebraska. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Castleton State College in Vermont. Jaime has been a TA for several years, assisting students in courses ranging from Research Methods to Sex Crimes and the Law. She has also taught courses such as Juvenile Delinquency and Intro to Criminal Justice. Her research interests largely fall within the policy realm, including sex offenders, juvenile justice and the Supreme Court. Currently, she is under the tutelage of Dr. Phil Harris, while investigating the potential implications of juvenile sex offender policy. Her email is Jaime@temple.edu.
Hoke, Scott	Scott Hoke came to Temple University after having spent 20 years as a criminal justice practitioner. Directly prior to his retirement from public service he was the Warden at one of the County jails in Pennsylvania. In addition to his status as a doctoral student at Temple University, Scott is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Cedar Crest College and is a consultant for the Jails Division of the National Institute of Corrections. Scott is currently involved in a two-year grant with the National Institute of Corrections in which he is managing research at three different jail locations in the United States.
Houser, Kimberly	Kimberly Houser is pursuing a PhD in Criminal Justice. She is a resident of Jamison, PA. She received her B.S. in Criminology and Justice Studies at The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College). She has worked extensively with Dr. Welsh in the area of program evaluation of prison-based drug treatment and transitional community aftercare. Currently, Kimberly is working with Dr. Belenko and economists from RTI International modeling the benefits and costs of prison-based substance abuse treatment. Her other research interests include co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders among the adult incarcerated population and prisoner re-entry. Kimberly can be reached at Kim977@temple.edu.
Johnson, Lallen	Lallen Johnson is a native of Washington, D.C. He earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice (with highest honors) from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and his Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently working with Dr. Jerry Ratcliffe on the Camden Crime Analysis Project. His research interests are relative to the “where and why” aspects of crime, and the effects of segregation and housing policy. His email is Lallen.J@temple.edu.
Joyce, Nola	Nola Joyce has worked in public safety for over twenty-five years. She joined the Philadelphia Police Department in February 2008 and is currently the ChiefAdministrative Officer for the Department. In that capacity she works closely with the Police Commissioner in developing strategic plans, policy and new programs. She heads the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation. She has lead research endeavors and change initiatives for the Illinois Department of Correction, Chicago Police Department, Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, D.C, and the Philadelphia Police Department. She served on the Washington, D.C. Sentencing Commission and was a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s Task Force studying the nexus between drugs and crime. Ms. Joyce holds three master’s degrees. Her most current master’s degree is in Homeland Defense and Security from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. She has two master’s from Southern Illinois University were she earned an M.S. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy, with a specialization in public finance, and an M.A. in Sociology with a specialization in research methodology and statistics.
Lipkovskaya, Lyudmila
Lockwood, Brian	Brian Lockwood was raised in Barnegat, New Jersey and attended the College of New Jersey where he received his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and English. As a graduate student at Temple University he has worked as both a teaching and research assistant. He is currently working on research projects with Phil Harris, Liz Groff, and Kate Auerhahn, as well as his dissertation. His research interests include environmental criminology and crime mapping, and more specifically, near-repeat victimization and distance effects. He can be emailed at brianl@temple.edu.
Luongo, Anthony	Anthony J. Luongo is the Executive Director of Criminal Justice Training Programs, Temple University’s Law Enforcement Academy whose mission is to improve the educational opportunities and programs for the over 4,000 professionals it serves each year including police officers, deputy sheriffs, state constables, legislative security officers, school resource officers, and crime prevention specialists. Mr. Luongo has served as a police officer, a law enforcement training coordinator, and a curriculum specialist where he developed curricula for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, including new topics such as “Technology in Law Enforcement.” Mr. Luongo was responsible for administering the first statewide distance-learning program for Deputy Sheriffs, and was contracted by the Pennsylvania County Probation and Parole Officers’ Firearm Training Commission to assist in the writing of their basic firearms program. In addition to being a faculty member of the Temple University Police Academy, Mr. Luongo has taught undergraduate courses for the Department of Criminal Justice for several semesters, and he has published articles on law enforcement-related topics. His research interests include policing, geographic perspectives on crime, program evaluation, and policy development. Recently, he was asked to sit on the Policy Workgroup of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Education and Training Board. Mr. Luongo holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice from Temple University and is presently enrolled in Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice at the same institution. Anthony can be reached at aluongo@temple.edu
Mayes, Lauren
McCord, Eric	Eric McCord (emccord@temple.edu) is a native of Southern California. He graduated magna cum laude in 2004 from Chapman University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and minor in Sociology. He received his M.A. in Criminal Justice from California State University, San Bernardino in 2004. While at CSUSB he worked as a research assistant at the Center for Criminal Justice Research on several juvenile justice evaluation projects and on a research project examining crime at budget motels in Chula Vista, CA. Eric spent 26 years in municipal policing before leaving the profession at the rank of sergeant in 2004. His interests include ecology of crime, applications of geographical information system (GIS) to crime issues, crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), and problem-oriented policing. Much of his research has focused on identifying the criminogenic effects of specific land uses and facilities as found across the urban landscape. Eric has had the honor of working at Temple University on numerous projects with Dr. Ratcliffe, Dr. Rengert, Dr. Taylor, & Dr. Groff.
McGuire, Caitlin	Caitlin McGuire has been a doctoral student in the criminal justice department since September 2006. She has a B.A. from Ursinus College in history and sociology. Her current projects include investigating gang prevention efforts in Camden (as a research assistant to Dr. Jennifer Wood) and evaluating a new federal Reentry Court in Philadelphia. Caitlin’s research interests include ex-offender reentry and reintegration, restorative justice, and the neighborhood effects of concentrated disadvantage and high incarceration rates. Feel free to email her with any questions about the graduate program: caitlin.j.mcguire@temple.edu.
Medina, Justin	Justin Medina is a second-year Ph.D. student from Santa Fe, New Mexico. He received his BA in anthropology from the University of New Mexico and MS in criminal justice from the University of Pennsylvania. He interned with the Police Foundation in 2006, and has been a Philadelphia Adult Probation/Parole Officer for the past two years. His advisor is Dr. Ralph Taylor, and his current research interests include: probation/parole and policing issues, border issues, and the relationship dynamics between criminal justice entities (courts, police, & prisons). He can be reached at justin.medina@temple.edu.
Presley, Lawrence
Runkle, Wendy
Rymdeko, Janyce
Salvatore, Christopher	Christopher Salvatore is pursuing his PhD in Criminal Justice. He is from Springfield, Pennsylvania. In his first several years at Temple he worked extensively with Dr. Welsh and Dr. Hiller in the areas of program evaluation of therapeutic communities and juvenile drug courts. Since then he has worked with Dr. Belenko on several projects includes a study examining the effectiveness of using Juvenile Assessment Centers for STI screening and treatment in Hillsborough County Florida and the implementation of evidence based practices in criminal justice settings. He is also interested in the areas life course criminology and race and crime. Christopher plans on continuing working in research involving program evaluation and assessment.
Silva, Maya	Maya Silva received a B.A. in Religion and Criminal Justice (2001) and a M.A. in Criminal Justice (2004) from Temple University. She is currently a doctoral candidate who is working on her dissertation, which focuses on desistance from crime. Her research interests include desistance from crime, restorative justice, the affects of special education laws on juvenile justice practices, youth offenders with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the spatial and temporal analysis of criminal events and freedom of religion in prisons. During the course of her graduate education, Maya has conducted individual research projects on the location of suburban graffiti, crime hot spots around Philadelphia public high schools and the site selection process for Philadelphia jails and prisons from 1700 to 1900. She has worked with Associate Professor M. Kay Harris as the teaching assistant for two experiential learning courses, Rehabilitation of the Offender and Honors Reform Strategies in Criminal Justice, as well as Introduction to Corrections. Maya is also an active volunteer with the L.I.F.E.R.S. Inc. Public Safety Initiative at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford, Pennsylvania.
Sorg, Evan	Evan Sorg is originally from Holmdel, New Jersey, and moved to Philadelphia in 2001 to begin his undergraduate studies at Temple University. Before completing his Bachelors degree he was hired by the New York City Police Department and began a career as a Police Officer in 2004. Evan spent nearly three years with the NYPD during which time he received training from the Department of Homeland Security and the New York State Office of Emergency Management. In 2007, he returned to Temple University to complete his undergraduate work and received a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Temple in 2009. Evan’s research interests are focused within the realm of policing, with a particular curiosity for Intelligence-Led Policing, Policing strategies, and Police culture. He had the pleasure of working with Dr. Elizabeth Groff, Dr. Jerry Ratcliffe, and Dr. Jennifer Wood as a research assistant on the Philadelphia Footbeat Project and currently working as a teaching assistant for Dr. Wood. You can contact Evan at evan.sorg@temple.edu
Taniguchi, Travis	Travis Taniguchi is in his fifth year at Temple. He completed his B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade University of Honolulu. Travis has spent several years working with Dr. Ratcliffe providing crime analysis support to the Camden Police Department (Camden, NJ). His research interests include the spatio-temporal dimensions of crime, the criminogenic effects of gang territory, and the impacts of drug markets. Travis is currently working on his dissertation which broadly focuses on policing and its relationship to crime. He can be reached at travis@temple.edu.
Taylor, Liana	Liana Taylor is from Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. Recently Liana worked on a project evaluating the Philadelphia Juvenile Treatment Court. During the summer she worked on a project evaluating the Washington County Drug Court and the Waukesha County DUI Court. Liana has also worked closely with Dr. Hiller. Liana’s research interests are in Rehabilitation programs, specifically drug courts. She can be reached at liana.taylor@temple.edu.
Tower, Sondra	Sondra Tower is from Manchester, New Hampshire. She earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice with a dual minor in Psychology and Political Science from Northeastern University, and a M.A. in Criminal Justice from Widener University. She spent three years as a police officer on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, after which she decided to continue her education. Her research interests include the psychology and motivations of crime.
Tucker, Jane	Jane M. Tucker has been a doctoral student at Temple University since August 2004. She has an undergraduate degree in Education and a MS in Criminal Justice from West Chester University. Jane has 13 years of policing experience in both the municipal and university settings. During her policing career she received training in many specialty areas such as accident investigation, sexual abuse investigation, community policing, hate crime, and domestic violence. She has conducted research for the Pennsylvania State Police and has been involved in policy development for police departments and security departments at area universities. She currently teaches criminal justice topics at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include police stress and organizational policies, climates, and attitudes towards stress intervention.
Wyant, Brian	Brian Wyant (bwyant@temple.edu)joined the Temple Criminal Justice department in August 2004. Before coming to Temple Brian earned his B.A. in Sociology from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) and his M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Baltimore. He also spent five years teaching at his alma mater, at Towson University, and at Harford Community College. He continues to enjoy teaching while here at Temple, but spends most of his time immersed in dissertation research about spatial-temporal links between gun carrying arrests and shootings in Philadelphia. His past research and ongoing interests also include studies about fear of crime, gun ownership, and juvenile delinquency. He has worked closely with Dr. Ralph B. Taylor and with Dr. Peter Jones. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, Brian and his wife now live in West Philadelphia.