If an academic job ain’t for you, we got you! In this episode we speak with Zach Drake, Dr. Cherrell Green, and Dr. Raven Simonds about their experiences on the Alt-Ac job market!
Zach is a criminologist and data scientist focused on the application of big data approaches to public safety, homeland security, and social justice problems. Zach is currently the Principal Data Scientist and head of research and development at Nuspire, a cyber security managed-service provider. Zach has served as a subject matter expert and consultant to a variety of political campaigns, non-profits, and government agencies including the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and candidates running for New York District Attorney. Zach is a PhD student at George Mason University working on a dissertation focused on how urban layout shapes crime concentration at place. His personal mission is to leverage the modern era of “data everywhere” to make public safety systems more equitable and effective for all.
Cherrell is a Research Associate at Justice System Partners (JSP) and earned her PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Broadly her research examines the intersections of race, crime and justice and community violence and trauma. Her dissertation, entitled “I been through a storm a lot of people wouldn’t have came out of”: Examining resiliency among Black men exposed to violence (ETV)” uses qualitative methods to examine how Black men experience, respond to and make sense of their traumatic experiences over the course of their lives. A passion for racial justice Cherrell draws on her extensive experience of community-based research and participatory methodologies for engaging vulnerable communities and justice-impacted individuals.
Raven joined the New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA) as a Research Analyst in the spring of 2022. At CJA, she collaborates with various teams to provide practically useful and methodologically sound knowledge on pretrial issues in New York City. She recently finished her PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. Broadly, her research interests include social support and social networks, reentry, and applied quantitative methods. Her dissertation looked at the social support networks of men preparing for release from prison and aimed to show the value of supportive actions during times of great transition.
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Get in touch with Zach, Cherrell, and Raven:
Zach: George Mason University website // zdrake AT gmu.edu // Twitter // LinkedIn
Cherrell: Justice System Partners website // cherrell AT justicesystempartners.org
Raven: New York City Criminal Justice Agency // Twitter // LinkedIn