Dr. Krista S. Gehring
Biography
Krista S. Gehring, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work at the University of Houston Downtown. Her research interests include criminological theory; crime and popular culture, popular criminology; gender-responsive policies, practices, and programs; correctional rehabilitation; risk/needs assessment and classification; and pretrial risk/needs. Her research has led to her consulting with the National Resource Center for Justice Involved Women; her advisement to the National Institute of Corrections; and her facilitation of multiple trainings of criminal justice personnel on how to implement, administer, and use the Women's Risk/Needs Assessment (WRNA) and the Gender Informed Needs Assessment (GINA). She is the writer of the CrimComics series, criminology comic books published by Oxford University Press. Her research has appeared in Criminal Justice and Behavior, Feminist Criminology, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and the Journal of Criminal Justice Education.
Degrees Earned
University of Cincinnati Ph.D. Criminal Justice 2011
Northeastern University M.S. Criminal Justice 2003
University of Colorado-Boulder B.A. English 1998
Courses Taught
Crime, Law, and Society
The Correctional System
Research Methods in CJ
Criminology
Crime and Delinquency
Community-Based Corrections
Evidence-Based Corrections
Women and the Criminal Justice System
Issues in Criminal Justice
Advanced Criminology
Correctional Programming
Theory and Philosophy of Punishment
Criminal Justice Project
Thesis I & II
Experience Qualifications
2023-present, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work, University of Houston-Downtown
2017-2023, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work, University of Houston-Downtown
2012-2017, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work, University of Houston-Downtown
2010-2012, Tenure-Track Instructor, Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work, University of Houston-Downtown
2006-2008, Teaching Assistant, School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati Teaching Assistant
2005-2006, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Metropolitan State College of Denver
2004-2005, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Northern Colorado
2003-2004, Adjunct Instructor, College of Criminal Justice, Northeastern University
2002-2003, Teaching Assistant, College of Criminal Justice, Northeastern University
More Information
Peer-Reviewed/Refereed Journal Articles
Gehring, K. S. (2023). "'We've got a witchcraft type of murder': The Exorcist, criminal law, and a demonic possession defense." Supernatural Studies.
Gehring, K. S., & Marshall, E. (2022). "Ready player one: Gamification of a criminal justice course." Journal of Criminal Justice Education. doi: 10.1080/10511253.2022.2130383
Gehring, K. S. (2018). A direct test of Pathways Theory. Feminist Criminology, 13, 115-137. doi: 10.1177/1557085116646195.
Vaske, J., Gehring, K. S., & Lovins, B. (2017). Gender differences in the measurement of criminal thinking. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 44, 395-415. doi: 10.1177/0093854816677311.
Gehring, K. S., & Vaske, J. (2017). Out in the open: The impact of intimate partner violence on same-sex and opposite sex victims. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32, 3669-3692. doi: 10.1177/0886260515600877.
Newsome, J., Vaske, J. C., Gehring, K. S., & Boisvert, D. (2016). Sex differences in sources of resilience and vulnerability to risk for delinquency. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45, 730-745. doi:10.1007/s10964-015-0381-2.
Gehring, K. S., & Van Voorhis, P. (2014). Needs and pretrial failure: Additional risk factors for female and male pretrial defendants. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 41, 943-968. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854814538022.
Peer-Reviewed/Scholarly Books
Gehring, K. S., Merken, S., Lenning, E., & Dekeseredy, W. (forthcoming). Criminological understandings of horror films. Lexington Books.
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2024). CrimComics: Critical and conflict theories. Oxford University Press. (Published August 2023).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2023). CrimComics: Labeling theory. Oxford University Press. (Published March 2022).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2022). CrimComics: Developmental and life-course theories. Oxford University Press. (Published July 2021).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2022). CrimComics: Psychosocial theories. Oxford University Press. (Published January 2021).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2021). CrimComics: Social learning theories. Oxford University Press. (Published July 2020).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2020). CrimComics: Social control theories. Oxford University Press. (Published October 2019).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2019). CrimComics: Subcultural theories. Oxford University Press. (Published December 2018).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2019). CrimComics: Anomie and strain theories. Oxford University Press. (Published April 2018).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2018). CrimComics: Social disorganization theory. Oxford University Press. (Published November 2017).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2018). CrimComics: Classical and neoclassical criminology. Oxford University Press. (Published January 2017).
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2017). CrimComics: Biology and criminality. Oxford University Press. (Published November 2016).
First Place, College Book Series, New York Book Show, 2018
Gehring, K. S. (writer), & Batista, M. (artist). (2017). CrimComics: Origins of criminology. Oxford University Press. (Published November 2016).
First Place, College Book Series, New York Book Show, 2018
Awards:
2017, Fall CARES Award: College funds awarded to enable UG student I worked with to travel to ASC conference and present (2017).
2017, Fall Curricular Innovation: Awarded college level funds to incorporate fingerprinting in Criminal Investigations course. Funding for supplies.
2017, Spring Curricular Innovation: Awarded college level funds to incorporate fingerprinting and blood analysis in Criminal Investigations course. Funding for supplies.
2014 University of Houston-Downtown: Graduate Student of the Year Award. Selected as the best graduate student among criminal justice graduate students.