About the Authors
Revising and Contributing Author
Jessica René Peterson, PhD
Dr. Peterson is an Assistant Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Southern Oregon University and an honorary adjunct lecturer and research associate at the University of New England in NSW, Australia. Her primary research and teaching interests include policing, discretionary decision-making by actors in the criminal justice system, rural crime and justice, and crime and media. She is the co-editor of the Bristol University Press “Research in Rural Crime” book series and co-editor of the International Journal of Rural Criminology.
Contributing Authors
Taryn VanderPyl, PhD
Dr. Taryn VanderPyl is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Sciences at Western Oregon University. She has been working with and learning directly from people impacted by the criminal justice system for over a decade. Dr. VanderPyl’s research focuses on interventions within and legislation concerning juvenile and adult corrections that affect reentry and recidivism, as well as addressing social hostility toward those with justice system involvement. Her earlier experiences as a high school special education teacher and consultant, as well as a foster parent, have contributed to her research and activism regarding disproportionate representations of vulnerable and marginalized populations in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Her work on affecting the outcomes of youth and adults in these systems has led to participation in numerous academic, behavioral, and reintegration programs in both juvenile and adult correctional facilities with a priority on emphasizing the voices of those seldom heard. Dr. VanderPyl is the author of Corrections 360: A Look at Corrections from All Angles and co-editor of Exploitation and Criminalization at the Margins: The Hidden Toll on Unvalued Lives. She has presented on behalf of her research participants and fellow change agents at multiple national and regional criminal justice conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals across various related fields of study. See more of her work at wou.edu/wp/vanderpylt/.
Mauri Matsuda, PhD
Mauri Matsuda is an Assistant Professor at Portland State University. She holds a PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research focuses on developmental, life-course criminology and the intersection of alcohol/drugs, crime, and criminal justice. She teaches courses on theories of crime and justice, crime control strategies, and juvenile justice.
Jennifer Moreno, JD
Jennifer Moreno is a non-tenure-track Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Sciences at Western Oregon University. She earned her juris doctorate at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska, and worked as a police officer in Arizona for about ten years. Her research areas include gender issues in policing, emotional intelligence/trauma support for law enforcement, and online pedagogy.
Curt Sobolewski, PhD
Curt Sobolewski received his BA from Indiana University, MA from Baylor University, and PhD in sociology from Arizona State University. He is an Associate Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Portland State University and specializes in the study of sexual behavior, terrorism, and popular culture.