Doctoral Student Profiles

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My dissertation is on bias crime victimization and help-seeking behaviors among transgender, gender diverse, and gender nonconforming individuals. This research started from my master’s capstone, which looked at LGBTQ+ bias crimes, but has since evolved. Working on my preliminary exam and doing work with Dr. Hereth helped me lock into areas of gender identity and help-seeking that need more research. Working on my PhD has also helped me look at other areas that are embedded into the Socio Ecological Model of Health framework, how it impacts other groups — such as Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind community — and advocating for change.

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I earned my BA in Social Work from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and my MPhil in Social Work from the University of Ghana. I also participated in the ERASMUS+ International Exchange Program at the University of Siegen, Germany. My research interests broadly focus on child and family well-being, child protection, caregiver experiences, and community-based approaches to addressing social inequalities.

I am interested in understanding how trauma, poverty, and social exclusion affect vulnerable children and families, and how evidence-based interventions can strengthen systems of care. In addition to my research, I have worked as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Ghana, supporting teaching and research in social work.

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I earned my BA in Psychology and a certificate in Criminal Justice from UW-Madison in 2022 before going to complete my MS in Criminal Justice and Criminology at UWM. My research interests are fairly broad, but I primarily focus on pretrial decision-making, sentencing disparities, reentry-related issues, and the impact of experiential learning on student outcomes. In addition to my research, I teach courses in research methods and criminological theory and policy. 

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I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being and recently earned my PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. My research focuses on understanding how childhood adversity shapes health, mental health, and socioeconomic outcomes across the life course. I am particularly interested in how social identities and structural factors — including race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status— influence exposure to adversity and resilience.

I will be on the academic job market during the Fall 2026 hiring cycle and look forward to opportunities to contribute through research, teaching, and community-engaged scholarship.

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My research focuses on understanding the social and structural factors that shape gun violence in urban communities. I am particularly interested in how criminal social networks, neighborhood conditions, and patterns of social interaction influence the concentration and diffusion of gun violence. Drawing on insights from network criminology, I examine how relationships among individuals and groups can contribute to the spread of violence within and across communities.

My current research explores the intersection of neighborhood structural conditions and criminal network dynamics to better understand why gun violence becomes concentrated in specific places and among particular social groups. Building on the work of scholars such as Andrew Papachristos, I seek to understand how violence is transmitted through social networks and how community-level factors shape these processes. Through this research, I aim to contribute to evidence-based strategies for violence prevention and community safety.

Prior to pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I served as a lecturer in the Department of Criminology and Security Studies at Chrisland University in Nigeria and at the Institute of Security Management and Operations (ISMON) in Nigeria for over a decade. My academic and professional experiences continue to inform my commitment to advancing research that promotes public safety, social justice, and community well-being.

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I am interested in examining how social policy, healthcare systems, and organizational practices shape health and well-being across the lifespan. My research interests include LGBTQIA+ health inequities, aging and gerontology, and the health and well-being of family and informal caregivers. I am particularly interested in understanding how structural factors, access to supportive services, and public policy influence health outcomes for marginalized populations and those who provide care. Through my doctoral studies, I hope to produce research that informs evidence-based policy, strengthens health and social service systems, and promotes equity, resilience, and quality of life.  
 

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My research interests focus on intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. I am particularly interested in survivor-defined justice and how interventions, systems, and communities can better support those impacted by violence. My research aims to center survivors’ voices while promoting equitable and effective responses to harm across formal and informal systems. 

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My research interests focus on systems-level approaches to behavioral health access issues, including expansion of peer support, paid practice experiences, clinical supervision, and innovative educational pathways. My research interests are primarily in policy, program, and “best evidence in practice” implementation and evaluation, as well as qualitative, community-engaged approaches. 

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