Department of Sociology and Criminology
Interactions

Welcome to the fall 2025 edition of Interactions! We're excited to share the latest updates on student achievements and faculty endeavors within the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Villanova University.

Student News

Student Awards

Congratulations to our 2025 student award winners! View their reflections of their time as department majors and previous award winners on our Awards page.

Medallion of Excellence Award

Elaineh Paulino Fernandez

'25 CLAS, Criminology

Emily Robinson

’25 CLAS, Sociology

McGarry Award

Julia Conforti

'25 CLAS, Criminology

Rechelle Febrer

'25 CLAS, Criminology

Student Spotlights

Rita Sogoti '26 CLAS highlights her experience as an intern at Abbey Law Solicitors, a law firm located in Dublin, Ireland which specializes in human rights and immigration law. She was awarded this experience through the prestigious Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship program which aims to connect young leaders with meaningful international work experiences.

Thereasa Whyte '26 CLAS discusses her research seminar paper on the impacts of crime-based political messaging on voter decision-making for which she was named a runner-up for the St. Catherine of Siena Undergraduate Peace and Justice Research Award. The themes in her paper were reinforced during her internship with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where she witnessed how crime rhetoric shapes legislative priorities.

Department News

Awards and Promotions

Congratulations to Glenn Bracey, PhD, who was promoted to associate professor!


Congratulations to Mary Ann Hostler, administrative assistant of the Sociology program, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the University Staff Council. This award recognizes an individual staff member for consistent excellence, exceptional performance and service to the University community.

Faculty Research and News Highlights


Rick Eckstein, PhD, along with several co-authors, published the article "Meet the FARs: An Examination of the Background, Roles, and Appointment of Faculty Athletic Representatives at National Collegiate Athletic Association Member Institutions" in the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics.


Guillermo Jesús Escaño, PhD, along with David McDowall, PhD, and William Alex Pridemore, PhD, published the article “Mano Dura V. Uneasy Peace in El Salvador: Effects of Tough-on-Crime and Gang Truce Policies in the Former Murder Capital of the World” in The British Journal of Criminology.


Heidi Grundetjern, PhD, with coauthor David Gadd, PhD, published the article “Toward a Trauma-Informed Psychosocial Criminology: A Case Study of Women’s Methamphetamine Use” in Feminist Criminology


Heidi Grundetjern, PhD, with coauthor Kurt Fowler, published the article “We’re Basically Just Naked Therapists: Sexwork, Stigma, and Psychological Empowerment” in Criminology.


Jill McCorkel, PhD, began a two-year research fellowship with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office this past July. Her research project investigates the influence of prosecutorial discretion on increases in the number of women serving life and virtual life sentences. 


Max Osborn, PhD, published the article “Groomers, Gays, and Gender Ideology: Why the Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislative Backlash is a Moral Panic and Why Criminologists Should Care” in Punishment & Society


Allison Ann Payne, PhD, published the article “The Search for Social Justice in School-Based Crime and Delinquency Prevention” in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.


Ken Sun, PhD, with coauthor Lijun Lin, PhD, published the article “Confronting Linked Immobility: How Chinese Migrants Managed Family Crisis During a Global Catastrophe” in Social Forces.


Read more about faculty research and scholarship.

Alumni News

Congratulations to our recent graduates who were selected to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Grants for the 2025–26 academic year, one of the most prestigious international academic exchange opportunities awarded by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board!

April Luders '25 CLAS was named a Fulbright grantee for an English Teaching Assistantship to the Canary Islands in Spain. 

Becca Wang '25 CLAS was named a Fulbright grantee for an English Teaching Flagship Fellow in Pingtung County, Taiwan.

Kaitlin Zheng '25 CLAS was named a Fulbright grantee for an English Teaching Flagship Fellow in Kaohsiung, Taiwan—her family’s hometown. 

Alumni Resources
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The Nova Network is Villanova's social and professional networking platform where alumni can connect with groups, find Villanovans in their industry or local area, offer career advice to students and access resources for experienced professionals.
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