I’ve worked in a variety of professional roles over the years, ranging from customer service, marketing, and office administration to leadership and management positions. My interest in criminal justice emerged during my undergraduate program in international studies, including a study-abroad year in Vienna and an internship with the United Nations in the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch. That experience sparked my transition into the criminal justice field and eventually into law enforcement.
Professionally, my criminal justice background includes work as a crime analyst with the San Diego Police Department. In that role, I supported patrol officers and detectives with crime analysis, Problem-Oriented Policing projects, crime mapping, suspect development, and investigative problem-solving. I also applied crime profiling concepts—such as victimology, modus operandi, and crime scene behavior—to support investigations in the Child Abuse Unit, the Sex Crimes Unit, and early Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cases.
After transitioning into higher education, I began teaching college courses in 2005. Over the years, I’ve served in a variety of academic roles, including adjunct faculty member, academic advisor, course developer, undergraduate program director, and course coordinator. Today, I am a full-time teaching professor and course coordinator, teaching courses in crime scene investigation, forensic evidence, and criminal justice.
A significant focus of my teaching is experiential, hands-on learning. I design and facilitate immersive mock crime scene investigations that allow students to document scenes, analyze evidence, and apply forensic and investigative concepts in realistic scenarios. I also create and revise college-level courses and contribute to statewide educational programs and mock crime scene competitions.
In addition to my academic work, I continue to engage in professional development related to forensic science and criminal behavior. My training includes areas such as buried body recovery, staged crime scene investigations, interview and interrogation, stalking investigations, sexual deviance, offender profiling, and psychopathy, including training with Dr. Robert Hare. I have also participated in research review and law-related education initiatives that support applied learning and public outreach.
I enjoy teaching criminal justice, forensics, and criminal profiling because crime and justice are constantly evolving. Advances in technology, shifts in law and policy, and broader social changes continually shape how crimes occur and how they are investigated. I believe learning is a lifelong process, and I value the diverse experiences students bring into the classroom. My goal is to help students think critically, ask meaningful questions, and develop practical skills they can carry into their academic and professional futures.