Erin Eife

How long have you been at George Mason University and what was your path like to get here?

This is my second year at George Mason. My path here felt long! I graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Fairfield University and moved to Galway, Ireland as a Fulbright Scholar. While I was there, I conducted my first research project to understand the experience of reentry for Irish women. It wasn’t until I was in Ireland that I understood how Ph.D. programs worked in the U.S. and while I finished up my Fulbright, I applied to graduate programs. After completing a M.A. in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, I went on to receive my Ph.D. in Sociology from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). At UIC, I was initially interested in continuing to study reentry, but during a research project with Professor Beth Richie, I learned about bond court and the larger pretrial process. Through this project, I got connected with the Chicago Community Bond Fund and began my dissertation work on pretrial decision-making and the impact of pretrial surveillance in Chicago’s Cook County. Once I graduated from UIC, I became a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow, where I studied similar themes in the rural Midwest. I started at George Mason shortly after completing my postdoc and I couldn’t be happier with where I’ve landed!

What do you like most about working with graduate students?

Graduate students are the future of the discipline, so I always love to hear what topics students are interested in to see where we can expect the field to go. These topics often inspire me to think differently or more broadly about my own work, which is a gift! I have also found graduate students to be extremely motivated and excited about the work that they’re doing. We all come to criminology for different reasons, and while these reasons vary, the passion behind them is what keeps us all going as academics. I see this most clearly when I work with graduate students.

What skills or experiences can students gain while working with you?

I would be excited to teach students about qualitative methods, applying for grants and fellowships, and how to be successful on the market. First, while I am constantly pushing myself to learn new methods, I am an expert in semi-structured interviewing and ethnographic observations. I believe that these methods are under-utilized in criminology and that they can teach us important things about policing, the court system, the impact of incarceration, and other themes typically studied in our field. By working with me, students could learn about qualitative methods by helping out with coding my current data or I would be happy to guide students as they collect their own qualitative data. Second, I have been successful with applying for grants and funding for my work since graduate school, which allows me to conduct my research, compensate research participants, pay for transcription, and hire research assistants. These grants and fellowships can also be helpful on the market as they offer legitimacy. I am always happy to share materials and offer feedback on grant applications. Finally, I went on the market several times and was lucky enough to receive several first-round and campus interviews at many different types of institutions. This experience has led me to better understand how the market functions and some “best practices” for navigating an arduous process! I am always happy to discuss how to prepare for the market at different stages of graduate school and offer feedback on market materials, including job talks.

What’s your favorite thing about being in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society or at George Mason University more broadly?

I have found George Mason and CLS to be a very collegial and welcoming environment. During my first year at Mason, I lost my father-in-law and became pregnant with my daughter. At every turn, my colleagues in the department and across CHSS were nothing but understanding and supportive. This feeling also extends to the students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, who are respectful and eager to learn. I love attending CLSSA events, which I see as a centerpiece of the department. CLS has been a wonderful place to teach and do research, and I’m proud to be a part of this community!