Venessa Garcia, PhD, is professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at New Jersey City University. She has over 30 years of experience in teaching and research. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Garcia conducted state and federally funded research with the Research Institute on Addictions and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). While at the NCSC, Dr. Garcia joined the Conference of Chief Justices (CCF) as a research liaison and worked with the U.S. Office of the Attorney General to ensure state court compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Dr. Garcia has won national awards in teaching, research, and service. While much of her research focuses on women in policing, Dr. Garcia has spent much of her time examining crime in the media. She has published several books in her area of study and her research has been published in such journals as the Journal of Criminal Justice, Police Practice and Research, Deviant Behavior, Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling, Children and Youth Services Review, and the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice.