Victim Researcher Profile

BIO

Dr. Alison Marganski (Ph.D. 2010; Rutgers University) is Associate Professor and Director of Criminology in the Department of Anthropology, Criminology, & Sociology. Her background includes quantitative and qualitative research, and she has experience working with victims, offenders, and justice-related services (e.g. local sexual/domestic violence agencies, community reintegration centers for offenders, animal welfare agencies, etc.). Alison's research primarily examines interpersonal violence with a focus on gender and violence, including lethal and non-lethal events. Her current work examines the co-occurrence and consequences of intimate partner cyber aggression (i.e., online harassment, cyberstalking, and other technologically-facilitated transgressions) and in-person experiences of intimate partner violence (i.e., psychological, physical, and sexual violence). She is also interested in trauma recovery and factors that promote resilience. Her work appears in places such as Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Family Violence, Violence & Victims, Journal of Clinical Psychology, International Journal of Cyber Criminology, International Criminal Justice Review, and Sociology Compass. She is also serving as Vice President for the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology (2018 – 2020), an organization committed to increasing knowledge of social behavior for academic and non-academic practitioners and creating positive social change. Alison has engaged in various applied projects with community partners and she has taught numerous courses including but not limited to: Criminological Theory, Family Violence, Victimology, Extreme Murder, and Gender and Crime, which integrate experiential learning opportunities for students. She has been recognized for her research (e.g., selected in a global competition by the American Society of Criminology’s Division on Women & Crime to present her research on technology and intimate partner violence to the United Nations – UN Women; 2019, 2018, & 2017 Center for Urban & Regional Applied Research Fellow; 2012 VFIC Mednick Memorial Fellow), teaching (e.g., American Society of Criminology's Division of Victimology 2014 Faculty Teacher of the Year), and service (e.g. VWC’s 2015 Service & Community Engagement Award), along with bridging the gap between research and practice (Recipient of the 2018 Robert Ezra Park Award for Sociological Practice from the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology) and was selected as a Finalist for the 2016 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's Outstanding Faculty Awards (Rising Star).

VICTIMIZATION FOCUS

Bullying, Campus Sexual Assault, Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse, Child Trafficking and Exploitation, Computer/Internet Crimes, Dating Violence (Teen), Domestic and Family Violence, Hate and Bias Crimes, Sexual Abuse or Violence (other than campus sexual assault), Stalking, Terrorism and Mass Violence

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Child victims, Formerly incarcerated victims, LGBTQ victims, Female victims

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

Community-based participatory research, Data collection, Descriptive studies, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies

VICTIM RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Action research, Community-based participatory research, Data collection, Descriptive studies, Needs assessment, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies, Quasi-experimental studies, Randomized controlled trial, Training and/or technical assistance