I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology from Virginia Tech in 1996 under the guidance of Dr. Clifton D. Bryant.  I joined the faculty of Ohio Northern University in 1999.  I currently teach a number of classes related to topics in my specialty area of criminology, as well as an introductory sociology course.  I think teaching and working with undergraduate students is the best part of my job as a professor. 

I believe that teaching and research can, and should, complement each other.  An active research agenda helps to compliment a faculty member’s teaching, by forcing one to keep abreast of the latest developments in his or her areas of interest.  I also believe that students can play an important role in the research enterprise. Accordingly I have included a number of students as contributors to my published papers and conference presentations.  I also believe it is imperative for scholars to be an active part of the public conversation on topics related to their areas of expertise.  Consequently I have done a number of media interviews and appearances on topics such as sex offenders.  Recently I testified as a proponent for Jessica’s Law and related legislation at committee hearings held at the Ohio State Senate.

My research has appeared in a variety of journals including Deviant Behavior, Federal Probation, Sociological Spectrum, Seminars in Integrative Medicine, Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, College Student Journal, and the International Review of Modern Sociology.  I have also contributed essays and chapters to a number of edited volumes including The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Deviant Behavior, Extreme Deviance, the Handbook of Death and Dying, and Readings in Deviant Behavior. Currently, I am a member of the editorial board of three academic journals: Deviant Behavior, Sociological Inquiry, and Sociological Spectrum. I also serve as Vice President of the Mid-South Sociological Association.