Janese Free
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Ph.D., M.A., Northeastern University; B.A., Gettysburg College
Office hours: Mondays 1:00 - 2:00pm; Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30pm; Wednesdays 9:30 am - 10:30 am & 1:00 - 2:00pm
Also by appointment
Office: Administration Building, Room 466
Phone: 617-264-7620
E-mail: freej@emmanuel.edu
Academic Interests
Areas of Interest: Criminology, At-risk youth, Social inequality, Family violence, Juvenile delinquency, Sociology of education
Research Experience
"The Importance of Rule Fairness: The Influence of School Bonds on At-Risk Students in an Alternative School." Submitted and under review (2012).
"The Functions of Alternative Schooling: Through the Eyes of Teachers." In process (2012).
Research and Administrative Assistant at Northeastern University, Brudnick Center on Conflict and Violence, Boston, MA. Collaboratively developed and implemented surveys, managed research assistants, assisted with statistical analysis, and wrote final reports for research projects. Coordinated conferences, research projects, and supervised research assistants (1996-1998 and 2001- 2005).
Completed 750 hours of participant observation and interviewed teachers for dissertation at the Academy of Learning and Technology, Nashua, NH. (2004-2005).
Consultant for the Home for Little Wanderers, Siblinks Program, Boston, MA. Analyzed statistical findings evaluating Siblinks program, made policy and design recommendations for replication model. Authored portions of final evaluation report in addition to authoring extensive literature review on sibling placements and foster care (2002 - 2004).
"Stars, Stripes, and Strife: A Study of the Symbolic Meanings of the American Flag." Co-authored proposal and final paper, designed instruments, trained and managed interviewers (2002).
Coordinated 6 month research project and experiment on validity of polygraph evidence in court including testifying in court, oversaw experiment, statistical analysis and wrote final report (1998).
Courses Taught
- Introduction to Sociology
- Criminology
- Crime and Justice
- FYS: Violence: Causes and Consequences
- Race, Ethnic and Group Relations
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Sociology of Violence
- Prison Culture
Professional Highlights
Professional Affiliations
- American Sociological Association (2003-present)
- Eastern Sociological Society (2002-present)
Awards/Honors Received
- "Educational Event of the Year" award for my "Family Violence: What's love got to do with it?" lecture at Emmanuel College with 130 students, faculty, and staff in attendance, received May 2012.
- Smiling Saint award" from the 1804 Society at Emmanuel College for "embodying the spirit and actions of St. Julie, the smiling Saint, inside and outside the classroom..." and "for going above and beyond what is expected of you at Emmanuel College" received February 2012.
- Featured in Emmanuel Magazine's "Service with a heart" article for international service and volunteering, January 2012.
- Highlighted in article and video interview on Emmanuel College home page for involvement in relief and development work in Haiti over past 15 years, January 2012.
- Invited by the U.S. Department of Justice to serve as consultant reviewing grants for the Office of Justice Programs as a "highly qualified reviewer to participate in the peer review process," December 2011.
- "Excellence in Teaching" awarded from faculty, students and administration of Eastern Nazarene College for, "her pioneering work in developing and teaching criminal justice and related courses with academic excellence..." received November 2003.
- "Certificate of Excellence" received for, "commitment, dedication and service to the Academy of Learning and Technology" awarded by Patricia Place, principal, received May 2006.
Recent Publications and Presentations
Publications
- Gordana Rabrenovic, Jack Levin, Janese Free, Colleen Keaney and Jason Mazaic. "Flag-Waving and Attitudes Toward Arab Americans" In Why We Hate by Jack Levin and Gordana Rabrenovic, pp. 221-231. Prometheus Books. 2004
Presentations
- February 2012, National Conference on Alternative Education. Assessing the Effectiveness of an Alternative School Program and Classroom Teaching, Nashville, TN.
- February 2012, Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting. The Functions of Alternative Schooling for At-Risk Youth (with research assistants Amy Longwell & Jen Konecnik), New York, NY.
- February 2012, Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting. How Risk Factors Influence the Academic Lives of At-Risk Youth (with research assistant Bernadine Desanges), New York, NY.
- November 2011, American Criminological Society Annual Meeting, The Importance of Fairness: School Bonds and At-Risk Youth, Washington, DC.
- February 2011, Eastern Sociological Society's Annual Meeting, The Influence of Students' School Bonds on Academic Performance and School Behavior, Philadelphia, PA.
- February 2011, National Conference on Alternatives to Expulsion, Suspension, and Dropping out of School, "From Zero Tolerance to Alternative School by way of Expulsion, Orlando, FL.
- March 2010, Eastern Sociological Society's Annual Meeting, Lives at Risk: Budget Cuts and Alternative Education, Boston, MA.
- May 2010, attended The Teaching Professor National Conference, Boston, MA.
- February 2010, Eastern Educational Research Association Annual Conference. At-Risk Youth and Alternative Schooling, Savannah, GA.
- February 2010, National At-Risk Education Network. Six Successful Strategies for Educating At-Risk Youth, Panama City, FL.
- November 2008, New England Sociological Association Conference. Researcher and Community Activist: Exploring the Benefits of a Dual Identity, Stonehill College, Easton, MA.
- March 2006, Eastern Sociological Society Conference. Transforming Lives?: Reflections from Interviews of Alternative School Teachers, Boston, MA.
- February 2006, National Alternatives to Drop out and Exclusion Conference. Family Violence and Resilience: What Every Teacher Should Know, Orlando, FL.
- February 2006, National Alternatives to Drop out and Exclusion Conference. Teaching Active At-Risk Youth (with Dr. Marc Lequerre and Rick Lydon), Orlando, FL.
- March 2005, Eastern Sociological Society Conference. The School Student Gap: From Zero Tolerance to Alternative School and Family Abuse and later Juvenile Delinquency, Washington, DC.
- February 2005, National Alternatives to Dropout and Expulsion Conference. Best Practices in Alternative Education (with Patricia Place), Orlando, FL.
- March 2004, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Race and School Tracking, San Francisco, CA.
- March 2004, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. The Impact of Education Reform on Exclusion of Students from School (with Jack Levin and Gordana Rabrenovic), San Francisco, CA.
- May 2003, School to Prison Pipeline Conference at Harvard University. The Quality of Post-Exclusion Education in Massachusetts, Cambridge, MA.
- March 2003, Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting, The Impact of Zero-Tolerance Policies on the Educational Opportunities of Suspended and Expelled Students in Urban Schools (with Jack Levin, Gordana Rabrenovic, Colleen Keaney, and Jason Mazaic), Cleveland, OH.
