Michele Quiñones Profile

Dr. Michele Quiñones is an Associate Lecturer of Criminal Justice in the Department of Social Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University after several years of working in community outreach and victim services within law enforcement agencies. Dr. Quiñones also serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator for the Master of Criminal Justice Program and advises students in the program. Her research focuses on improving programs and practices within the criminal justice system. She has examined perceptions of racial profiling during traffic stops and evaluated the selection process and barriers to program delivery in specialty courts. More recently, her research has focused on how law enforcement, victim services, and the courts collaborate in prosecuting child crimes. Dr. Quiñones teaches a broad range of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including criminology, research methods, ethics, juvenile justice, victimology, and forensic science. Her teaching emphasizes the application of theory and research to real-world criminal justice practices.