ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ’s 2025–26 Justice Research Fellows presented their original research to Indiana County officials at the Indiana County Courthouse on April 29.
The student presenters and their research projects were Lauren Connor, who presented “Examining Satisfaction Rates with Victim Services Programs Across Age Groups;” Reia Sanchez, who presented “Impact of Service Duration on Victim Services Satisfaction in Pennsylvania;” Kelly Szolek, who presented “Justice for All? Evaluating Public Defender Effectiveness in Pennsylvania;” and Jackson White, who presented “The Effects of Intermediate Punishment on Recidivism.”
From left: Kelly Szolek, Jackson White, Lauren Connor, and Reia Sanchez present at the Indiana County Courthouse.
Christian Vaccaro, professor in the Department of School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology and director of the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center, is Connor’s research mentor; Distinguished University Professor Alex Heckert is Sanchez’s research mentor; ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ economics graduate Angel Alcantara is Szolek’s research mentor; and Brandon Vick, economics, is White’s research mentor.
ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ’s Justice Research Fellowship allows students to participate in “real-life” practical mini-research projects with ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ faculty during the winter and spring 2026 semesters.
Connor, Sanchez, Szolek, and White are the fourth cohort of the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Justice Research Fellows program. To qualify for consideration for selection, students must have junior or senior standing and must be nominated by department faculty and recognized for their superlative academic talent.
As Justice Research Fellows, the students are immersed in activities of ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center faculty currently positioned at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency in Harrisburg. Justice Research Fellows also travel to attend training and experiential learning opportunities.
The Justice Research Fellowship program is supported through the Department of School Psychology, Special Education, and Sociology in ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ’s College of Education and Human Services and the Department of Finance and Economics in ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ’s Eberly College of Business. The Justice Research Fellowship program is designed to provide a meaningful and transformative experience that helps set students on an early pathway toward careers in public service.
“The fellowship students were warmly welcomed by Commissioners Dunlap and Keith along with other county government staff,” Vaccaro said. “They engaged in friendly discussion of their research projects, learned about positive aspects of careers in public service, and received a tour of county offices. It was the perfect culmination to their dedicated work with our institute this semester, and I’m very thankful that an invitation was extended to them.”
ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Director of Strategic Partnerships Christina Koren worked with Vaccaro on the Indiana County event.
“This work reflects the impact we strive to achieve in higher education, where research actively engages students in meaningful, applied experiences,” Koren said.
“At ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ, we take great pride in our students and faculty and are grateful for the strong partnerships we share with our county commissioners and state leaders. Providing opportunities for our justice fellows to present their research in the courthouse highlights the strength of these collaborations and our shared commitment to learning, growth, and advancing our region together as one community.”
All four of the students presented their research at the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ 2026 Scholars Forum, held as part of ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ’s Research Appreciation Week in April, and were all selected for awards for their research.
Connor, a sociology and Spanish dual major from Johnstown, is the daughter of Tara and Erik Connor and is a 2023 graduate of Westmont Hilltop High School. She is a Sutton Scholarship recipient, a member of the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Marching Band, the Paranormal Society of ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ, and the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Sailing Club, and was an exchange student through the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ and Valladolid exchange program. She has been active with the Kopchick Student Recycling Initiative. Her research project was selected for the 2026 Scholars Forum College of Education and Human Services Dean’s Award for outstanding undergraduate poster presentation.
Sanchez, who is completing a dual baccalaureate, one in sociology with a psychology minor and a second degree in Spanish, will graduate in May with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. From Northampton, she is the daughter of Jamie and Brett Snellman and is a 2022 graduate of Northampton Area High School.
She is a dean’s list student and provost scholar, is a Promising Scholar, received the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Sutton Scholarship, and was selected for membership in Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and Sigma Delta Pi national collegiate Hispanic honor society. She is on the ministry team of the Reformed University Fellowship, is an ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Crimson Tour Guide, and was an exchange student through the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ and Valladolid exchange program. Her research project was selected for the 2026 Scholars Forum College of Education and Human Services Dean’s Award.
Szolek, an economics major from Youngstown, Ohio, is the daughter of Dan Szolek and Jennifer Szolek. She is a 2023 graduate of South Range High School. She is the recipient of the Sutton Scholarship, is in the Eberly College of Business honors program, is secretary of the Economics Club, and is a member of the varsity softball team. Her research project was selected for the 2026 Scholars Forum Excellence in Data Analysis award.
White is a political science major with an economics honors concentration from Uniontown. Son of Sammi and Daniel White, he is a 2023 graduate of Uniontown Area High School. He is the student trustee on the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Council of Trustees, is vice president of the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Ambassadors student-alumni group, is a member of the Pre-Law Society and the Economics Club, is the student member on the Parking Authority Review Board, is a Welcome Week head leader, and is a tutor at the ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Tutoring Center.
As a student trustee, he is the liaison for the Student Government Association, the Co-Op Board of Directors, and the Foundation for ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ. His research project was selected for the Eberly College of Business Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentation. White also was selected for the 2026 Scholars Forum ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ Libraries Undergraduate Research Award for his co-authored research project, “The Attendance Curveball: Examining What Drives Fans to MLB Ballparks.”
In 2022, ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ was designated as a Doctoral University–High Research Activity (R2) by the National Center for Postsecondary Research’s Carnegie Classification in recognition of its commitment to research and student success; this ranking was reaffirmed in February 2025.
ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ is one of only two public universities in Pennsylvania and one of only 97 public universities with this ranking in the United States. More than 3,900 colleges and universities are included in the ranking system.
Since its founding in 1875, ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.