Faculty Profile for Dr. Kathleen Elizabeth Louise Padilla

profile photo for Dr. Kathleen Elizabeth Louise Padilla
Dr. Kathleen Elizabeth Louise Padilla
Assistant Professor — School of Criminal Justice & Criminology
HINE 108
phone: (512) 245-7706
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Kathleen Padilla received her PhD from Arizona State University in 2021 where she also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship evaluating a police officer wellness program. Her work focuses primarily on police officer mental health and wellness, gender equity in policing, police officer perceptions, and qualitative methodologies. Her work has been published in Journal of Experimental Criminology, Justice Evaluation Journal, and Police Practice & Research.

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Lawrence, D., Dockstader, J., & Padilla, K. E. L. (2025). Unveiling the silent battle: Suicide rates among law enforcement personnel. Police Practice & Research.
  • Padilla, K. E. L., Smith, W. T., & Renfro, K. (2025). Balancing duty and family: the effects of support systems on women in law enforcement. Police Practice and Research.
  • Padilla, K. E. L., Renfro, K., & Huff, J. (2024). The bar is different as a woman: A thematic analysis of career advice given by female police officers. Policing: A Journal of Policy & Practice.
  • Padilla, K. E. L., & Fine, A. D. (2024). “Hot, dumpster fire, mess:” Understanding police officers’ perceptions of mental health.
  • Padilla, K. E. L. (2023). A Descriptive Study of Police Officer Access to Mental Health Services. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-023-09582-6

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Best Paper Award, Doctoral Research Conference. Watt’s College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University. 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Honorary Mention, Institute for Social Science Research Poster Contest. Arizona State University. 2019

Selected Grants

  • Padilla, Kathleen Elizabeth Louise (Principal). Female Police Officer Recruitment & Retention in the Dallas Police Department, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Texas State University, $8000. (Funded: January 2023 - May 2024). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Editorial Review Board Member
Police Practice and Research: An International Journal
June 2022-Present
Participant
New-Tenure Track Faculty Orientation, Research Round Table
2024-Present
Chair
American Society of Criminology
2024-Present
Chair
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
2024-Present
Member
Student Affairs Faculty Advisory Council
2023-Present