This week, it's just Jenn and Jose. This will be the last episode of our Grad Life series. We talk about what we consider success to be and our advice to students currently undergoing the grueling ordeal that is grad school.

Gary LaFree is a Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Founding Director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland. He is a past president of the American Society of Criminology and the 2024 recipient of the Stockholm Prize. His research is on the causes and consequences of violent crime and terrorism. His most recent books are The Handbook of the Criminology of Terrorism (with Josh Freilich), Countering Terrorism (with Martha Crenshaw), and Toward a Criminology of Terrorism.

Special topics highlighted in this episode include the beginning of Gary’s career, his contributions to criminology, and his thoughts on the discipline.

This week, as part of our grad life series, we spoke with Chloe Haimson and Stephen Oliphant about their experiences finding, applying, and interviewing for postdoc positions.

Chloe Haimson is Director of Research of the Justice Policy Lab @the Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs at Brown University. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the Prison Education Program at New York University where she taught ethnography at Wallkill Correctional Facility. Her current work investigates the decisions parole agents make during their everyday work routines, how these choices influence the trajectories of individuals on parole after prison, and their consequences for the expansion of punishment in the U.S. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022.

Stephen Oliphant is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. He received his PhD in criminal justice from Michigan State University in 2023. His interdisciplinary background includes training in the fields of public policy, criminal justice, and injury prevention. His research is primarily focused on firearm policy and the evaluation of interventions that address firearm injury and violence more broadly.

Justin Pickett is a professor of criminal justice at the University at Albany, SUNY. He received his PhD in Criminology from Florida State University in 2011 and received the American Society of Criminology's Cavan Young Scholar Award in 2015. His research interests include public opinion, survey research methods, theories of punishment, and police–community relations.

Special topics highlighted in this episode include criminological research and public opinion and policing and diversity

Richard Wright retired from the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2014, having spent 30 very happy years there. He then joined the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University as chair, before retiring again in 2021. Wright has published widely in the area of offending decision making, with particular focus on urban street criminals.

Richard speaks to us about his journey into criminology, his work on active offender research, and his thoughts on the field.

In this episode we speak with Dr. Brae Young. Brae is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Texas Christian University. Her research largely focuses on family and support among offending populations as well as broader issues within the juvenile justice system. Her recent work has appeared in Justice Quarterly, Journal of Developmental and Life Course Criminology, and Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice.

We spoke to Brae about her work surrounding adolescents who have been incarcerated. Specifically we discuss the benefits of these teens getting visits and what may or may not prevent their loved ones from visiting them. Our discussion then moves to being a teen parent while incarcerated and the challenges that brings.

In this episode we talk with Nathaniel Schutten a doctoral candidate in the School of Criminal Justice at SUNY Albany. Nathaniel talks to us about his work regarding attitudes towards gun ownership in the United States as well the intersection of gun ownership and racism.

You can find Nathaniel on X @NateSchutten.

Prepare for an enlightening journey through episode 93 of the Criminology Academy podcast. Explore the dark side of the internet with cybercrime expert Dr. Eden Kamar, who delves into the disturbing trend of child online grooming. Through a detailed discussion about her groundbreaking research and studies, we also explore the role of parental guardianship in mitigating online grooming, the techniques employed by predators, and protective measures for children.

Unveil the innovative use of chatbots and artificial intelligence for data collection and analysis of online sexual grooming techniques, highlighting the potential in safeguarding children and prosecuting offenders. Learn about the alarming findings, including the observed trend of more sexually knowledgeable children being specifically targeted for offline contact. Reflect on the importance of understanding the grooming process's non-linear nature, which can often be abrupt and direct.

Dig deeper as the conversation explores the issue of webcam exploitation, particularly by online groomers. Recognize the deception within certain platforms that enable groomers to manipulate the victims' cameras without their awareness primarily through 'Whereby' as suggested by Dr. Kamar's study. Raise pressing questions on the safety design of such platforms and the role of software companies in securing user safety.

Tune into this insightful conversation and empower yourself with knowledge against these cyber threats.