The Founder and Director has over a decade of experience engaging in locally focused action research in the criminal justice sector. Dr. Duda-Banwar earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH and then went on to earn her Master of Social Work degree from California State University-Long Beach. Her practice experience includes working with survivors of sexual assault and as a first responder with LA County Department of Children and Family Services.

She transitioned to research upon her return to Rochester, NY. She worked as a Research Associate with Dr. John Klofas at the Center for Public Safety Initiatives (CPSI) in the Criminal Justice Department at RIT. After working on projects such as the evaluation of the Judicial Process Commission’s Women’s Re-Entry Program and the evaluation of SNUG, the statewide street outreach violence reduction program, she then went on to earn her PhD in Social Welfare from Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Her dissertation focused on understanding the impact of bench warrants on individuals and their loved ones.

She returned to CPSI as a Senior Research Associate, conducting an evaluation of NY State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) program. More research projects followed including partnering with Ibero-American Development Corporation to disrupt the open-air heroin market in NE Rochester. Her remaining tenure at RIT included positions as Visiting Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department and Assistant Research Professor with CPSI. Dr. Duda-Banwar worked closely with Dr. Irshad Altheimer on projects including a process evaluation of Rochester’s Homicide Response Team. More recently, Dr. Duda-Banwar has begun incorporating visual methods into her research. In addition to her research background, Dr. Duda-Banwar has extensive experience securing grant funding from philanthropic, county, state, and federal agencies as well as teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in criminal justice and social work.

Dr. Duda-Banwar has significant experience leading projects, working with the community, creating actionable reports, and organizing meetings. Her unique skillset makes her the right person to partner with for your social science research needs.