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Ph.D. Alumni

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  3. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
  4. Alumni
  5. Ph.D. Alumni

Doctoral Program Graduates

Since the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice admitted its first doctoral students in 1994, more than 100 students have earned their doctorate of philosophy (Ph.D.) in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Graduate in cap and gown

Dr. Ebonie Epinger (December 2022 graduate)

Year Student Dissertation Title Chair Current Position
2025 Baylee Allen- Flores What About Those We Left Behind? The Unintended Consequences Of Decarceration For Those Still Incarcerated Zach Hamilton Depaul University
2025 Brian Gildea Risk-Needs-Responsivity Principles' Impact on Probation Officers' Supervision Styles in a Domestic Violence Court Zach Hamilton Colorado Mesa University
2025 Michaela Benson-Goldsmith Restorative Justice in U.S. School District Policies: Associations with School Discipline Outcomes Tara Richards UNO Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab
2024 Caralin Branscum Examining the Relationship Between Victim Self-protective Behaviors and Sexual Assault Case Processing Tara Richards University of South Florida
2024 Clara Braun The Cumulative Strain Paradigm: Exploring the Nexus of Terrorism and Violence Through a Criminological Lens Gina Ligon Industry - REJIS
2024 Sheena Gilbert A Holistic Approach to Gender-Based Violence on College Campuses: A Need for a Tribal-Centered Campus Climate Assessment Tara Richards National Institute of Justice
2024 Sarah Steele Priestly Perspectives: Narratives From Catholic Priests Removed From Ministry For Sexual Misconduct Amy Anderson Prairie View A&M University
2023 Amber Krushas Examining Theoretical Correlates of Personal Recurrent Victimization in Adulthood Teresa Kulig University of Nevada - Las Vegas
2023 Rachel Rief Being a Policewoman in 2020: Police Culture, Social Identity, and Female Officers’ Perceptions of Their Work Samantha Clinkinbeard University of North Texas
2022 Nicky Dalbir

Victimization among Jail Inmates: Differences in Type, Timing, Gender, and Effects on Recidivism

Emily Wright Morningside College
2022 Ebonie Epinger

The Effects of Criminogenic Needs and Risk Factors on Recidivism among a Jail Population

Emily Wright University of Illinois
2022 Brandon Tregle

Officer and Arrestee Perspectives of Police Facilitated Restorative Justice

Justin Nix University of Texas - San Antonio
2021 Julie D. Garman

Child Pornography: An Examination of Pornography Use Across the Lifespan

Lisa Sample John Jay College of Criminal Justice
2020 Michael K. Logan

From Simple to Sophisticated: The Organization of Terrorist Groups

Gina Ligon Kennesaw State University
2020 Sara Toto Examining the Prevalence and Predictors of Inmate on Inmate Sexual Violence among Incarcerated Men and Women Emily Wright Central Washington University
2019 Marijana Kotalaja Economic Hardship, Outgroup Animosity, and Low Trust in Institutions: Exploring Consequences of Crime, Moral Disengagement and Social Unrest in Belgrade, Serbia. Robert Meier University of Missouri - Kansas City
2019 Sara Moore A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding the Juvenile Reentry Mentoring Process Lisa Sample Nebraska Wesleyan University
2019 Edith "Penny" Westfall Exploring the Relationship between Criminal Thinking and Emotional Intelligence in Iowa Female Prisoners. Lisa Sample Retired, Industry
2019 Steven Windisch From Swaddling to Swastikas: A Life-Course Investigation of White Supremacist Extremism. Samantha Clinkinbeard Temple University
2018 Rita Augustyn An Evaluation of Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Programs at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Lisa Sample Keene State College
2018 Timothy Barnum Examining the Role of Sensation Seeking and Risk and Reward Appraisal in the Etiology of Athlete Risk-Taking Behavior Todd Armstrong Sam Houston State University
2018 Calli M. Cain Examining the Gendered Effects of Prior Victimization on Delinquency Type among a Sample of Justice-Involved Youth Amy Anderson Florida Atlantic University
2018 Joselyne Chenane The Effect of Police Contact and Neighborhood Context on Delinquency and Violence Emily Wright University of Massachusetts - Lowell
2018 Danielle C. Slakoff The Representation of Female Victims in Front-Page News Stories: The Effect of Race/Ethnicity Pauline Brennan Sacramento State University
2018 Starr Solomon Examining the Role of Treatment Quality, Decision-Making Quality, and Driver Race during Traffic Stops Samantha Clinkinbeard Kent State University
2017 H. Daniel Butler Improving Model Specification in Quantitative Studies of Inmate Deviance Benjamin Steiner Iowa State University
2017 Jared Ellison An Opportunity Model of Victimization Risk for Jail Inmates and Correctional Officers Benjamin Steiner Old Dominion University
2016 Karyn Sporer Families and Their Aggressive Children with Mental Illness Pete Simi University of Maine
2015 Danielle Bailey Diffusion of Shame: Experiences of Sex Offender Family Support Networks. Lisa Sample University of Texas at Tyler
2015 Robert Lytle American Criminal Justice Policy Change: An Example Using Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws. Lisa Sample University of Arkansas - Little Rock
2015 Dana Radatz Domestic Violence, Batterer Intervention, and Effective Correctional Programming Emily Wright Niagara University
2015 Trisha Rhodes Police Culture at a Crossroads: An Analysis of Police in Schools Sam Clinkinbeard University of Nebraska at Omaha
2014 Bryan Bubolz Once a gang member always a gang member? A life history study of gang desistance.

Pete Simi

Northern Michigan University

2013

Connie Koski

Neighborhood informal social control, race, and gentrification: An ethnographic axploration.

Pete Simi

Oglala Lakota College

2013

Sandra Petersen

Perception of violence on the Pine Ridge American Indian Reservation and the role of perceived poverty and isolation in those perceptions.

Lisa Sample

Unknown

2013

Abby (Vandenberg) Carbaugh

The development of a statistical model to predict parole outcome in Nebraska.

Lisa Sample

Industry - Douglas County Juvenile Justice, Nebraska

2013

Timbre Wulf-Ludden

Pseudo-Families and institutional misconduct in a women's prison: A test of General Strain Theory.

Robert Meier

Central State University

2012

Mary Evans

Differences in delinquency among children with and without learning disabilities: A meta-analysis.

Amy Anderson

University of Northern Colorado

2012

Benjamin Gibbs

Equitable deterrence: The effects of consistently applied graduated sanctions in drug court.

William Wakefield

Ball State University

2012

Michael Harrington

Examining the construct of prison adjustment.

Robin Ogle

Northern Michigan University

2012

Yanhua Liu

Felony sentencing in Washington state, 2000-2004: A multilevel study of individual and contextual effects.

Lorine Hughes

Unknown

2012

Tusty ten Bensel

The collective nature of sexual violence: A comparative case study analysis of Bosnia and Sierra Leone.

Lisa Sample

University of Arkansas - Little Rock

2011

William T. Morris

Breaking the criminogenic code: A frame analysis of Neo-Nazi and violent Jihadi propaganda.

Pete Simi

Norwich University

2011

Ann Stacey Reeser

The tipping point to terrorism: Involvement in right-wing terrorist groups in the United States.

Pete Simi

Unknown

2010

Scott Chenault

An ethnographic examination of correctional officer culture in a Midwestern state.

Pete Simi

University of Central Missouri

2010

Dae-Young Kim

The impact of globalization and technological innovations on crime and punishment in the United States, 1945-2007.

Candice Batton

Buffalo State University

2009

Esperanze Camargo

Family violence under a multicultural perspective in Colombia.

Jon Crank

San Diego State University

2009

James H. Geistman Jr.

Attitudes of criminal justice and other majors toward the crime of stalking.

Robin Ogle

Wayne State University

2009

Ibrahim Ferzan

The perceptions of Turkish police captains about the use of techniques of neutralization by Turkish offenders.

Miriam DeLone

Unknown

2009

Denise L. Olsen

The sentencing recommendation of the probation officer. What does it really mean?: Findings from one small county in California.

Lisa Sample

Simpson College

2009

Ibrahim Mese

Does sex make a difference? The study of gender differences in crime in Turkey.

Miriam DeLone

Unknown

2009

Jawjeong Wu

Immigration, race/ethnicity, and differential sentencing: An examination of the effects of citizenship status on sentencing outcomes in federal courts.

Miriam DeLone

Buffalo State University

2008

Blythe Bowman

Transitional crimes against culture: Looting at archaeological sites and the grey market in antiquities.

Pete Simi

Virginia Commonwealth University

2008

William McCarty

Trailers and trouble? An examination of crime, calls for service, and community ties in mobile home communities.

Lisa Sample

University of Illinois - Chicago

2008

Michael Seredycz

Effectiveness of an access to recovery (ATR) Lake City offender reentry programs.

William Wakefield

MacEwan University (Canada)

2008

Katharine M. Tellis

When the bedroom is the crime scene: Contextualizing intimate partner rape.

Pete Simi

California State University, Los Angeles

2007

Steven J. Briggs

People and places: An examination of searches during traffic stops in Minneapolis.

Miriam DeLone

North Dakota State University

2007

Brett Garland

Job satisfaction and organizational commitment among non-custody prison staff: A comparative analysis.

Jihong Zhao

Missouri State University

2007

Suzanne M. Godboldt

Exploring community effects on domestic violence through a social disorganization perspective.

Amy Anderson

University of Jamestown

2007

Trent Ikerd

Examining the institutionalization of problem-oriented policing: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department as a case study.

Samuel Walker

Appalachian State University

2007

Amy L. Poland

Got training? The effect of mental health training on the attitudes and behaviors of direct care workers in a residential facility for juvenile offenders.

Miriam DeLone

St. Joseph's College, NY

2007

Eric J. Wodahl

The efficacy of graduated sanctions in reducing technical violations among probationers and parolees: An evaluation of the Wyoming Department of Corrections Intensive Supervision Program.

Robin Ogle

University of Wyoming

2007

Ruohui Zhao

Determinants of anomie: A cross-national study.

Jihon Zhao

University of Macau

2007

Jill M. Fort

Why are more women being incarcerated? An examination of the decision making involved in sentencing.

Robin Ogle

Newman University, Associate Vice President

2006

William Crawley

Substance abuse and dependency disorders in the criminal justice system: An exploratory examination of the validity, efficacy and influences on self-report methodologies utilized via diagnostic screening instrumentation in criminal justice institutionalized populations.

William Wakefield

University of West Florida

2006

Gale Iles (in memoriam)

America's forgotten paradise: An assessment of sentencing decisions and outcomes in the United States Virgin Islands.

Cassie Spohn

University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

2006

Elizabeth A. Maier (Elliott)

Juvenile justice by geography: Dispositions in mixed and specialized jurisdictions in Nebraska.

Cassie Spohn

University of Central Oklahoma

2006

Samantha O'Hara

Making a federal case out of it: Prosecutorial discretion and the United States sentencing guidelines in a multi-district study.

Cassie Spohn

Des Moines Area Community College

2006

Ling Ren

Rethinking the crime drop in the United States during the 1990s: An examination of competing theoretical perspectives.

Ineke Marshall,
Jihong Zhao

University of Nebraska at Omaha

2005

Jeremy Ball

The effect of offender characteristics on plea bargaining: Testing an integrated theory.

Cassie Spohn

Industry

2005

Erika Davis-Frenzel

Issues in the measurement of sentencing outcomes: Implications for research on sex disparity in sentencing.

Cassie Spohn

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

2005

Mark Foxall

Latino homicides: The influence of residential segregation.

Cassie Spohn

University of Nebraska at Omaha

2005

Christopher L. Gibson

A psychometric investigation of a self-control scale: The reliability and validity of Grasmick et al.'s scale for a sample of incarcerated male offenders.

Ineke Marshall

University of Florida

2005

Richard Hartley

Type of counsel and its effects on criminal court outcomes in a large Midwestern jurisdiction: Do you get what you pay for?

Cassie Spohn

University of Texas at San Antonio

2005

Kimberly D. Hassell

A cross-precinct analysis of police patrol practices and the negotiations of order among patrol.

Jihong Zhao

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

2005

Dawn Irlbeck

Patterns of questioning during traffic stops: A study of possible racial/ethnic profiling.

Samuel Walker

Creighton University

2005

Sean Maddan

Sex offenders as outsiders: A reexamination of the labeling perspective utilizing current sex offender registration and notification policies.

Ineke Marshall

Texas A&M International

2005

Rebecca Murray

An assessment of the effects of liquor-serving establishments on crime focusing on blocks with bars, blocks behind bars and blocks around bars.

Dennis Roncek

Creighton University

2005

Tracy Nobiling

A tale of two cities: The effect of offender's employment status on sentence severity in Chicago and Kansas City.

Cassie Spohn

Chadron State College

2005

Steve Wilson

Determining the correlates of police victimization: An analysis of social disorganization and organizational level factors on injurious assaults.

Jihong Zhao

University of Arkansas Fort Smith

2004

Shentell Auffart

The sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine under the federal sentencing guidelines: The impact and ramifications on equal protection and due process.

Cassie Spohn

Attorney

2004

Michael J. Elbert

The correlates of supervised release outcomes in a federal jurisdiction: A comparison of offenders who were revoked and successfully terminated under the United States sentencing guidelines from 1998—2002.

Cassie Spohn

Chief U.S. Probation Officer, U.S. District Court, SD/IA

2004

Amanda J. (Mathias) Humphrey

Juvenile sexual assault victims and their decisions not to cooperate with the prosecution: A look at San Diego.

Samuel Walker

Kirkwood Community College, Dean of Social Sciences

2004

Judy L. Porter

Perceptions of social incivilities in the surroundings of elderly-only and mixed population high-rise public housing.

Dennis Roncek

Rochester Institute of Technology

2003

Dawn M. Beichner-Thomas

Prosecutorial charging decisions in sexual assault cases: Examining the impact of a specialized unit.

Cassie Spohn

Illinois State University

2003

Molly Brown

Similarities and differences in sentencing decisions of men and women judges in Cook County Circuit.

Cassie Spohn

Unknown

2003

Marc L. Swatt

Short-term forecasting of crime for small geographic areas.

Dennis Roncek

Industry

2002

Carol A. Archbold

Innovations in police accountability: An exploration study of risk management and police legal advising.

Samuel Walker

North Dakota State University

2002

Leigh (Herbst) Culver

The impact of new immigration patterns on the provision of police services in Midwestern communities.

Samuel Walker

Omaha Police Department

2002

Jennifer (Johnson) Roberts

The person in context: The impact of early onset criminality on high risk for violence situations.

Julie Horney

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

2002

T. Hank Robinson

Towards bridging the gap between micro and macro levels of analysis in criminology.

Ineke Marshall

Metropolitan Community College (Administration)

2002

Terrance Taylor

The dynamics of social control during the adolescent life-course.

Finn Esbensen

Passed away, 2023

2002

Keith A. Wilmot

Prosecutorial discretion and real offense sentencing under the federal sentencing guidelines: An analysis of relevant conduct.

Cassie Spohn

Industry

2002

Dana Peterson

"Don't forget the women": A multi-level analysis of individual and contextual effects on girls' and boys' delinquency.

Finn Esbensen,
Julie Horney

University at Albany, State University of New York

2001

Kevin Cannon

The effect of gang membership on prison rule violations.

Dennis Roncek

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

2001

Lori A. Guevera

Legal representation in the juvenile court: The interaction of race and counsel on juvenile court outcomes.

Cassie Spohn

Fayetteville State University

2001

David Holleran III

An examination of the variation in sentencing young black males across individual judges (Pennsylvania).

Cassie Spohn

The College of New Jersey

2000

Paula M. Kautt

Separating and estimating the effects of the federal sentencing guidelines and the federal mandatory "minimums": Isolating the sources of racial disparity.

Cassie Spohn

Florida Atlantic University

2000

Jessie L. Krienert

Testing an integrated model of masculinity and violence.

Julie Horney

Illinois State University

2000

Lorie L. Reubenser

Special units in policing: A case study of a nuisance task force.

Samuel Walker

Unknown

1999

Jeffrey W. Spears

Diversity in the courtroom: A comparison of the sentencing decisions of black and white judges in Cook County Circuit Court.

Cassie Spohn

Unknown

1999

William Wells

The situational role of firearms in violent encounters.

Julie Horney

Sam Houston State University

1998

Tricia L. Klosky

Testing integrated theoretical model of offender's perceptions of risk.

Ineke Marshall

Saint Mary's University

1998

Betsy W. Kreisel

An evaluation of police officers' perceptions of internal and external systems of citizen complaint procedures of police misconduct.

Samuel Walker

University of Central Missouri

1998

Roxann M Ryan

Prosecution strategies in domestic violence felonies: An exploration study.

Cassie Spohn

RETIRED, Commissioner, Iowa Department of Public Safety

1997

Ni He

Testing an integrated Durkheimian modernization theory versus a dynamic Marxian economic theory: Pooled cross-sectional time-series analysis of international crime data.

Ineke Marshall

University of Nebraska at Omaha, Senior Vice Chancellor

1997

Charles Katz

Police and gangs: A study of a police gang unit.

Sam Walker

Arizona State University

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