Ryan Spohn, Ph.D., Director, Consortium for Crime and Justice Research, (402) 554.3494, rspohn@unomaha.edu

Ryan Spohn is Director of the Consortium for Crime and Justice Research. He received his B.S. in Sociology/Criminology from Kansas State University (1996), M.S. in Sociology from Texas A&M University (1998), and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Iowa (2003).
His areas of research include the areas of juvenile delinquency, crime, families, child maltreatment, and processes of the criminal justice system.

Selected Publications
Spohn, Ryan E. Forthcoming “Delinquent Friends and Reactions to Strain: An Examination of Direct and Indirect Pathways.” Western Criminology Review

Spohn, Ryan E. and Don Kurtz. 2011 “Family Structure as a Social Context for Family Conflict: Unjust Strain and Serious Delinquency.” Criminal Justice Review 36:332-356.

Zavala, Egbert and Ryan E. Spohn. 2010. "Emotional Abuse and Controlling Behaviors in Heterosexual Relationships: The Role of Employment and Alcohol Use for Women and Their Partners." Sociological Spectrum 30:526-549.

Griffiths, Elizabeth, Robert D. Baller, Ryan E. Spohn, and Rosemary Gartner. 2008. "Is There Such a Thing as Defended Community Homicide? The Necessity of Methods of Triangulation." Victims and Offenders 3:228-244.

Kurtz, Don, Travis Linnemann, and Ryan E. Spohn. 2008. "Investigating Racial Disparity at the Detention Decision: The Role of Informal Control and Respectability." Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice 5:140-157.

Fitzgerald, Scott F. and Ryan E. Spohn. 2005. "Pulpits and Platforms: The Role of the Church in Determining Protest among Black Americans." Social Forces 84:1015-1048.

 

Anne Hobbs, Ph.D., Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute, (402) 472.4234, ahobbs@unomaha.edu

Anne Hobbs, J.D. Ph.D. is the Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Her research interests include implicit bias, inequality in our justice systems, disproportionate minority contact and program evaluation. She has conducted a number of mixed methodological studies on the topic of racial and ethnic inequality in the juvenile justice system. She also enjoys teaching the criminal procedure and civil rights and working with students on a variety of projects.

Julie Rogers, Community Planning Coordinator, (402) 472.6753, jlrogers@unomaha.edu

Julie L. Rogers has worked for the Juvenile Justice Institute, providing communities technical assistance as they go through the Juvenile Services Comprehensive Community Planning process, since the Summer of 2008. She received her B.A. in Social Sciences from the College of Saint Mary and her J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law. As a Deputy Madison County Public Defender, Julie worked with juveniles and their families within the juvenile justice system. Julie has also worked as the Nebraska Unicameral's Legal Counsel to the Judiciary Committee as well as Policy Analyst to the Nebraska Community Corrections Council.

Julie is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Nebraska Juvenile Justice Association. Julie is a member of many community organizations, most recently serving as Secretary to the Board for St. Monica's Behavioral Health in Lincoln and as President of the Junior League of Lincoln.

Melissa Gray, Project Coordinator, (402) 554.4007, mgray@unomaha.edu

Melissa Gray has been the Program Coordinator for the Consortium for Crime and Justice Research Coordinator since November 2011. She received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2010 with concentrations in English, Communications and History.

As the CCJR Program Coordinator, she assists the director in the implementation of grant-funded projects.

In her spare time, Melissa enjoys biking, learning the guitar and traveling.

Judy Byers-Schuller, Staff Associate, (402) 554.3794, jkbyers@unomaha.edu

Judy Byers is a Staff Associate for Consortium for Crime and Justice Research and Juvenile Justice Research. Prior to joining CCJR and JJI she worked for the State of Nebraska for over ten years. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree from Bellevue University in Management in 2005.

She started working for UNO in January of 2012. She takes care of the day to day activities for CCJR and JJI.  Judy works closely with the staff in Lincoln as well as the staff in Omaha.

Dessa Champoux, Staff Associate, (402) 472.6756, dchampoux@unomaha.edu

Dessa Champoux is a Staff Associate. She graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a degree in Art and a minor in Gerontology. She assists with grants and works with various community members in the state of Nebraska. In her spare time, Dessa enjoys volunteering with various organizations in Omaha and Lincoln, learning new cooking techniques, yoga and catching a sporting event or two.