Faculty and Staff

Education
Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.A. in Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
B.S. in Anthropology, College of Charleston
Minor in Archaeology

Areas of Expertise
Anthropological Archaeology, Paleoethnobotany, Origins of Agriculture, Prehistoric Religious Systems, Food Justice

Biography
Dr. Carmody is an anthropological archaeologist whose research focuses on the prehistoric use of plants in both religious and economic contexts in the southeastern U.S. His specialization in paleoethnobotany allows him to use plant remains recovered from archaeological sites as a lens into the human-environmental dynamics of the past. His primary research interests involve exploring the cultural and social consequences of the origins of agriculture, past, present, and future. He also explores the use of plants in ritual and religious ceremonies. Stephen has worked on or led archaeological excavations in Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Anthropology
• Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• Food Justice
• Archaeology of Death and Burial
• High Civilizations of the Old World
• Introduction to Social Science Theory
• Anthropology of Sex and Gender

Courses taught at the graduate level

• Seminar in the Social Sciences
• Magic, Witchcraft and Religion

Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, Mississippi State University (2019)
M.A. in Applied Sociology, Valdosta State University (2012)
B.A. in Sociology, Valdosta State University (2008)

Areas of expertise
Social stratification, health disparities, substance use/abuse, deviance 

Biography
Dr. Tatch joined the faculty at Troy University in 2021 and currently teaches at the undergraduate level. Broadly, he is interested in research related to social stratification, substance use and abuse, impaired driving, and health disparities. He has led or co-authored manuscripts related to college student drinking, gender-specific predictors of impaired driving, mental illness, adverse childhood experiences, and employment outcomes for individuals with blindness or low vision. Dr. Tatch is currently working on several manuscripts considering the utility and applicability of data from digital online spaces to extend current research on identity work and impression management. 

In the classroom, Dr. Tatch aims to develop innovative assignments that give students an opportunity to apply course concepts outside of the classroom and present their work at academic conferences. To date, these have included digital ethnographies of deviant groups, live observations of sporting events, and critical analyses of contemporary television shows. 

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Sociology
• Introduction to the Social Sciences
• Deviant Behavior
• Sociology of Sport
• Sociology of Health, Medicine, and Illness
• Social Research Methods
• Social Science Statistics

Courses taught at the graduate level

• Sociology of Health, Medicine, and Illness

Education
Ph.D. in Criminal Justice,  University of Cincinnati
M.S. in Justice Administration, University of Louisville
B.S. in Security Studies, Turkiye

Areas of Expertise
Policing, Research Methods, Homeland Security, Border Security, Transnational Crime

Biography
Dr. Akbas joined the Troy faculty in 2018. He teaches at both undergraduate and graduate level. His main research interests include the study of policing strategies, immigration, human trafficking, and terrorism. He is the author and co-author of two books, numerous book chapters, and scholarly articles.  Dr. Akbas previously worked more than 16 years in various law enforcements in Turkey and managed national and European Union projects on human trafficking, asylum seeking, and border security. 

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Survey of Law Enforcement
• Research Methods
• Foundations of Intelligence
• Criminal Justice Issues in Homeland Security
• Transnational Organized Crime
• Serial Killers
• Terrorism
• Security Operations
• Survey of Law and Criminal Procedures

Courses taught at the graduate level

• Survey of Research Methods
• Seminar in Law Enforcement
• Seminar in Homeland Security
• Transportation and Border Security
• Seminar in Transnational Crime
• Legal Aspects of Security
• Capstone in CJ
• Organization Theory
• Criminal Justice Policy

Education
Ph.D. in Anthropology, Northwestern University
M. A. in Anthropology, University of Alabama
B. A.  in Anthropology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 
A. A. in Liberal Arts,  Jefferson State College

Areas of Expertise
Zooarchaeology, Southeastern US Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Near Eastern Ethnography, Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnicity and Social Identity,  Native American Societies of the Southeastern U.S., Religion, Culture and Sound

Biography
Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Grantham joined the Troy University faculty in 1994. He spent much of the late 1980s and most of the 1990s conducting ethnographic and archaeological research in Israel. He also has provided analysis and consultation for archaeological research teams working in Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen. In addition to his work in the Near East, Dr. Grantham spent several years working with Native American groups researching their mythology and legends. He also has participated in numerous excavations in the southeastern U. S.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Anthropology
• Cultural Anthropology
• North American Indians Since Contact
• Language and Culture
• Social Anthropology
• Native American Religions
• High Civilizations of the Old World
• Forensic Osteology
• Anthropological Theory
• Applications of Social Science Inquiry
• Social Science Theory
• Social Science Senior Seminar
• Principles of Cultural Geography
• Sociology for General Studies

Courses taught at the graduate level

• High Civilizations of the Old World
• Specialized Study in Anthropology
• Advanced Readings in Anthropology
• Selected Topics in Anthropology

Education
Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Tennessee
M.A. in Anthropology, University of Tennessee
B.S. in Anthropology, Radford University     
Minor in forensic science

Areas of Expertise
Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Postmortem Interval, Human Decomposition

Biography
Dr. Dautartas joined the Troy faculty in 2020 and teaches at the undergraduate level. She is a biological anthropologist who specializes in forensic anthropology. She has assisted on forensic casework in Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

Her research focuses on understanding the complex processes of human decomposition to better estimate the postmortem interval. Her interests include application of novel statistical methods to forensic and bioarchaeological questions. Recently her work has focused on new ways to model disease in past human populations, specifically those of Bronze-Age China.

Courses Taught at the Undergraduate Level

• Introduction to Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Statistics in the Social Sciences

Education
Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
M.A. in Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
B.A. in Anthropology, University of West Florida

Areas of Expertise
Native American societies in the southeastern U.S., Native-European colonial interactions, foodways, paleoethnobotany, participatory research methods

Biography
Dr. Purcell is an archaeologist who studies foodways of Native peoples in the southeastern United States. She specializes in paleoethnobotany, and is interested in intercultural interactions and working collaboratively with living Native American populations to understand past foodways. Her research involves the analysis of archaeological plant material from Colonial-era Native American sites to understand how Native peoples incorporated European-introduced foods into their cuisine and agricultural practices. Dr. Purcell has worked on field projects throughout the Southeastern U.S. on sites dating from the Woodland through Historic periods. 

Courses Taught at the Undergraduate Level

• Introduction to Anthropology
• Anthropological Theory
• Archaeology of Food
• Archaeological Curation Methods I and II

Education
Ph.D. in Anthropology, Tulane University
M.A. in Anthropology, Tulane University
M.A. in Sociology, University of Mississippi
B.A. in Anthropology, University of Mississippi

Areas of Expertise
Climate Change, Ethnohistory, Historical Ecology, Medical Anthropology, Ontology Amazonia and West Africa

Biography
Dr. Whitaker is a sociocultural anthropologist whose research centers around ethnohistories, landscapes, and ontologies in Amazonia and West Africa. His work combines ethnographic fieldwork with archival research to examine how past and present encounters between Indigenous groups and outsiders (ranging from eco-tourists to missionaries) are ontologically situated within landscapes and historical memory. Since 2012, he has conducted fieldwork with Indigenous groups (particularly Akawaio and Makushi people) on a range of related topics in Guyana, as well as with Indigenous groups (particularly Kru and Sarpo people) and Americo-Liberian settlers in Liberia. His archival work has mostly focused on the Church Mission Society.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Anthropology
• Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• Amazonian Ethnology
• African Ethnology
• Anthropology of Climate Change
• Language and Power
• Medical Anthropology

Education
Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology, Texas State University
M.A. in Biological Anthropology, Texas State University
B.A. in Biological Anthropology, California State University - East Bay

Areas of Expertise
Forensic Anthropology, Musculoskeletal Changes, Osteobiography, Long-term Unidentified Cases

Biography
Dr. Wiedenmeyer joined the Troy faculty in 2024 and currently teaches at the undergraduate level. She is a forensic anthropologist with roots in biological anthropology, and her primary research explores how musculoskeletal changes in the human body can be used in historic skeletal interpretations and modern biological profile estimations. Prior to arriving in Troy, she regularly assisted in forensic identification efforts for local county decedent cases in Texas and volunteered for international humanitarian efforts along the South Texas/Mexico border. She additionally helped develop an ongoing initiative at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State to pursue the identification and repatriation for long-term unidentified cases, as well as assisted in research being conducted at the Center's outdoor decomposition facility since 2017. Her forensic knowledge and expertise include the postmortem interval, search & recovery of human remains, and 3D reconstruction techniques. 

Courses Taught at the Undergraduate Level

• Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
• Introduction to Forensic Science
• Death Investigation
• Forensic Evidence
• Human Variation
• Bioarchaeology

Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, Wayne State University
M.A. in Sociology, University of Toledo
B.A. in Sociology, University of Toledo

Areas of Expertise
Race, Class, Gender, and Clinical/Applied Sociology

Biography

Dr. Everhardt joined the Troy faculty in 2014. She teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Her main research interests include the study of race, class, and gender, especially disenfranchised populations of women. In 2020, Dr. Everhardt earned certification as an AACS Clinical Sociologist who helps organizations and institutions resolve social issues related to the human condition.  She is currently researching the impact of horticultural programs on nutritional knowledge and food insecurity among female inmates in women's correctional facilities. She has secured over $75,000 in USDA funding to support her gardens projects.  In 2020, she spearheaded the pursuit of a 1.9 mil Department of Education's Strengthening Institutions Title III grant to improve student achievement and retention at Troy University.  In December 2020, Dr. Hawkins awarded her with the Chancellor's Excellence Award for her grant work.  

Further areas of interest include food, capital, self-sufficiency programs for low-income populations, and volunteerism. She enjoys incorporating service learning into her classes to allow students to gain real world understanding of the topics they are studying. Dr. Everhardt has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2017 Teacher of the Year for Troy-Montgomery and the 2015 and the 2018 Troy-Montgomery Faculty Excellence Award. 

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Sociology
• Social Aspects of Human Sexuality
• Minorities in the U.S. Structure
• Research Methods in the Social Sciences
• Social Stratification
• Urban Sociology
• Sociological Theory
• Senior Seminar

Courses taught at the graduate level

• Introduction to College Teaching in the Social Sciences
• Minorities in U.S. Structure
• Social Inequality
• Food and Society

Additional Links to Dr. Everhardt's Work

Tutwiler Garden Program (troy.edu)

Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, Texas Woman's University
M.S. in Sociology, Allameh Tabatabaie University 
B.S. in Social Sciences, Tehran University  

Areas of expertise
Criminology Theory, Sociology of Religion, Capital Punishment, Comparative Criminology

Biography
Dr. Sabriseilabi joined the Troy faculty in 2021 and teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate level. He is a sociologist who specializes in the field of criminal justice. .

His research focuses on the relationship between religion and crime. His interests include the role of public opinion, especially in regard to religious forces, on legalization of unnatural death. He has published papers about the effect of religious beliefs on attitudes toward capital punishment, abortion, and euthanasia.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Comparative Criminal Justice
• Law Enforcement
• Sociology of Religion
• Punishment

 Courses taught at the graduate level

• Deviant Behavior
• Capital Punishment
• Ethics in Criminal Justice
• Research Methods in Criminal Justice

Education
Ph.D. in Sociology (Crime and Deviance Concentration), University of Central Florida
M.A. in Applied Sociology (Domestic Violence Track), University of Central Florida
B.A. in Sociology (Certificate in Victim Advocacy), University of Central Florida

Areas of Expertise
Lethal and non-lethal violence using quantitative and qualitative methods.
Deviant Leisure, Homicide, Human Trafficking, Racial Disparities in Crime, Opioid Misuse, & Domestic Violence.

Biography
Dr. Jolene Vincent joined the faculty at Troy University in 2021. Prior to joining Troy, she was a Lecturer of Criminology in the Department of Sociology at the College of William and Mary. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology with a Concentration in Crime and Deviance in 2018 from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida, USA. As a sociological criminologist, her research interests include lethal and non-lethal violence using quantitative and qualitative methods. Specifically, her areas of teaching and research focus on deviant leisure, homicide, human trafficking, racial disparities in crime, opioid misuse, and domestic violence.

Dr. Jolene Vincent was very involved with community and state-wide efforts in Central Florida to identify and combat human trafficking. Her research on human trafficking is featured in two referred books, including analyzing past and future policies in Florida (in Human Trafficking: A Systemwide Public Safety and Community Approach, 2017) as well as the benefits of collaborations among agencies (in Police Behavior, Hiring, and Crime Fighting: An International View, in press). Dr. Jolene Vincent's manuscripts on homicide with various co-authors are featured in peer-reviewed journals, including a manuscript on applying the serious leisure perspective to intrinsically-motivated serial murder (Deviant Behavior, 2018), analyzing an atypical case of teen homicide (Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2018), as well as a manuscript analyzing violent “involuntary celibates” (incels) offenders (Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2021). A manuscript summarizing the literature on the need for positive approaches to sexuality and deviant sexual interests/behaviors and outlining a multidisciplinary eight-dimensional positive sexuality framework is published in Leisure Sciences (2020). Dr. Jolene Vincent's findings on gender differences in prescription opioid misuse among U.S. black adults are reported in Substance Use & Misuse (2019). An encyclopedia entry discussing Homeland Security Investigations is included in Criminal Justice in America: The Encyclopedia of Crime, Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections (2020).

In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. Jolene Vincent has served as the Assistant Director and Senior Data Analyst of the UCF Department of Sociology's Crime Lab for three years and was the Managing Editor of Homicide Studies. As a first-generation college student, she enjoys mentoring students throughout their academic careers. Dr. Jolene Vincent has received several awards including the Graduate Student Teaching Award (UCF), the Love of Learning Award (Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society), the Best Graduate Student Paper Award (UCF), and National Excellence in Leadership Award (National Society of Leadership and Success). Her discipline-related memberships include the Homicide Research Working Group, the American Society of Criminology, the Southern Sociological Society, the Southwestern Social Science Association, and numerous honor societies.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Social Science
• Social Institutions
• Political Sociology
• Human Trafficking
• Family Violence
• Criminology
• Patterns in Domestic Violence
• Social Problems
• Sociology of Murder 

Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, Bowling Green State University (2023)
M.A. in Sociology, Bowling Green State University (2021)
B.A. in Sociology, Minnesota State University Moorhead (2017)

Areas of Expertise
Deviance, Social Norms, Stigma, Substance Use

Biography
Dr. Heitkamp joined the faculty at Troy University in 2023 and currently teaches at the undergraduate level. Broadly, she is interested in exploring social norm violations, the effects of stigma, and deviant behaviors and beliefs. She has led or co-led manuscripts related to criminological theory, paranormal beliefs, conspiracy beliefs, stigma surrounding appearance, and legal cynicism among those with criminal justice contact. Amanda has been the principal investigator and the co-principal investigator on a number of original data collections, both quantitative and qualitative in nature. In addition, she has worked on a National Science Foundation funded project aimed at increasing fairness in risk assessment scores within the juvenile justice system. 

Courses Taught at Undergraduate Level

• Introduction to Sociology
• Deviant Behavior
• Sociology of Human Sexuality
• Pop Culture and Mass Media
• Sociological Social Psychology 

Education
M.S. in Criminal Justice, Troy University
B.S. in Criminal Justice, Troy University
Paralegal Studies Certificate, Troy University

Areas of Expertise
Victimology, Law Enforcement, Drugs/Alcohol

Biography

Ms. Jessica Childs joined the Troy University faculty in 2008. She teaches Criminal Justice courses at the undergraduate level. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Ms. Childs was the departmental secretary. During her undergraduate years at Troy University, she was on the National Dean's list, received the Victor Ortloff Scholarship and was a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Honor Society and Lambda Alpha Epsilon. As a graduate student, Jessica served as a Graduate Administrative Assistant and President of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Honor Society, Tau Sigma Epsilon Chapter. She also holds the positions of advisor for the Troy University chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, academic advisor and internship coordinator in the department.

She has made various presentations at numerous academic conferences to include the Southern Criminal Justice Association. She also attended a National Victims' Assistance conference in Washington, DC and a National Advisors meeting for Alpha Phi Sigma in New Orleans, LA.  Ms. Childs was nominated for the Ingalls Award for Classroom Teaching Excellence in 2018. Jessica is also on the Board of Directors for Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL). She resides in Jack, Alabama with her daughter Whitney, and son Harrison.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Survey of Law Enforcement
• Introduction to Legal Studies
• Victimology
• Drugs, Alcohol and Criminal Justice
• Advanced Victimology
• Field Experiences in Criminal Justice
• Psychology for CJ Officials

Education
J.D., University of Alabama School of Law
B.A. in Political Science, Rhodes College     

Areas of Expertise
Federal courts, legal research, and legal writing

Biography
Lisa Harden joined the Troy faculty in 2023 and teaches at the undergraduate level. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar and served as a career law clerk in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama for twenty-six years.

Courses Taught at the Undergraduate Level

• Introduction to Legal Studies
• Legal Research and Writing

Education
Master of Public Administration (Justice Administration), Columbus State University
B.S. Criminal Justice, Columbus State University

Areas of Expertise
Law Enforcement

Biography
Mr. Horiuchi came to Troy University in 2002 as an Adjunct Instructor while working as a Police Officer for the Columbus, GA Police Department.  In 2008, he left the police department and accepted a position as a full-time Lecturer at Troy University.

As a police officer, Mr. Horiuchi worked in all facets of law enforcement including Patrol, DUI Task Force, Crime Suppression, Narcotics & Vice, and Support Services.  He worked in the multi-state Metro Narcotics Task Force conducting undercover and tactical operations.  Mr. Horiuchi was Officer of the Month and Officer of the Year in 2002 for apprehending and providing life saving first aid to an escaped inmate from the Muscogee County Jail.

Mr. Horiuchi was a competitive pistol shooter in college (see ACJA-LAE) and for the Columbus Police Department.  He was a member of the Georgia Governors Twenty (top twenty law enforcement shooters in Georgia), an ACJA-LAE Regional and National Champion, and a Regional Champion in the Southeastern Police & Fire Olympics. 

Mr. Horiuchi has sat on numerous boards for community organizations and is still active in the Fraternal Order of Police.

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Careers in Criminal Justice
• Survey of Law Enforcement
• Survey of Corrections
• Survey of Law and Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Justice Administration
• Psychology for Criminal Justice Officials
• Juvenile Justice
• Criminology
• Constitutional Law in Criminal Justice
• History of Criminal Justice
• Ethics in Criminal Justice
• Selected Topics in Criminal Justice
• Terrorism
• Criminal Investigation
• Current Issues in Law Enforcement
• Criminal Justice Issues in Homeland Security
• Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice

Education
Ph.D. in Public Safety, Capella University
M.P.A. in Justice Administration, Columbus State University
B.S. in Criminal Justice, Columbus State University

Areas of Expertise
Certification of Law Enforcement and Training

Biography
Dr. Mathis joined the Troy faculty in 2007. He teaches at the undergraduate level. His main research interests include certifications of law enforcement and training. In addition, he researches policy making efforts of criminal justice professionals.  He coordinated an effort between the Peace Officers and Standards Division of Georgia with Troy to get credit hours transferred for use to the P.O.S.T. Division for officers taking Troy classes.  This assist officers in maintaining their certification with getting credit for any Troy classes they are taking.   

Courses taught at the undergraduate level

• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Survey of Law Enforcement
• Survey of Corrections
• Survey of Law and Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Justice Administration
• Juvenile Justice
• Security Operations
• Criminology
• Deviant Behavior
• Gangs
• Constitutional law in Criminal Justice
• Victimology
• History of Criminal Justice
• Research Methods
• Correctional Systems and Practice
• Comparative Criminal Justice
• Terrorism
• Current Issues in Correctional Operations and Administration
• Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice

Education
D.B.A. in Computer and Information Security, Northcentral University
M.S. in Digital Forensics, University of Central Florida
B.S. in Criminal Justice, Troy University              

Areas of Expertise
Digital Forensics, Cyber Crime, Law Enforcement

Biography
Dr. Gary Daniel is a digital forensics scientist and a retired detective. He has worked in law enforcement for over thirty years, including in the U.S. Army. He is a certified peace officer under the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). He managed a Digital Forensics Lab for a law enforcement agency in Georgia and has performed hundreds of forensic examinations at the request of local law enforcement agencies, District Attorney's Office's, Georgia State Probation officers, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agents, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents, and U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents. Dr. Daniel currently manages a digital forensics lab at Troy University and performs forensic examinations and consults with various law enforcement agencies nationwide. Dr. Daniel has been court qualified as an expert in digital forensics and has testified as an expert witness in cases ranging from fraud to murder.

He is certified by the International Association of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE) as a Certified Computer Examiner (CCE), the Digital Forensics Certification Board (DFCB) as a Digital Forensics Certified Practitioner (DFCP) and the National White Collar Crime Center as a Certified Cyber Crime Examiner (3CE). Dr. Daniel is a member of professional organizations, including the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists, High Technology Crime Investigation Association, and International Association of Cyber & Economic Crime Professionals.

Courses Taught at the Undergraduate Level

• Computer Forensics
• Digital Forensics I
• Digital Forensics II
• Cyber Crime
• Digital Evidence Practicum
• Social Media Investigations
• Operating and File System Forensics
• Seminar in Cyber Security

Courses taught at the graduate level

• Crime Analysis
• Cyber Forensics