Taylor N. Hartwell

Corrections, solitary confinement, organizational culture, trauma/potentially traumatic events, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the intersection of physical and mental health and the criminal justice system

Taylor is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. Her research interests include corrections, trauma/PTSD, and the intersection of physical and mental health and the criminal justice system.

In 2023, Taylor accepted a Social Science Research Specialist position with the United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, where she conducts research on incidents of targeted violence, and provides consultation services and behavioral threat assessment training to a variety of populations, including federal, state, and local law enforcement, private security personnel, and those working in K-12 and higher education spaces. In addition, Taylor is also an adjunct professor at York College of Pennsylvania, where she teaches classes in the Criminal Justice and Psychology departments.

During her time at George Mason, Taylor was heavily engaged in research, teaching and mentoring efforts. Taylor worked with Dr. Danielle Rudes at the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!), where she worked on two large projects in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to qualitatively understand living and working experiences inside restricted housing (i.e., solitary confinement) during immense reform efforts. Her master’s thesis stemmed from this research and considered perceptions of collective efficacy and safety among individuals living in restricted housing units. Taylor also co-directed the ACE!’s Undergraduate Research Lab. In this position, she worked alongside undergraduate students to enhance their research skills and experience. In collaboration with her students, Taylor and three of her students applied and were selected to participate in the incredibly competitive and intensive Undergraduate Research Scholar’s Program (URSP).

In the lab, as a project manager, and as a URSP mentor, Taylor trained students on qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis, assisted them in developing their own research projects, trained them to accompany the research team to data collection trips in prison, and helped them prepare manuscripts for conference presentations and publication. In addition to research, Taylor worked closely with each student on their professional development, including preparing and editing resumes, curriculum vitae, cover letters, personal statements, and scholarship and graduate school applications. In 2020 and 2021, Taylor was nominated for the Mentoring Excellence Award and received this prestigious award in 2021.

In addition to research, Taylor taught a variety of courses at George Mason, including Introduction to Criminal Justice, Social Inequality, Crime and Justice, Evidence-Based Crime Policy, and served as a teaching assistant in Capstone in Criminology: Restorative Justice and Practical Implications. In December 2021, Taylor received the Mason Core Teaching Recognition award for her Introduction to Criminal Justice course. As a professor, she is committed to developing and practicing innovative teaching strategies to provide her students with intellectually challenging experiences in and beyond and classroom. For example, in 2020, Taylor obtained her Inside-Out certification, which certified her to teach college classes at local prisons and jails that consist of half- “outside” (i.e., college) students and half- “inside” (i.e., incarcerated) students.

Prior to attending George Mason University, Taylor received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Psychology from York College of Pennsylvania. In addition, she was employed by adult probation in York, Pennsylvania, where she assisted adult probationers complete their community service hours. She also completed an internship at York Hospital’s Emig Research Center and completed an internship at the Y.O.U.T.H. Program, Inc., where she worked with juvenile probationers who were completing their community service hours.

Education

M.A., Criminology, Law, and Society, George Mason University

B.S., Criminal Justice, York College of Pennsylvania

B.S., Psychology, York College of Pennsylvania