Anthony Branchini is a doctoral student at UNLV. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice at UNLV in 2003 and his Master of Arts degree from UNLV in 2010. He is a twenty-seven-year law enforcement professional and current adjunct instructor in Las Vegas, instructing courses in criminal justice. His current interest is the impact accreditation has on criminal justice agencies.
Education:
B.A. Criminal Justice - University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2003)
M.A. Criminal Justice - University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2001)
Laurel Dietrich is first-year doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2024 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. Her research interests include victimization, domestic violence, and the role of social factors on criminal behavior.
Education history:
B.A. Criminal Justice
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2024)
Kaylee Faria is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2020 with two bachelor of arts degrees in sociology and criminal justice. Kaylee also earned her Masters of Arts degree in criminal justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2023. Kaylee has worked with community partners to conduct program evaluations on substance dependence programming and dually-involved youth programming. Kaylee has taught four sections of an upper-division undergraduate on youth, crime, and society. Kaylee's research interests include juvenile justice, dually-involved youth, collateral consequences of justice involvement, and institutional programming.
Education
B.A. Sociology, California State University, Fullerton (2020)
B.A. Criminal Justice, California State University, Fullerton (2020)
M.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2023)
Christopher Forepaugh is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2020 with his Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. His research interests include hate crimes, police use of force, police-community relations, drug policy, violent crime, and crime pattern analysis.
Education
M.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2020)
B.A. Criminal Justice and Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2017)
Alyssa Fuller is a second-year Master’s student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Her research interests include juvenile delinquency and corrections.
Qingyang HONG is a first-year doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He graduated from University of Macau in 2023 with his Master of Social Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. His research interests include policing, the death penalty and social control in China, sociology of law and crime.
Education
M.S. Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Macau (2023)
B.A. Journalism, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (2020)
Rachel Housden is a second-year doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law, and Society. Her research interests include police-community relations, corrections, and wrongful convictions.
Education
B.A. Criminology, Law, and Society, University of California, Irvine (2019)
Bo Ra (Bora) Jung is a doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from Boston University in 2023 with a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Pennsylvania State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology. Her research interests include cybercrime, darknet investigations, financial crimes, and cryptocurrency.
Elisha Longoria a third year Ph.D student in the Criminal Justice Department at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville in 2023 with her Masters of Science in Criminal Justice. Her research interests include community supervision officers as case managers and unmet needs and quality of life indicators for people experiencing community supervision.
Education
M.S. Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University, Huntsville (2023)
B.A. Psychology
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (2021)
Khaing Lynn is a third-year doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from Portland State University in 2021 with her Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Her research interests include police use of force, protest policing, and militarization of police forces.
Education
M.S. Criminal Justice, Portland State University (2021)
Stacy Medina is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from UNLV with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice in 2024. Medina is the internship screener for the department, meeting with undergrad students who are majoring or minoring in criminal justice and are seeking internships. She helps them see which internship will be the best opportunity for them, as well as helps with the application process. Medina's areas of research interest include sex trafficking, domestic violence/IPV in minority communities, and immigration.
Education
M.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2020)
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2018)
Anna Nakazawa is a first year doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department. She graduated from UNLV with her Bachelor of Art degree in Criminal Justice in 2024. Her research interests include policing and crime prevention.
Kamali'ilani Wetherell is a third-year Doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2021 with her Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. Her research interests include policing, unsolved crime, missing persons, and wrongful convictions.
Education
M.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2021)
B.A. Psychology, University of California, Irvine (2019)
Amy Lim is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She holds a master of science in Criminal Justice from Boston University, a master of science in forensic psychology from Arizona State University, and a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of Washington. Her research interests include romance scams, cryptocurrency investigations, and theoretical perspectives on factors influencing cybercriminal behavior.
Heather Fleck is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma - Norman in 2025 with a master of science in criminal justice and in 2022 with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and social and criminal justice from Coe College. Her research interests include juvenile justice, substance abuse, and capital punishment.
Education:
M.S. in Criminal Justice - University of Okalahoma- Norman, 2025
B.A. in Psychology - Coe College, 2022
B.A. in Social and Criminal Justice - Coe College, 2022
Emily Oberg is a doctoral student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2023 with a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law and Justice. Her research interests include victimization and violence against women.
Education:
M.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Reno (2023)
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Reno (2021)
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of Texas at El Paso (2019)
M.S. Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at El Paso (2021)
Biography
Nicole Cebak is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Nicole graduated from University of Texas at El Paso in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in psychology. She graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2021 with a master of science in criminology and criminal justice. Nicole’s research focuses on victimization, with particular interest in interpersonal victimization, stalking victimization, and immigration and crime. Nicole has taught several core undergraduate courses on introductions to administration of Justice and introduction to criminology. cebak@unlv.nevada.edu
Chelsea Wheeler-Mayo is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from Fort Hays State University with a dual degree in psychology and criminal justice. Chelsea earned her master of science degree in experimental psychology from Western Illinois University. Chelsea has taught introduction to criminal justice, research methods, and cybersecurity at UNLV. She also teaches research methods and various elective courses at Fort Hays State University. Chelsea’s research interests include sexual victimization, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Her dissertation research is titled Beyond the Uniform: Exploring the Role of Betrayal in Shaping Experiences of Sexual Victimization in the United States Military.
Education
B.S. Psychology, Fort Hays State University (2017)
B.S. Criminal Justice, Fort Hays State University (2017)
M.S. Experimental Psychology, Western Illinois University (2019)
Tai Beckx is a first-year master's student in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2023 with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. His research interests include policing, terminal ballistics, and police use of drone technology.
Education
A.S. Administration of Justice, Irvine Valley College (2019)
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2023)
I am a first year masters student. I have graduated from University of Nevada Las Vegas in Fall 2023 with my bachelors in Philosophy with a concentration in Law and Justice. My research interests include delinquency, wrongful convictions, white collar crime and corrections.
Vanessa Pichon is a first-year Master's student in the Criminal Justice Department at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from Park University with her Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration. Her research interests include ethics in the court system, military commissions, and international terrorism.
Education:
B.S. Criminal Justice Administration, Park University (2005)
Brenda Gonzalez is a first-year master's student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. Her research interests include white-collar crime and the economic impact of crime on society.
Education:
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2025)
Pierre Lescure is a first-year master’s student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice. His research interests include two primary areas: the preventive effects of spiritual beliefs and practices on criminal behavior, as well as the dynamics of intimate partner violence, with a specific focus on male victims of psychological and emotional abuse by female partners.
