She earned a Ph.D. in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a M.S. in criminology from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in journalism with a specialization in reporting from the University of Florida. Dr. Gentry's interest in the fields of criminal justice and criminology began when she worked as a daily newspaper reporter covering crime. Professionally, Dr. Gentry is a GIS-trained crime analyst with experience in advanced geospatial methods. As an instructor, her pedagogical approach is rooted in engaging the 21st century criminal justice student -- both inside and outside of the classroom. She often helps students conduct research, find internships, apply for graduate school and discover study abroad programs.