Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Kathleen Elizabeth Louise Padilla

  • Assistant Professor - School of Criminal Justice & Criminology
  • Program Faculty - School of Criminal Justice & Criminology
Portrait of Dr. Kathleen Elizabeth Louise Padilla

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, ethics and technology, and qualitative methodologies. Her work has been published in Journal of Experimental Criminology, Justice Evaluation Journal, and Police Practice & Research.

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Hedgecock, Will (Co-Principal), Brian LaCour (Co-Principal), Akos Ledeczi (Co-Principal), Charles Loeffler (Co-Principal), Padilla, Kathleen Elizabeth Louise (Co-Principal), Beck, Steve (Supporting). CIVIC-FA Track B: Community-Based Gunshot Alert System Phase 2, NSF, Federal, $700000. (Submitted: March 3, 2025, Funded: August 2025 - Present). Grant.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Lawrence, D., Padilla, K. E. L., & Dockstader, J. (2025). Bearing the badge, battling inner struggles: Understanding suicide ideation in law enforcement. Journal of Police & Criminal Psychology.
  • 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.
View all scholarly/creative works
  • 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
  1. Editorial Review Board Member

    Police Practice and Research: An International Journal

  2. Coordinator / Organizer

    American Society of Criminology

  3. Coordinator / Organizer

    Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

  4. Other

    Social Media Manager - CJC

  5. Reviewer / Referee

    Policing: A Journal of Policy & Practice

  6. Reviewer / Referee

    International Journal of Adolescence & Youth

  7. View all activities