Researcher Development Institute
2023 Cohort
Emerald Jones, PH.D
“Participating in this program has been life-changing for professional and personal reasons. The program allowed me to be a part of a cohort of doctors and doctoral candidates who looked just like me and experienced the same academic barriers and systematic issues that I have while trying to navigate in this field.”
Dr. Emerald Jones, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, is a graduate of Howard University focusing on the areas of criminology and social inequality. She received her master’s degree in sociology from Fayetteville State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fayetteville State University. Her research — which focuses on mass incarceration, social inequality, racial discrimination, and occupational inequality — explores how race and gender play a major role in the judicial system.
DENISE BROWN, PH.D
“I’ve been able to network with and learn from other Black scholars when we would not have crossed paths if not for the program.”
Dr. Denise Brown is an affiliated researcher with the Center for Justice Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Administration of Justice from the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, M.S. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, and B.S. in Forensic Science from Sam Houston State University. Dr. Brown’s research interests are at the intersection of forensic science and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. She specializes in quantitative methods, data analysis, and examining how institutional systems produce inequitable outcomes across communities.
ADEYEMI DOSS, PH.D
“It is within the realm of the institution that I am often confined by a sense of not belonging… through the empowerment of being in a space with like-minded individuals, I am better equipped to work and learn among colleagues, who can empathize with the duality of my experience as both a minority and an educator.”
Dr. Adeyemi Doss is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, at Indiana State University. Dr. Doss’ research interests are shaped by a growing trend towards producing scholarships that address issues facing African American men and boys. His research raises important questions about black subjectivity, patterns of black spatial mobility, and embodied resistance.
SERITA WHITING, PH.D
“…the RDI not only prepares its cohorts to thrive in academic spaces but also administers the tools required to be affluent in research, teaching, and service, which is an essential component in sustaining a career in higher education.”
Serita Whiting recently completed her Ph.D. from Prairie View A&M University from the College of Justice Studies. She is an adjunct instructor for Texas Southern University Administration of Justice Department. Her research interest includes the intersectionality of race, and gender, and how this impacts crime and delinquency. She has co-authored research in the Journal of Feminist Criminology, Humanity and Society, and Race and Justice. Her scholarly agenda seeks to bring socially just change to marginalized individuals through research, teaching, and social activism.