Author Archives: dhou1

Spring 2026 WGSS Courses

WGSS is offering WGSS 602 and WGSS 698J to all interested graduate students at the University of Maryland and in the DC Consortium. Students outside of WGSS who are interested in taking any of the available courses should email wgss-dgs@umd.edu to receive instructions on registering for the course.

For more information on individual courses, please see the WGSS Graduate Course Listings in Testudo.

WGSS 602: Methodologies and Epistemologies in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Thursday 4:00 – 6:00 PM SQH 4116
Instructor: Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner

WGSS 698J: Health Inequality: Social Determinants and the Intersections of Medicine, Technology, and the Humanities
Friday 10:00 – 12:50 PM
Instructor: Ruth Enid Zambrana

WGSS 698Z: Black Women’s Art and Culture
Tuesday 3:30-6:00 PM TLF 2108
Instructor: Elsa Barkley Brown

ANTHRO+ Conference Call for Papers

PASA invites graduate and advanced undergraduate students in anthropology and related disciplines to submit an abstract for a 10 to 12-minute presentation for the upcoming ANTHRO+ conference on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

This year’s theme is Changing Worlds & Challenging Times: Precarious Anthropologies, which explores the precarities of anthropology and related fields, and how researchers are addressing this period of social and historical transformation. This can include challenges within individual research projects, the precarities inherent in anthropology, and changes to the current landscape of academia and research.

We encourage submissions from those who bridge anthropology with fields within the social sciences, but also those whose work may fall outside of these disciplinary boundaries. Also welcome are submissions whose work emphasizes contemporary and experimental methods.

The deadline for submissions is February 6th, 2026 at 11:59 pm. All abstracts must be submitted via Google Form and may not exceed 150 words.

Faculty Specialist | UMD PSYC

Full-time Research Assistant Position in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

Dr. Tracy Riggins in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland College Park is seeking a Full-time Research Assistant (payroll title Faculty Specialist) for a research project examining the role of sleep and brain development on memory during early childhood. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Rebecca Spencer at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. See www.ncdl.umd.edu for more details about the study and lab.

Responsibilities will include: (1) conducting experiments with young children (including: recruiting, scheduling, and collection of polysomnography (PSG), and neuroimaging (MRI/fMRI) data; (2) preprocessing and analyzing data; (3) training and supervising undergraduate research assistants; (4) performing general administrative duties, including data management, lab web pages and participant recruiting systems; (5) programming scientific experiments and developing experimental stimuli, (6) assisting with IRB protocol creation and compliance, (7) conducting library searches and literature reviews to assist in manuscript preparation; and (8) providing general support for the PI and other researchers in the laboratory including, but not limited to, purchasing and maintaining lab equipment. Please note: the official payroll title at UMD for this position is “Faculty Assistant.”

Qualifications: Required background and skills include: a bachelor’s degree in a related scientific field (e.g., psychology or neuroscience); reliable transportation; previous research experience with human participants (preferably with children and/or using fMRI, EEG, or PSG); the ability to work independently; keen attention to detail; and the ability to interact warmly and professionally with parents and children. Strong computational, organizational, managerial, problem-solving, and analytic skills are essential.

The position is set to begin as soon as possible. A 2-year commitment is required; third year is possible dependent on available funding. Review of applications will begin January 26, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Interested individuals should email a cover letter describing their background and future goals, CV, and names and contact information of 3 references to Tracy Riggins at riggins@umd.edu. Please include all documents in a single pdf file and include your last name in the file (i.e., “LASTNAME.pdf”).

The Anat Project Presents: Debt Free Youth Justice

Join us for an engaging webinar, Debt Free Youth Justice: Assessing Trends and Impact, with guest speaker Dr. Chris Sullivan (UMSL), who will present recent research conducted with his colleagues Dr. Valerie Anderson (UMSL), Dr. Ebony Ruhland (Rutgers), and Meghan Zelasko (UMSL). Dr. Sullivan will present compelling findings from an Arnold Ventures–funded study of 2,200 cases involving youth monetary sanctions (2015–2024), examining how youth legal financial obligations (LFOs) are imposed, the policy trends driving them, and the critical implications for future policy, practice, and research.

When: Thursday, January 15th

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST

Where: Zoom link provided with RSVP

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/pZmMfVVe3eL2ECa89

Policy Analyst | Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Position Details:

Job Title: Policy Analyst
Company: Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC).
Location: Washington, DC
Employment Type: Full-time
Department: Research and Policy Division

About CJCC

CJCC is an independent agency within the District of Columbia Government that brings together leaders from local and federal criminal and juvenile justice agencies. Our mission is to identify challenges, develop evidence‑based solutions, and strengthen coordination across the justice system to improve public safety and community outcomes.

About the Role

As a Policy Analyst, you will:

Conduct policy analysis and multi-agency project management in support of criminal justice issues.
Develop reports, briefs, and recommendations for senior leadership and partner agencies.
Support inter-agency working groups and facilitate collaborative problem-solving.
Monitor emerging trends, legislation, and best practices in criminal justice reform.
Contribute to strategic planning and performance measurement initiatives.
Present findings to stakeholders in clear, accessible formats.

The ideal candidate brings:

Strong analytical and project management skills.
Experience with criminal justice policy, public administration, or related fields.
Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it effectively.
Comfort working in a fast-paced, collaborative, multi-agency environment.
Commitment to equity, transparency, and data-informed decision-making.

Key Requirements

Preferred qualifications:

Master’s degree in public policy, criminal justice, sociology, or related discipline.
Experience with project management, stakeholder management, training and technical assistance, and workgroup and meeting facilitation.
Knowledge of the DC criminal justice landscape is a plus.

Application Priority – Apply by January 12

The application window for this high-priority position is short, with a strict closing date of January 12. We plan to start interviews within two weeks of the position closing.

To ensure your application is considered promptly, please submit your materials as soon as possible, ideally by the specified deadline.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply through the DC Government careers portal: careers.dc.gov. Search for “Policy Analyst – Criminal Justice Coordinating Council” to view the full posting and submit your application.

Why Join Us At the CJCC

You’ll have the opportunity to work on high-impact initiatives that shape the future of public safety in Washington, DC. You’ll collaborate with dedicated professionals across government and help drive meaningful, systemic change.

For any questions regarding the application process, please contact me at kelly.hart@dc.gov. We encourage all qualified alumni to seize this opportunity quickly.

2026-2027 BSOS Dean’s Research Initiative

Dean’s Research Initiative
2026-2027
Request for Proposals
STUDENT AWARDS

The Dean’s Research Initiative (DRI) is a competitive grant program aimed at supporting new research pathways and ideas, experiential learning, and graduate student education and professional development. This call for proposals is for Student Awards.

Guidelines:

Requirements vary slightly by award category and proposal type. However, all proposals must include a project narrative, budget, budget justification that explains the relevance of the proposed costs to the scope of work, a Current and Pending Support form (in any approved Federal sponsor format), and a cover sheet signed by the Unit Chair/Director and Director of Administrative Services. The period of performance should be 12 months long and begin on or around July 1, 2026.

Application opens: January 9, 2026 at 9:00 am ET

InfoReady Application Link: [Will Insert When Available]

Application submission deadline: February 27, 2026 before Noon (12:00 PM ET)

Anticipated Award Notice: April 10, 2026

Awarded Funds Available: On or around July 1, 2026

Questions regarding the scientific or technical details of proposals can be directed to Dr. Meredith Kleykamp at kleykamp@umd.edu. Questions regarding eligibility, proposal assembly, and submission can be directed to bsosresearch@umd.edu.

Eligibility:

All graduate students enrolled in a BSOS program are eligible to apply. All applications that meet the stated requirements will be considered; however, funding preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received DRI funding.

Applicants who have previously received a DRI award and have outstanding progress and/or final reports that are past due at the time of the FY 2026–2027 submission deadline will not be eligible for funding.

Anat Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award

2026-2027 Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award Announcement

Purpose
In memory of the life and accomplishments of Dr. Anat Kimchi (Criminology and Criminal Justice graduate student), the Kimchi Memorial Graduate Awards Committee will be selecting the Annual Kimchi Memorial Award recipients from among graduate student applicants in Criminology and Criminal Justice. The Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award funds may be used for expenses related to summer research support, professional conference travel, data collection/access, academic training, or to defray the costs of achieving key academic milestones in the graduate program. The focus of these awards is on research related to racial inequality, social justice, punishment and recidivism research, and other areas of scholarship in the study of formal institutions of social control in society.

For example, award monies might be utilized to support various activities that are related to these areas of research, such as:

Travel to upcoming academic or policy-related conferences
Summer research stipends (e.g., to complete/submit paper for publication)
ICPSR or other data training workshops
Paying for data access for a student dissertation or related work
Purchasing specialized software needed for research purposes
Key activities tied to programmatic milestones (e.g., finishing dissertation)

Award Eligibility
University of Maryland Criminology & Criminal Justice doctoral students who have completed their master’s thesis are eligible to apply for the Kimchi Memorial Graduate Awards. Preference will be given to students who have advanced to candidacy. The Award Committee is comprised of 3 full-time faculty members and 1 current graduate student. Graduate students serving on the committee are ineligible to receive the Kimchi Award during their tenure on the committee.

Proposal Structure
To be considered for a Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award, applicants must submit a written project proposal to the Kimchi Award Committee. Applicants can submit proposals for a travel/data award, research award, or both. Travel/data proposals should be no more than 3 double-spaced pages. Research proposals should be no more than 5 double-spaced pages. The application process is the same for both but research proposals should be more detailed than travel proposals.

For both types of awards, applicants should provide a summary of the proposed project, including a discussion of relevant literature (other studies that address the topic and use the same or related data); and a detailed description of the methodology including prior experience with the data or analytic method.

The proposal should also clearly describe the project’s dissemination strategy (e.g., publication, dissertation, white paper, policy brief, agency report, paper presentation at a professional conference) and discuss whether it is related to the goals of a specific criminal justice or related agency. Successful applications will consider the feasibility of the study (i.e., how likely it is that the project will be successfully executed) and how the proposed project fits into the broader substantive research areas defined below under Award Criteria. A CV should be attached along with the completed application. For more information about the Kimchi Memorial Graduate Awards, please see: go.umd.edu/kimchiaward.

Award Criteria
The committee anticipates being able to support 1 research award that totals no more than $3600, plus up to 2 travel/data awards, each not exceeding $540 in a given year. Travel/data funds can be used to support travel to a national conference, offset costs of a statistical or other training workshop, or help pay for data access or other specialized research costs. Students who receive a Kimchi Award are expected to use the funds to support the proposed activity. Award amounts may vary depending on individual projects and fund priorities and no award may be given some years. Key criteria that should be used to structure the written proposals include:

Scholarly importance and potential impact of the research
- Novelty and importance of the research topic
- Potential to make meaningful research contribution to discipline
Substantive relevance of proposed topic areas. Preference will be given to proposals related to:
- Racial and/or social justice
- Community corrections (e.g., probation, parole, etc.)
- Prosecution, sentencing or imprisonment
Data and Methods
- Projects should involve high-level quantitative data analysis
- Integration of multiple or complex data sources
- Application of rigorous and sophisticated analytical approaches
Justice Policy and Translational Criminology
- Extent to which research might impact policy
- Potential to enact meaningful change in the criminal justice system
- Additional efforts directly related to translational criminology
Overall Quality and Level of Development in the Proposal
- Quality of writing, organization, and connections to prior work
- Quality of description of data and methods
- Completeness of research ideas and feasibility of project

Application Timeline
Student may apply for funds to support projects that will occur at any point during the upcoming year (i.e., Summer 2026-Spring 2027). Completed proposals should be submitted to Jessica Townsend (jessicat@umd.edu) with the subject line: Kimchi Graduate Award by 5pm on Monday March 2nd, 2026. The committee anticipates making final award announcements by late March or early April 2026.

2026 Summer Intersectional Qualitative Research Methods Institutes (IQRMI) | University of Texas at Austin

The application is open for the 2026 Summer Intersectional Qualitative Research Methods Institutes (IQRMI) for doctoral students at UT Austin.

The summer institute is designed to support scholars engaged in qualitative research methods in studying the intersections of race, gender, class, ethnicity, and other dimensions of inequity. Participants will receive support through mentoring, research and writing workshops, and tailored professional
development activities.

Learn more about IQRMI for doctoral students here: IQRMI-DS at UT Austin
Apply for IQRMI here: https://lnkd.in/gFEWh9y4
Deadline: January 14, 2026

Research and Policy Analyst | Richmond Office of Elections

Research and Policy Analyst

Description

The Office of Elections is seeking to hire a Research and Policy Analyst (Legal Advisor). The Research and Policy Analyst (Legal Advisor) position is responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis to support election staff, candidates, political committees and other entities throughout the election cycle. The position helps ensure compliance with state and local election laws related to candidate qualifications, ballot access, filing requirements, and campaign documentation. The role will also help draft policies and procedures to ensure elections are conducted in compliance with all aspects of local, state and federal law related to election administration, voter registration, and elections, more broadly.

Duties include but are not limited to

Analysis

Recommend, research and draft changes to proposed legislation and existing laws
Help develop technical, administrative, and policy protocols to ensure compliance with existing election law, policies and regulations.
Conduct research on various research and policy issues
Analyze statistical data
Identify trends, issues, opportunities, and funding resources related to key election policy areas
Help prepare presentations and communicate findings to stakeholders, including policymakers, senior management, and the public
Help represent the City of Richmond Office of Elections at legislative committee meetings, board meetings, hearings, and other public meetings.

Candidate Qualification and Filing

Provide guidance to candidates and prospective candidates on eligibility requirements, filing deadlines and required forms.
Accept, review and process candidate filings and campaign finance reports for completeness and accuracy.
Verify candidate information and coordinate with other local election officials and state election officials as needed
Track and maintain candidate records.

Ballot Preparation & Certification

Help prepare and proof candidate ballots for accuracy prior to publication
Help coordinate the ballot order, name formatting and ballot layout requirements.
Assist with candidate withdrawal and disqualification processes when applicable

Compliance & Documentation

Help ensure compliance with federal, state and local election laws, policies and procedures
Maintain candidate files in accordance with records retention laws
Serve as the primary point of contact for FOIA requests

Administrative & Data Management

Enter candidate information into election systems as needed
Create reports for candidate filings, campaign finance reports and ballot status
Keep calendars of statutory deadlines for candidate activities.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field
2-5 years of experience in research and evaluation, policy analysis, strategic planning, project management, or a related field
An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING:

Advanced degree in Law, Public Policy, Public Administration, Public Affairs, Political Science, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field preferred

Demonstrated experience in legislative and policy analysis and drafting
Significant professional experience in election administration, election law, regulatory compliance, campaign finance, government relations or related policy/research role.
Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, apply and advise on state, local and federal laws and regulations — especially relating to election administration, voter registration, campaign finance, candidate fillings, and voting rights.
Experience interpreting election ruling, statutes and administrative rules
Prior experience working in a government elections office, regulatory agency, judicial/legal environment, campaign or advocacy organization; familiarity with GIS/mapping or voter-file datasets; multilingual capabilities depending on jurisdiction.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

Policy analysis
Project management
Strategic planning
Quantitative and qualitative research methods
Ethical research practices
Specialized knowledge of Virginia Freedom of Information Act laws and procedures
Knowledge of the interconnection between the Richmond City Office of Elections and other agencies, including but not limited to, other local registrars and electoral boards, the Virginia Department of Elections, the Election Assistance Commission, the Federal Voting Assistance Program, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Library of Virginia
Knowledge of the city’s and state’s regulatory processes

Skills (some combination of the following):

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata) and data analysis tools
Proficiency in use of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to synthesize complex information and present it clearly
Strong organizational and project management skills

Abilities (some combination of the following):

Problem-solve and be detail oriented
Work independently and as part of a team
Adapt to changing priorities and deadlines
Maintain confidentiality

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

Location: Selinsgrove, PA
Job Type: Faculty – Full-Time Benefits Eligible
Job Number: 0000116
Closing Date: Continuous

Job Summary
Susquehanna University (SU) invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to start in August 2026.

Specific Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching introductory courses, methodological courses, and advanced topics courses in criminal justice and helping to build the relatively new criminal justice program at SU. Susquehanna University strongly values faculty-student collaborative research and mentoring of students for practica, internships, and admission to graduate programs.

Minimum Qualifications
An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in criminology and/or criminal justice is required. All specializations (for example, but not limited to, administration and leadership, corrections, rehabilitation, recidivism, courts, juvenile crime, and research methods) will be considered. Demonstrated success or evidence of potential to excel in teaching and advising undergraduates is essential, as is ongoing scholarly productivity and institutional service.

Additional Information for Applicant
Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching objectives and research interests, and three letters of recommendation online. Any inquiries should be sent to the search chair, Andrea Lopez, at lopez@susqu.edu. Review of applications will begin on February 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Applicants requiring visa sponsorship are welcome to apply if they are currently authorized to work in the United States. At this time, we are unable to consider candidates who do not have current U.S. work authorization.