Members of the BRC Lab
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Tamara Kang, Ph.D.
Dr. Kang is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She obtained a M.A. in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. in Legal Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Post-graduation, she managed a federally funded grant for a multi-site, multi-state implementation project. Dr. Kang’s Barriers to Reducing Crime Lab is interested in reduction of crime, reentry barriers, translation of research to policy and practice (distrust in scientists), implementation of evidence-based practices, and assessment and rehabilitation in corrections through merging the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model with the socioecological framework to capture populations and factors nested at the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels.
Hobbies: Hiking, running, training llamas and dogs, photography
(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tamara-Kang)
Hobbies: Hiking, running, training llamas and dogs, photography
(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tamara-Kang)
| 1.14.2026-cv_kang-fv.pdf |
Doctoral Students
Dowla Kuzmickus, M.A.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Psychopathy, criminal rehabilitation, and barrier to re-entry Hobbies: Traveling, reading, exploring new cities, and baking! Audrey O'Neal, B.A.
Program: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Effectiveness of interventions within the correctional system and barriers to re-entry Hobbies: Traveling and hiking! |
Monique Swaby, M.A.
Program: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Violence risk assessment, barriers to re-entry & juvenile justice Hobbies: Traveling, trying new restaurants & working out! Nora Will, B.A.
Program: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Understandings of recidivism and reentry especially for those with serious mental illnesses, Policy and community understandings of scientific literature and research, Perspectives on alternatives to incarceration Hobbies: Running, cooking, spending time outdoors with friends! |
Hunter Clark, M.A.
Program: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Sentencing disparities, legislative and policy implications, re-entry, & violent crimes. Hobbies: Traveling, working out, hiking, and visiting local farmers markets, fairs, and festivals. Ferdi Djajadisastra, M.P.H.
Program: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Self-compassion, psychological flexibility, developing psychological treatment in developing nations Hobbies: Watching Korean dramas and variety shows |
Kieleha Ingram, M.S.
Program: Population Health
Research Interests: Decision making and rehabilitation Hobbies: Bowling, movies, and go-karting Victoria Ward, B.S.
Programs: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Community support in re-entry, the impact of incarceration on families, risk and resilience following violence exposure. Hobbies: Baking, reading, dancing, and spending time with my dog (Coffee) and cat (Gingerbread). |
Undergraduate Research Assistants
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Andrew Pelletier
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Sophia Ary
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David Tsung
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Karalyn Murray
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Research Interests: Criminal Psychology, Police Psychology, Forensic Assessment, Psychopathology
Hobbies: Magic: The Gathering, hiking, cooking, board games |
Research Interests: Issues of recidivism and reentry, mental illness in the correctional system, community understanding of the correctional system, and effectiveness of incarceration.
Hobbies: Baking, reading, crocheting, and hanging out with friends. |
Research Interests: Barriers to re-entry, sentencing disparities, and criminal rehabilitation
Hobbies: Watching St. Louis Cardinal's baseball, Indiana University football, and spending time with my daughter |
Research Interests: External and internal locus of control, re-entry barriers, risk factors, psychology, social psychology.
Hobbies: drawing, skateboarding, making bracelets, helping out at a horse stable, and watching Psych with my dog! |
Former Graduate Students
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Christina Engelken, Ph.D.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Legal decision making for gender-based crimes, especially jury decision making Hobbies: Rollerskating, hanging out with my cats, jigsaw puzzles Aradhna Mohan, M.A.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Women’s experiences in leadership positions, gendered interaction patterns at the workplace
Hobbies: Hiking
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Emily Galeza, Ph.D.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Social psychology and law, jury decision making, persuasive messaging, and moral outrage Hobbies: Cooking/baking, crafts, music, watching movies Forest Parker, M.A.
Program: Clinical Psychology
Research Interests: Psychological flexibility, Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy, psychometrics, barriers to treatment
Hobbies: Music, reading, games, cooking, movies
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Ryan Nation, M.A.
Program: Applied Psychology;
Research Interests: Increased accessibility of science; Opinion Development, Social Misperception Hobbies: Road trips, playing violin, chess, video games, hiking and watching the Buffalo Bills Adam Green, M.A.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Morality, blame attribution, whistleblowing, public health, political psychology
Hobbies: Gaming, golf, chess, learning languages, petting cats
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Betty Akamani, M.S.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Social psychological interventions, prejudice, biases, and child trauma Hobbies: Watching movies, planting flowers Miranda Nelson, M.A.
Program: Applied Psychology
Research Interests: Psychology and law, perceptions of familied defendants, and child placement determinations
Hobbies: Crafts, video games, singing, painting, playing with her cat
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Former Undergraduate Students
Tamal McClure
Research Interests: Pathways to crime, cycle of crime
Hobbies: Reading and Watching anime |
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Laynie Airgood
Research Interests: Mental health, crime reduction efforts
Hobbies: Painting, cooking, and making bracelets Guenevere Rees, B.A.
Research interests: psychopathy, media influence on perception, and female criminality.
Hobbies: Gymnastics, figure, skating, and reading comics |
Xavian Buday
Research Interests: Psychology and law
Hobbies: Playing video games, writing stories, watching movies, recording short films, and enjoying the outdoors. Olivia Cripps, B.A.
Research Interests: Social psychology, Psychology and law, rehabilitation, substance abuse, and re-entry
Hobbies: Crochet, baking, traveling around to antique malls |
Sergio Mercado, M.S
Research Interests: Psychology of drugs, biases, psychological flexibility, and Alzheimer's disease
Hobbies: Drawing, video games, D&D with friends, and playing with dogs Kathleen Huang
Research Interests: bias in the courtroom, juvenile delinquency risk factors,
criminal reformation, trauma, psychopathy. Hobbies: Playing volleyball, hiking, watching The Office, cheering on the Yankees |
Deidra Davis, M.S
Research Interests: Social psychology of law, the criminal justice system, crime reduction, perceptions of crime, applied psychology, and industrial psychology
Hobbies: Going on walks in nature, gardening, and baking Macy Schneider
Research Interests: Mental health in or out of the criminal justice system.
Hobbies: drawing and hanging with my close friends |
Adrianna Chorney
Research Interests: Recidivism rates, mental health prior to and at the end of a prison sentence, legal and social justice, treatment/therapy for different types of offenders
Hobbies: Dancing, writing, reading, playing my acoustic guitar, hiking, and meditating
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Emma Schriner, B.A
Research Interests: Psychology and law, juvenile delinquency, mental health programs in prison systems, substance abuse and rehabilitation
Hobbies: Fishing, watching sports, cooking, and taking care of my bearded dragon, Stark
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