Dr. Ahlin joined the faculty in 2013 after 15 years at Westat where she conducted research at the federal, state and local levels. She received a B.A. in Administration of Justice and Sociology (multiple major) from Penn State University and her M.A. in Sociology (focus on crime, delinquency, and corrections) from George Mason University. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her teaching and research interests include criminological theory, violence, neighborhood effects, corrections, racial and social justice, and research methods. Dr. Ahlin was named a 2016 W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow by the National Institute of Justice to expand her work on risk and protective factors associated with exposure to community violence and violent behaviors.