Faculty Profiles

Dr. Melanie Frances Palacios Soderstrom

Assistant Professor — School of Criminal Justice & Criminology

HINE 125

phone: (512) 245-3218

dfs39@txstate.edu

Biography and Education

Melanie F.P. Soderstrom, Ph.D., J.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Texas State University. She joined the faculty in 2022 after earning her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Dr. Soderstrom was an Assistant Public Defender in southeastern Virginia specializing in representing youth in the juvenile courts. Dr. Soderstrom earned her J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law in 2010.

Research Interests

School-to-prison pipeline; policing of youth; juvenile justice system; youth mental health; criminal and juvenile courts; policy and program evaluation; mixed methods

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

Soderstrom, M. F. P., & Bumgarner, J. B. (2024). Instructors’ Challenges Facilitating Mental Health First Aid Training with Law Enforcement. Police Practice & Research. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2024.2406836
Soderstrom, M. F. P., Childs, K. K., & Gryglewicz, K. (2024). An evaluation of Youth Mental Health First Aid training with law enforcement officers. Psychological Services. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000901
Soderstrom, M. F. P. (2024). Formalizing and expanding school resource officer presence: Examining influences on student arrests. Journal of Criminal Justice, 94. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2024.102236
Childs, K. K., Bryson, S. L., Soderstrom, M. F. P., & Reed, A. (2023). An Assessment of the Internal Structure of the CANS Using Two Samples of High-risk Adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107365
Basham, S. L., & Soderstrom, M. F. P. (2020, November). Concealed carry laws. In Criminal justice in America: The encyclopedia of crime, law enforcement, courts, and corrections (pp. 89–92). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Selected Awards

Award / Honor Recipient: Outstanding Dissertation Award, American Society of Criminology Division of Policing. August 29, 2023
Award / Honor Nominee: Outstanding Dissertation Award, College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida. January 5, 2023
Award / Honor Recipient: Doctoral Research Support Award, College of Graduate Studies, University of Central Florida. 2020
Award / Honor Recipient: Community Servant Award, The College of William & Mary School of Law. 2010

Selected Grants

Soderstrom, Melanie Frances Palacios (Principal). Implementing YMHFA Training with Law Enforcement Officers: A Mixed Methods Study, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $5000. (Funded: August 2021 - August 2023). Grant.
Gryglewicz, Kimberley (Principal), Childs, Kristina K (Co-Principal), Soderstrom, Melanie Frances Palacios (Co-Principal). Central Florida Pathways to Awareness, Support and Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Federal, $375000. (Funded: October 2018 - September 2021). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Pre-Law Advisor

February 2023-Present

Member

Doctoral Advising Commitee

2023-Present

Liaison

Texas Municipal Courts Education Center

September 2023-Present

Participant

Bobcat Day Tabling Session

April 20, 2024-April 20, 2024