DWC Profiles Spring 2013

Hello, and welcome to the Spring  2013 edition of the Member Profiles section of the SARAH newsletter!  In this edition, we introduce you to Tammy Garland, at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and Katie Lynn Clemons, at Washington State University.


We choose people to profile using a random number generator (really!), but if you have suggestions for DWC members or significant contributors to the field of women and crime that you would like to see profiled, please contact Venezia Michalsen at michalsenv@mail.montclair.edu or Alana Van Gundy at yoderal@muohio.edu . We would enjoy hearing from you!

Until next edition,
Venezia and Alana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


TAMMY GARLAND
University of Tennessee


*How did you become interested in the field of women and/or gender and crime?

My experiences as a child and later as a young woman led me to studying violence against women. It was not until I majored in criminal justice that I realized the unique dangers women face simply because of our gender. Exposure to the literature on violence against women allowed me not only to understand why I had been victimized, but how I could help others in similar situations. During graduate school, I was given the opportunity to develop a class on women and crime, and as I taught that class, I knew I had found my niche. My teaching and research interests were a natural progression of the topic, and I was able to examine the intersections of race, class, and gender on victimization. While not all of my research examines the victimization of women, it will always remain the subject that I am most passionate about.

*How do you define yourself as a scholar/activist/educator?

Being a scholar is a combination of teaching, research, and service; one does not effectively exist without the others. Although I have often stated that I am first and foremost a teacher, I have attempted to give equal importance to all three areas while maintaining a high level of collegiality throughout my career. Joanne Belknap once told me, “I teach for free, they pay me to grade papers.” This completely sums up my career. I love being in the classroom and could not imagine simply having a mundane job. However, being a professor is not limited to being in the classroom. In a service field, it is important that we educate through our actions. Paying “lip service” to the topic is not enough, especially when addressing violence against women. Educating the population on gender violence should not just occur within the classroom but should be extended to the community at-large. As a survivor of physical and sexual violence, it is important to me that I work with victims and make sure their voices are heard. Additionally, I attempt to mentor others to become involved in speaking up and speaking out.

*What are your current projects or interests?

Currently, I am working a number of research projects examining the victimization of different groups ranging from juvenile bullying to gender violence. My colleagues and I recently completed an article examining university policies on consensual sexual relationships between students and faculty; the manuscript was accepted into the Journal of College Student Development. While universities have established clear stances on sexual harassment, their positions concerning faculty/student consensual relationships are less defined. This ambiguity fosters a sense of confusion among those students and faculty currently involved in consensual relationships (including third party students), those considering entering these relationships, and the administrators charged with maintaining a safe and fair environment for faculty and students alike.

Additionally, I am working on a mixed methods analysis of gender representations in horror comics. The analysis examines how women are relegated to roles and behaviors conforming to traditional gender norms and what it means when women defy or transcend these roles.  We examine these things in the context of the violence and victimization that is endemic to the post-apocalyptic world represented in The Walking Dead. This project is undoubtedly the most fun I have ever had when conducting research.

*Who is your favorite person (or animal!) to spend time with, and what are your favorite things to do when you are with them?

I find that animals are much nicer than people. So, my favorite people to hang out with are my dogs: Darla, Ellie, Jack, & Tee Martin. They are always happy to see me even if I am in a foul mood. We spend a great amount of time outdoors hiking. And sometimes, we let my wonderful husband, Bradley, come along.

*How do you wind down after a stressful day?

I am a stress-aholic, so it is important that I work out daily. I often joke that it is not for my sake but for everyone else around me. I am addicted to spin class, and the harder it is the more I like it. On days that I need to reflect, I take a yoga class. I find it extremely difficult to focus on the negative things in life when your behind is up in the air.

*What obstacles do you feel you have overcome to be where you are today?

I grew up in a house where abuse was a regular occurrence. As a result, I turned inward, and it took me years and lots of therapy to overcome the trauma that I experienced. Leaving home and attending college was my salvation, but as a first generation college student with no self-esteem, it took me a long time to figure out who I was and what I wanted from life. I never intended on getting a Ph.D., but someone believed in me and guided me in that direction. And, I would have never completed the program without the support of some wonderful friends. Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way and allowed me to find my voice.

*What would you like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered as a great teacher and mentor. While I like engaging in research, it is the relationships with my students that bring the most joy to my life. Their successes become my own, and I get an enormous amount of pleasure from watching them succeed. I take great pride when they surpass my abilities and no longer need my help. I hope that my support has assisted them in achieving their dreams.

*What is one of your lifelong goals?

Growing up as a poor kid in Eastern Kentucky, I was not exposed to travel. Our vacations consisted of visiting family in Indiana or on a rare occasion, going to Kings Island or Opryland. I did not see the ocean until I was 15. While I have been given the opportunity to do some traveling, most of it has been in the United States. I really want to see the world; Greece, Peru, Rome, and Africa top my list of places I must see. My priorities, however, have started to shift in the last couple of years, and things that once seemed so important are not. What I really want for Christmas is to be a mom…I really need to make that happen.

*Is there a website where we can send people for more information about you?

http://www.utc.edu/Academic/CriminalJustice/faculty-staff/garland.php

You can read two articles by Dr. Garland by clicking here and here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KATIE LYNN CLEMONS
Washington State University

*How did you become interested in the field of women and/or gender and crime?

My first semester into my PhD program I was lucky enough to be assigned to be a TA for Dr. Jennifer Schwartz.  Her passion for the subject was infectious, and I found the material fascinating.

*How do you define yourself as a scholar/activist/educator?

I am very early on in my career so I’m sure this will continue to change as it has the last few years. I define myself first as an educator, but I am starting to see myself more as a scholar.

*What are your current projects or interests?

Patterns in co-offending looking at gender and race and arrest likelihood influences of race and sex.

*How do you wind down after a stressful day?

When does one have time to wind down? I really don’t feel that there is much down time in my life, but the two things I do to maintain my sanity are workout and dance.

*What obstacles do you feel you have overcome to be where you are today?

I don’t feel I have had any major obstacles.  Grad school was a bit difficult as I was teaching a lot (more than I was supposed to be) due to financial issues, however that gave me a lot of really great experience so in some ways it was for the best.

*What would you like to be remembered for?

Definitely for my teaching and influencing my students in a postive manner.  I love when I hear from past or present students and they say how influential a class they took from me was or a student decides to pursue sociology or criminology.

*What is one of your lifelong goals?

I’m ABD at the moment so in the immediate future I just want to complete my dissertation and I will worry about lifelong goals after that is done.