​Originally from Long Island, NY, TaLisa J. Carter received her B.A. in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. After graduating from UPenn, she worked as a corrections officer in Savannah, Georgia. TaLisa received her M.A. degree in Criminology from the University of Delaware and is currently pursuing her PhD in the department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. She is a UD Graduate Student of Distinction, a recipient of the UD Grad Scholar award and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. TaLisa uses both quantitative and qualitative methodology to explore her research interests: criminology, race and social institutions – particularly corrections and the black church. She has presented at national conferences including the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the Eastern Sociological Society. TaLisa currently serves as the President of UD’s Black Graduate Student Association and chairs the Minority Mentor lecture series hosted by her department.