Education
Ph.D. – Criminology, University of Pennsylvania
BA – Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California – Irvine
Dr. Ling holds a Ph.D. in Criminology and a certificate in Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California – Irvine. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on examining biological, psychological, and social risk factors related to antisocial behaviors – such as violence, aggression, psychopathy, self-injurious thoughts and behaviors/suicidality, and criminality – as well as studying public perceptions of criminal justice-related topics – such as forensic science and offender characteristics. In her current work, she uses biopsychosocial approaches to further the scientific understanding of the etiology of a broad range of antisocial behaviors to improve the development of interventions and treatments for such behaviors as well as consider corresponding clinical, legal, and social implications. To date, she has published 17 peer-reviewed articles (including 11 first-authored publications) in impactful journals such as the Journal of Research on Crime & Delinquency, the Journal of Experimental Criminology, Biological Psychology, and Psychology, Crime, & Law, and 3 books chapters (including 2 first-authored publications). Her work has appeared in the media, including primetime national documentary series such as PBS NOVA and The Future is Fantastic.
Teaching Philosophy: My role as an instructor is not only to disseminate information about a specific topic but also to provide vital, lifelong skills for students to use beyond my classes. There are four central themes that I strive to incorporate into my pedagogical philosophy: 1) encouraging enthusiasm and interest in the course topic(s) I teach by using different methods of communication and learning, offering multiple avenues for students to demonstrate their abilities and knowledge, and being an accessible instructor; 2) fostering information literacy so students can critically evaluate and apply course knowledge in their lives, even beyond the classroom; 3) establishing a safe environment to facilitate meaningful discussions, especially about sensitive topics; and 4) providing clear goals and expectations to provide a sense of fairness and transparency and to foster trust between me as the instructor and the students in my course(s). I strive to empower my students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in their careers and lives. While it is important that students learn how the course materials can supplement their holistic understandings of the world, it is no less important that my students are given the tools and opportunities to develop critical thinking and soft skills that can be applied within and outside of the classroom.
Contact Information:
Office: Room 250, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 323-343-4642
Research Interests:
Biopsychosocial, Neurocriminology,
Antisocial behavior, Psychopathy /
Callous-unemotional traits, Experimental,
Developmental and Life-course,
Autonomic functioning, Brain structure
and function, Brain stimulation
Courses Taught:
Introduction to the Discipline of Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, Theories and Perspectives in Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Research, Biopsychosocial Criminology, and Statistics in Criminal Justice.