Teaching
Teaching Experience
Teaching Awards
2020 Recipient of the Ken Peak Innovations in Teaching Award!

In March 2020, I was awarded the Ken Peak Innovations in Teaching award, a national-level teaching award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). It was awarded for my integration of PhotoVoice research methods into a senior seminar classroom to provide students with a service-oriented research opportunity as a culminating experience before graduation. PhotoVoice is a form of participatory research, which empowered students to apply what they had learned during their time at TAMIU to help make a difference in the local Laredo community.

This project was the focus of one of my talks, Integrating Research and Teaching: Empowering Students as Difference Makers in their Communities, an invited speaking engagement as a part of the joint Sage Publications and ACJS Professional Development Series conducted virtually in May 2020. To view a recording of the workshop, please visit: [Link].
Dmello Wins National Teaching Award
Professional Certifications

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Quality Matters is considered the 'gold standard' for ensuring online and blended courses have been designed and structured to meet the needs of diverse learners, covering a broad spectrum of items ranging from accessibility to integration of technologies. I have been trained by Quality Matters to design my own courses and to serve as a peer-reviewer for other instructors trying to have their courses certified. Specifically, I have completed the 1) Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) and 2) Peer Reviewer Certification courses. In addition to currently having one of the courses I've design submitted for QM review, I am also an active peer-reviewer for Quality Matters. For more information on Quality Matters, please visit: [Link].

Teaching Experience

Sam Houston State University

Undergraduate Courses

  • CRIJ 3378: Intro to Methods of Research

    (SH Prior Course ID: CJ 378); Students are introduced to the scientific approach to understanding the social world, the relation between theory and research, research design, and data collection. This course is designed to help students gain an understanding of the research process involved in examining criminal justice issues.


    Syllabus: Spring 2022

  • CRIJ 4377: Criminal Street Gangs & Illicit Networks

    This course provides a survey of a variety of illicit networks and criminal enterprises, including criminal street gangs, terrorism, and trafficking. Students will learn about the nature and development of illicit networks and how organized crime operates within society. Engaging with videos, case studies, and the course readings, students will learn about how criminal networks evolve over time, operate in the United States and abroad, and innovate in response to actions taken by law enforcement.


    Prerequisites: None listed.


    Course Credit: 3 Semester Credit Hours.


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Texas A&M International University
Undergraduate Courses

  • CRIJ 3301: Research Methods in Criminal Justice

    Course Description: An introduction to the scientific method as applied to social science research. Topics include research methods, research designs, the analysis of data, and basic computer techniques. Students must earn a C or higher to pass this course. This course is interchangeable with PSCI 3301 and SOCI 3301.


    Prerequisites: Junior or Senior Standing and consent of COAS Advisor.


    Designations: Online, Instructional Enhancement-COAS, Writing Intensive Course


    Syllabus: Fall 2020, Fall 2021

  • CRIJ 4321: Senior Pro-Seminar

    Course Description: This course is an intensive seminar that allows students to critically examine issues relevant to the police, courts, and correctional systems in the U.S. It is a writing intensive course in which students will apply research skills and submit a literature review. Students also participate in review sessions related to core topical areas in criminal justice. 


    Prerequisite: CRIJ 3301 or equivalent and and CRIJ 4325, both with a grade of "C" or better, Senior Standing, and consent of COAS Advisor.


    Designations: Instructional Enhancement-COAS, Writing Intensive Course


    Syllabus: Fall 2019

  • CRIJ 4340: Special Issues in Criminal Justice: Seminar on National Security Studies

    Course Description: An intensive examination of special topics of study in criminal justice. May be repeated for credit if topic changes. Topics may include, but are not limited to, race/ethnicity and crime, crime and the media, trafficking in women and children, quantitative research methods, terrorism, current issues in criminal Justice. One or two credit arrangement must be approved by the CRIJ faculty advisor.


    Designations: Instructional Enhancement-COAS


    Syllabus: Fall 2019

  • CRIJ 4601: Criminal Justice Internship (canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic)

    Course Description: This course is a supervised internship program for pre-service students only. The course requires the completion of 160 hours of internship service to an agency approved by the Internship Coordinator and the department chair. Internship hours must be completed during the semester in which the student is enrolled in the course. Students must attend class and complete course requirements such as assignments, exams, and a research project. The evaluation of student performance is on a pass/fail basis. Prerequisite for CRIJ majors: Successful completion of the lower-level CRIJ courses required for the CRIJ major. Must be taken by CRIJ majors during senior year. Evaluation of performance in this course is on CR/NC basis. Restrictions: Students who are employed in the criminal justice field (or related field) are not eligible to take this course. Volunteer hours completed prior to enrolling in this course will not be counted as internship hours for this course.


    Note: This course was scheduled for the Fall 2020 semester but canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I anticipate teaching the course in Spring 2021, pending updated guidance pertaining to health and safety.

  • PSCI 4321: Special Studies in Political Science: Seminar on National Security Studies

    Course Description: An intensive examination of special topics of study in political science. May be repeated once when topic changes.


    Designations: Instructional Enhancement-COAS


    Syllabus: Fall 2019

  • SOCI 4616: Social Service Internship (canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic)

    Course Description: The internship is designed to offer supervised on the job training experiences and career opportunities in various settings in health, education, and human service organizations. Students will apply sociological knowledge in a social service setting, attend class and individual conferences with Internship Coordinator, produce time sheets, reports and a supervisor's evaluation based on internship performance. Non-Sociology majors may take this course with permission of students' advisor. Students receive a certificate upon successful completion of the Internship. Evaluation of performance in this course is on CR/NC basis.


    Prerequisites: Junior standing.


    Note: This course was scheduled for the Fall 2020 semester but canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I anticipate teaching the course in Spring 2021, pending updated guidance pertaining to health and safety.

Graduate Courses

  • CRIJ 5320: Advanced Methods of Social Research

    Course Description: A description of a variety of research techniques, including theories and frames of reference, the logic of conceptual schemes, and hypothesis development and testing. A variety of sampling plans are contrasted and evaluated, and sampling issues are examined. Critical measurement issues are highlighted, including validity and reliability, how these terms are conceptualized and applied in scaling. Alternative data gathering methods and issues are featured. Several bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques are presented, including relevant computer applications such as SPSS. (Cross-listed with PSCI 5301)


    Prerequisites: Graduate Standing.


    Designations: 7 Week - 1st Sub-term, Instructional Enhancement-COAS, Online Course


    Syllabus: Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021

  • CRIJ 5327: Advanced Quantitative Methods in Criminal Justice (course section canceled)

    Course Description: This course is designed to hone both the statistical vocabulary and techniques important to criminal justice system personnel and researchers. This course is designed to introduce graduate students to a wide range of statistical analyses that include univariate, bivariate, multivariate, and inferential techniques. Course materials deal with both the mathematical and practical applications of statistics and evaluating the statistical analysis in the research. This class will also provide students with a working knowledge of SPSS and R.


    Prerequisites: Graduate status.


    Designations: 7 Week - 1nd Sub-term, Instructional Enhancement-COAS, Online Course

  • CRIJ 5340: Special Topics in Criminal Justice: National Security

    Course Description: An in-depth focus on selected social, political, and legal issues currently important in criminal justice. One or two credit arrangement must be approved by the CRIJ faculty advisor. May be repeated when topic changes with permission of CRIJ instructor.


    Prerequisites: Graduate Standing.


    Designations: 7 Week - 2nd Sub-term, Instructional Enhancement-COAS, Online Course


    Syllabus: Spring 2020, Summer 2020

  • CRIJ 5390: Graduate Research in CJ

    This course enables students to engage in independent research on an issue/topic in criminal justice. This issue/topic is selected by the student, with the advice and approval of the instructor prior to registration. The course may be repeated under a different issue/topic for credit.


    Prerequiste: Permission of instructor and department chair.

University of Massachusetts Lowell (Undergraduate Courses)
Criminology & Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 3900: Criminal Justice Research Methods

    Course Description: An introduction to research methods for the criminal justice professional including terminology, standard methodologies, and elementary statistics. 


    Prerequisites:


    Designations: Meets Core Curriculum Essential Learning Outcome for Information Literacy (IL).


    Syllabus: Fall 2016

  • CRIM 3950: Criminal Justice Statistics (course section canceled)

    Course Description: This course is an extension of concepts learned in 44.390 (Introduction to Criminal Justice Research Methods). Statistics will be utilized as a mathematical language for interpreting the interrelation of social forces impacting criminality and deviance. The course will focus on how various statistics are calculated, but more importantly, the meaning of these figures for criminal justice scholars and practitioners will be discussed.


    Note: This section was prepped for Summer 2019; however, the course section was canceled due to low registration.

  • CRIM 3980: Criminal Justice Data Analysis

    Course Description: The student is introduced to computer software packages (i.e. SPSS) used to analyze large quantitative data sets common in criminal justice/criminology. This course is seen as the capstone to the research methods/technology component of the major, and is intended for upper level students, especially those preparing for graduate study.


    Prerequisites: CRIM 3950


    Syllabus: Summer 2017

Security Studies
  • CRIM 2480: Terrorism (Domestic & International)

    Course Description: This course acquaints the Criminal Justice student with the concept of terrorism at both the international and domestic levels. Topics include the history of terrorism, terrorism today and terrorism in the future. Counter measures taken to respond to terrorist threats are also examined.


    Syllabus: Spring 2016

  • CRIM 3480: Advanced Seminar on Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism

    Course Description: This course will examine the scientific and technological details of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons; the proliferation of these weapons and international CBRN prevention efforts (like the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Biological Weapons Convention); and the threat of terrorist groups seeking to acquire and use CBRN weapons, and explore ways to improve our response to this complex threat.


    Syllabus: Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Summer 2019

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