About Us
Dr. Vivian Aseye Djokotoe
Founder and Director
Professor of Criminal Justice
Current Projects:
Principal Investigator Polk County Community Corrections Evaluation Project
Research Consulting with Lane County Conflict and Dispute Resolutions
Research Consulting with State Restorative Justice Programs seeking HB 2204 Grants
Department of Justice Missing Indigenous Peoples (MIP) Grant Awarded
Available For:
Restorative Justice Research
Juvenile Justice and Reentry Research
Research Consulting
Program Development and Evaluation
Dr. Vivian Aseye Djokotoe is the founder and Director of the Western Restorative and Criminal Justice Research Center and is also an author. Vivian is a Professor of Criminal Justice and holds a PhD from Oregon State University. With a passion for advancing restorative justice within the criminal justice system, Dr. Djokotoe has worked extensively in the area, has given many talks and given academic presentations on the subject, and developed curriculum for college students, all in her efforts to advance restorative practices. Dr. Djokotoe has also collaborated with many restorative justice programs across the State of Oregon, serving on the Board of Directors of the Polk County Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, collaborating with Restorative Justice Programs on grant efforts, and has personally received grants to conduct restorative justice research internationally.
Dr. Taryn VanderPyl
Editor-In-Chief
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Current Projects Here: https://wou.edu/wp/vanderpylt/home/
Dr. Taryn VanderPyl is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Sciences at Western Oregon University and Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (R3) (https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/jr3). Her research focuses on interventions within and legislation concerning juvenile and adult corrections that affect reentry and recidivism, as well as addressing social hostility toward those with justice system involvement. Dr. VanderPyl’s work on affecting the outcomes of youth and adults in these systems has led to participation in numerous academic, behavioral, and reintegration programs in both juvenile and adult correctional facilities with a priority on emphasizing the voices of those seldom heard. Dr. VanderPyl has presented on behalf of her research participants and fellow change agents at multiple national and regional criminal justice conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals across various related fields of study.
Dr. Omar Melchor-Ayala
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Current Projects:
Lead Researcher Polk County Community Corrections Evaluation Project
Researcher: Benton County Sherriff’s Pretrial Release Instrument Research Project
Available For:
Restorative Justice Research
Juvenile Justice and Reentry Research
Research Consulting
Program Development and Evaluation
Dr. Omar Melchor-Ayala is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Western Oregon University (WOU). He is also a Research Coordinator for the Western Restorative and Criminal Justice Research Center, and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Reentry. Additionally, he is the Criminal Justice Practicum Coordinator, and the Program Coordinator for the Cybercrime Investigation and Enforcement program at WOU. His research focuses on corrections, juvenile justice, and the overall immigration-crime nexus. Dr. Melchor-Ayala holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Western Oregon University (2006-2009), a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas (2009-2011), and a PhD in Sociology from Portland State University (2014-2019).
Dr. Mari Sakiyama
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Current Projects:
Principal Investigator: Benton County Sherriff’s Pretrial Release Instrument Research Project
Available For:
Law Enforcement Research
Corrections Research
Research Consulting
Program Development and Evaluation
Dr. Sakiyama is an Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Western Oregon University and is currently serving as an associate editor for the Journal of Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Reentry. Her doctoral degree is in Public Affairs from the Department of Criminal Justice. Dr. Sakiyama specializes in survey research and scale development. Her main research interest focuses on police use of technology and how the public perceives such activities, especially around surveillance. She had previously worked in projects involving police use of social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter), body-worn cameras, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Current interests are for in-depth exploration of: 1) how (i.e., police operational context); 2) where (i.e., location of surveillance), and 3) to what extent (i.e., the degree to which) the public is receptive to police using new technology, while considering the issues involving police-community relations and officer satisfaction.
Dr. Miyuki Arimoto
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Current Projects:
Researcher: Benton County Sherriff’s Pretrial Release Instrument Research Project
Available For:
Law Enforcement Research
Restorative Justice Research
Corrections Research
Research Consulting
Program Development and Evaluation
Dr. Arimoto is an Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Western Oregon University and currently serving as an associate editor for the Journal of Restoration, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Miyuki’s research focuses on Transformative Justice, specifically the Healing Garden at Oregon State Penitentiary and Comparative Studies of the Criminal Justice System by studying Public Perceptions toward the criminal justice system in the U.S. and Japan. Dr. Arimoto holds a PhD from Washington State University.
Gregory M. Willeford
Current Projects:
Cultural Competency Training
Racial Justice Training
Available For:
Cultural Competency Training
Racial Justice Training
Gregory M. Willeford is a Criminal Justice professor with Western Oregon University (2005) and teaches in the U.S. and SE Asia. Greg is a faculty member of the Western Restorative and Criminal Justice Research Center and also serves as the Chair of the Criminal Justice Sciences Division Professional Advisory Board. Greg facilitates professional development courses tied to developing cultural competence and racial justice. Greg completed a career with the Oregon State Police serving in many diverse and technical positions retiring as the Deputy Superintendent. Greg has a degree in the Administration of Justice and earned his graduate degree in Public Administration from the Mark Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University.
Contact the Western Restorative and Criminal Justice Research Center!
