Editorial Board Member, Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice: An Interdisciplinary Journal

American Society of Criminology

ASC Division of Terrorism and Bias Crimes

Latino/a student threat and school disciplinary policies and practices

The effect of minority threat on risk management and the “new disciplinology” in schools

Middle Eastern terrorist stereotypes and anti-terror policy support: The effect of perceived minority threat

Racial threat and punitive school discipline

Black criminal stereotypes and racial profiling

The racial typification of crime and support for punitive measures

Latino/a Student Threat and School Disciplinary Policies and Practices

Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. Villanova prepares students to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.


The strength of the Villanova experience comes in part from the University’s welcoming community. All members are bonded together by a shared responsibility to uphold the ideals of Saint Augustine and let the principles of truth, unity and love guide their lives. The Villanova community helps students grow intellectually, professionally and spiritually, and challenges them to reach their full potential.


The University’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. The Villanova community is dedicated to providing a personalized experience that fosters every student’s intellectual and spiritual well-being. As part of their education, students are encouraged to enrich their own lives by working for those in need. Through academic and service programs, students use their knowledge, skills and compassion to better the world around them.


There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. These colleges are the setting for an experience that develops both the heart and the mind, and creates the atmosphere where students are called to ignite change.


Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pa.

Villanova University

Dr. Welch is the source to turn to for information and comment about some of the most provocative criminal and racial justice issues today. She can speak authoritatively about racial and ethnic profiling, harsh school discipline, terrorist stereotypes of Middle Easterners, and public support for punitive criminal policies. Her research, published in top-tier national and international outlets, explores  how these matters affect both adults and children in the contexts of criminal justice as well as educational institutions. As an expert witness in federal court cases, Welch has effectively cited theoretically and empirically relevant evidence related to racial and religious disparities in criminal justice practices and policies as well as in school discipline.

Racial Profiling 

School-to-Prison Pipeline

Race and Justice

Social Justice

Public Opinion and Public Policy

Sociology of Punishment

Terrorist Stereotypes

Criminology

Google Scholar Profile

Huffington Post Author Page

School Suspensions Have Plunged: We Don't Yet Know If That's Good News

Vigilante Campus-Carry Laws: A Racially Troubling Paradox

Op-ed: The Other School Bathroom Issue

Could Resistance to Comprehensive Immigration Reform Really Be About Ethnic Stereotypes?

How to revamp NYPD's 'stop and frisk' policy? That's the hard part.

Arkansas School Arms Teachers, Teaches Them to Point and Shoot

Professor of Sociology and Criminology; Program Director, Criminlogy  | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Criminology professor Kelly Welch discusses a Black Lives Matter march in Philadelphia with 6ABC.

Black Lives Matter Marches (July 2016)

Select Inquiry Type