Assistant Professor in Criminal Justice
- Office: Thaw Hall
- Department: Division of Social Sciences
- Phone: 865-981-8326
- Email: rachel.ponder@maryvillecollege.edu
- Education: B.A., University of South Florida, M.A., Boston University
Dr. Ponder received a M.A in Criminal Justice from Boston University and began a short career in law enforcement before attending the University of Tennessee where she received her Ph.D. in Criminology and a certification in Disasters, Displacement, and Human Rights. She has taught several undergraduate courses including Social Problems & Social Justice, Introduction to Sociology, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Investigative Forensics, and Criminal Law & Procedure. Her research interests include transitional justice, political/state violence and harm, justice studies, and law and policy. These themes can be seen through her dissertation “Justice Involvement during COVID-19 and the Possibility of Transitional Justice”, which focuses on COVID- 19 as a catalyst to offer new justice attempts to address mass incarceration, human rights, and harmful policies related to the American criminal justice system.