I joined the faculty of Radford University in August of 2006. I teach courses in Diversity in Criminal Justice, Historical Perspectives, Rural Crime and Law Enforcement, among many others. My research interests focus on a number of issues within criminal justice and criminology. My immediate work explores firearms, gun storage, and American culture. I am also interested in the implications of crime for rural areas, particularly drug use and distribution, as well as, the impact of race, gender and class on definitions of crime and application of the criminal justice process.

Originally from the small town of Waxhaw, NC, I received my undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from UNC - Charlotte in 1996. I went on to complete my Master's degree in Criminal Justice there and finalized a thesis that applied Merton’s classic strain theory to female delinquency in 1998. Following my time at UNC-Charlotte, I moved to upstate New York to pursue a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice at the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany. My dissertation research examined the accessible storage of loaded firearms. 

I am currently working on a number of projects. The most immediate examines firearm ownership from a cultural perspective. I also have research underway that evaluates the geographic distribution of firearm sales, injury and death in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In my non-existent free time, I read voraciously and spend time with my amazing husband and two wonderful daughters.