Research & Analysis Unit

Timothy Lavery is the ICJIA research director. Tim has over 20 years of experience gaining insights from criminal justice data. His areas of expertise include police violence prevention strategies, police oversight and reform, and restorative justice programs. Tim has spent most of his professional career working at the Chicago Police Department (CPD) where, for the past three years, he supervised an analytic team devoted to providing data and information to inform CPD’s ongoing reform process. In this capacity, he advised on CPD use of force policy and helped improve public information on complaints against police. He also served on the CPD Tableau Center of Practice management team, shaping key business intelligence metrics and providing data support to new Tableau users.

Tim has a master’s degree in social psychology and a doctorate of philosophy in criminology, law, and justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is working toward a master’s degree in information technology at Virginia Tech University.

Sharyn Adams is with ICJIA as a research analyst in the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation.

Susan Alrifai is a Research Fellow with the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, where she is conducting a program evaluation on police-led deflection initiatives. She has research experience in public policy analysis and program evaluation, focusing on developing solutions to improve systems that impact community safety, social equity, and public well-being. She received her BS in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology from Loyola University Chicago and her master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

Jaimelee Behrendt-Mihalski is a Research Scientist in the Center for Violence Prevention & Intervention Research. In this role, she conducts research and supports the R3 program. In particular, Jaimelee enjoys working with direct service organizations to build capacity and strengthen data collection efforts.

Jaimelee has a PhD in Community Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and completed her BA in Psychology at DePaul University. Before joining ICJIA, Jaimelee completed a post-doctoral fellowship at National Louis University managing a National Science Foundation-funded grant exploring public perceptions of barriers to equity within Illinois public safety legislation. Prior to that, she worked as a policy advocate for a children’s rights organization in North Carolina.

Lily Fahrenwald is a Research Scientist in the Center for Victim Studies. Lily earned her MPH specializing in epidemiology from Louisiana State University’s School of Public Health. Her research experience includes COVID-19, monkey pox, HIV/STIs, mortality epidemiology, and applying infectious disease modelling to assess patterns of violence. Her internship was with the New Orleans Police Department, and her work experience includes the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and Howard Brown Health.

Alysson Gatens is a research scientist in the Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research. Alysson earned her MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, with a Certificate in Policy and Program Evaluation, and BA in Criminology and Sociology from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining the Authority, Alysson worked in law enforcement planning and research for the City of St. Louis.

Fernanda Gonzalez joined ICJIA as a research analyst on the Safe from the Start program in January 2021. Prior to joining ICJIA, Fernanda worked as a research assistant on a systems evaluation for the Southwest Organizing Project. The project brought together mental health, healthcare, and social service providers to Southside Chicago communities. Fernanda’s areas of interest include early childhood program development, migration research, and continuous quality improvement in social services. She earned a master’s degree in social work administration at the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Loyola Chicago.

Emilee received her master’s degree in Criminal Justice Sciences and bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Illinois State University. Before joining the ICJIA, she was a graduate research assistant, where she worked in conjunction with the Illinois State University Police Department on a project to reduce property crime on campus. Recently, she published a paper in the International Journal of Police Science and Management on crime analysts’ perceptions of role clarity and job satisfaction. Her research interests include crime prevention and intelligence analysis.

Tracy Hahn manages criminal justice research that is sponsored by ICJIA. She has overseen research and program evaluations conducted by experts in the field and has worked with the Authority’s Federal and State Grants Unit to develop program performance measures, identify evidence-based practices and document program effectiveness. Prior to her work with the Authority, she assisted in program development under the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Ms. Hahn earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Nicole Hansel is a Research Fellow in the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation. Before joining ICJIA, she worked on various research projects examining topics such as racial diversity in jury selection, predictors of suspicion and guilt in 911 calls, and chronic illnesses. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa and her M.S. in Forensic Psychology from Arizona State University.

Jennifer Hiselman manages ICJIA’s InfoNet System, a web-based data collection and reporting system used by over 100 victim service providers statewide. Jennifer joined ICJIA in 1996 as a researcher focusing on victimization, victim services, and interpersonal violence. She worked closely with ICJIA’s Federal & State Grants Unit to inform victim services planning, lead an evaluation of Illinois’ Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs, and managed the state’s first crime victimization survey. As InfoNet Manager, Jennifer oversees InfoNet’s operation, provides training and assistance to users, hosts user forums to identify new data collection needs, and works with various stakeholders using InfoNet’s data for strategic planning. Most recently, Jennifer led efforts to rebuild InfoNet on a new technology platform for increased performance, utility, and sustainability. InfoNet 2.0 was deployed in April 2018. Outside of ICJIA, Jennifer volunteers for a domestic violence service provider in her community.

Kyle Hucke is trained in Developmental Psychology with an emphasis on adolescent development. He has over 10 years of research experience evaluating programs focused on improving health outcomes, education achievement, youth development, and violence prevention in both Louisiana and Illinois. Kyle joined the Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research in 2022 and supports research and evaluation for programs such as the Restore Reinvest and Renew (R3) program.

Thomas Johnson is a Criminologist and manager of the Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research. His research interests include interpersonal violence, prison programming, and the effects of emerging technologies on justice involvement, especially artificial intelligence.

Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from DePauw University. He earned his master’s degree in Criminal Justice Data Analytics and an additional master’s degree in Data Science from Marquette University, where he teaches a course on spatial analysis of crime and the use of algorithms by law enforcement and legal practitioners.

Dr. Amanda Klonsky is the new Deputy Director of Research and Analysis at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Previously the Research and Policy Fellow at the UCLA Law COVID Behind Bars Data Project, she has conducted significant research on the impact of COVID-19 in carceral settings. Her forthcoming book, “Pandemic of Punishment,” documents the experiences of people behind bars during the pandemic.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Amanda worked as an educator in jails and prisons. She co-led an arts and literacy program for detained youth at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and helped launch a district-wide initiative at Chicago Public Schools to support post-release youth. Later, she led a large prison education organization operating in the Northeastern United States. Amanda holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard University and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago. Amanda lives in Chicago with her husband , their 7-year-old daughter, and a giant poodle.

Alex Menninger is a senior research fellow with the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, where he is evaluating a multi-site deflection program. Alex has performed research in the areas of infectious diseases, climate science, and nutritional science. His areas of interest include issues relating to refugees, the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized populations. Alex earned his master’s degree in public health at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, with a concentration in health equity, human rights, and social justice.

Michelle Nowicki is a Project Manager with ICJIA’s Research and Analysis unit. She received her B.S. in Psychology with a Minor in Law, Justice & Public Policy from Michigan State University, and her M.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University. Her primary research interests include juvenile justice, developmental psychology, and intersectional philosophy. Prior to joining ICJIA, Michelle worked as a Project Coordinator at DePaul University, overseeing several NIH-funded research grants for post-viral illnesses and public health.

Karina Polanco is a Research Fellow working on an the evaluation of IDHS youth employment programs. received a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Florida International University, in her home city of Miami, Florida. She recently received her M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati. Her primary research interests are institutional correctional environments, particularly examining reentry programming, human rights violations, and the mental health outcomes of staff and the incarcerated. Her research also investigates crime victim outcomes, and public perception as it relates to police interrogations and extraordinary crimes. Prior to joining ICJIA, Karina worked with correctional facilities in Florida to evaluate violence reduction initiatives, and also worked with University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute to evaluate criminal-justice practitioners’ application of evidence-based interventions for persons under supervision.

Jessica Reichert is a highly accomplished and experienced researcher in criminology. With over two decades of experience, she had made significant contributions through her work at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, where she serves as a Senior Research Scientist and Manager of the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation. Her research interests span a range of topics, including policing; deflection/diversion programs; behavioral and public health; probation and court services; corrections; and reentry. She have published extensively on those subjects, authoring well over 150 technical reports and peer-reviewed articles. Her work has garnered recognition, and she has been a 4-time recipient of the Justice Information Research Network’s National Research Publication Award. She taught crime analytics, research methods, and juvenile justice courses as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago. She earned her master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and bachelor’s degree from Bradley University.

Anna Lucia Rizzo is a Research Fellow working on the evaluation of police co-responder programs. She is originally from Los Angeles, California. She received her BA in Criminology from DePaul University and a master’s degree from UC Irvine in Legal and Forensic Psychology. She has work and research experience in reentry, violence prevention, and behavioral health. She is a former intern for ICJIA’s Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research.

Janis Sayer is a Research Fellow in the Center for justice Research and Evaluation working on the Chicago Youth Intervention Pathways evaluation. Janis has over 10 years of research and evaluation experience focusing primarily on behavioral health and public health topics. Previously, Janis held roles in policy and planning at the Chicago Department of Public Health and worked as a psychiatric social worker. Janis has a PhD in social work from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Social Work from University of Pittsburgh.

Jaesok Son is a Research Scientist in the Center for Violence Prevention & Intervention Research. His research interests include the relation between the government and civil society and their cooperation in providing services such as crime prevention and welfare programs. Before joining ICJIA, he worked for the General Social Survey project. He received a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.

Nancy Sullivan is an ICJIA research fellow. She will work exclusively on police-led deflection research. Prior to joining ICJIA, Nancy was a field coordinator at Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities working on a juvenile justice program evaluation. She also worked for a background investigation and consulting company as a project manager and served as a research intern at the Loyola University Chicago Center for Criminal Justice. Nancy earned a master’s degree in criminology at Loyola University Chicago with a graduate certificate in public affairs and management.

Amanda L. Vasquez manages ICJIA’s Center for Victim Studies. She received her master’s degree in criminology, law, and justice, and a bachelor’s degree in applied psychology and criminal justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Amanda has over 15 years of research experience and has conducted research on victimization, with a focus on gender-based violence, victim service programming, and violence prevention. She is particularly interested in research approaches that involve partnering with communities and social service agencies to conduct program evaluations; other areas of interest include gender-based violence, underserved victim populations, and vicarious trauma.

Jing Wang is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center of Justice Research & Evaluation. Prior to her role at ICJIA, Jing served as a Policy Analyst at the City of Chicago, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, and an Assistant Professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Additionally, Jing has fulfilled teaching and research responsibilities at Loyola University of Chicago and Arizona State University. Jing has more than 15 years of research experience in statistical analysis for public policy, public management, and program evaluation. Her work has resulted in the publication of research reports and academic journal articles in these fields. Jing received her Ph.D. in Public Administration & Policy from Arizona State University.

Lauren Weisner is a Research Scientist in ICJIA’s Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research. Lauren has worked on a variety of projects, including an evaluation of the Pathway to Enterprise for Returning Citizens program and a statewide survey of police chiefs on naloxone administration. Her current work focuses on evaluation of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program. Prior to joining ICJIA, Lauren worked as a research assistant in Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy, and Practice. Lauren obtained a Master of Arts in criminal justice and criminology from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in psychology as well as criminal justice from Grand Valley State University. Her interests include applied criminal justice research, criminal justice policy, and program evaluation.

Katherine Wilson McCoy is a Research Fellow in the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation. She has research experience in areas such as racial disparities in the death penalty, evidence-based policing practices, and public-private partnerships in emergency management.  Katherine has been awarded the 2024 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Doctoral Summit Fellowship and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Equity and Inclusion Fellowship. She earned an M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida Atlantic University, B.A. in Criminology from the University of South Florida. She is a doctoral candidate in Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida, focusing on criminology, social equity, and police-citizen interactions.