I received my PhD from the University of South Alabama.  My original research focus was shaped my background in political science and my dissertation which was influenced by my job as a federal law enforcement officer.  My dissertation focused on the family leave policies of police departments.  Eventually my research turned to addressing sexual violence and Queer Theory. I am particularly interested in the disclosure process.  At this moment, along with Dr. Sarah Koon-Magnin, we are completing the final stages of a book that, in addition to exploring those issues, introduces an entirely new instrument for assessing rape myth adherence.  We created the Identity Inclusive Sexual Assault Myth Scale, IISAMS, which we hope will be widely used as it is a much-needed update to existing survey instruments