Melissa is a second-year master's student in the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Alabama. She completed her BA at the University of Massachusetts Lowell with concentrations in Psychology and Spanish. Her thesis examines themes in police incident reporting to determine best investigation practices. Her research interests include policing, mental health, and investigative interviewing. After graduation, she plans to pursue clinical psychology Ph.D. programs with a forensic focus. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and drinking coffee.