Dr. D'Auria earned a doctorate from the University of California, Riverside. Her expertise in gender and criminology guides her research on prisoner education and reentry experiences. She completed the “Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program” Training Institute which certified her to teach college classes in jail and prison. She is the first professor in Southern California to offer an Inside-Out Prisoner Education course in a local jail.

Dr. D'Auria is teaching at Vanguard because her passion for Sociology is based on her faith. She studies the structure of society to consider ways we can address the social problems that harm various groups in our society. At Vanguard, through the lens of our faith, we partner with students to explore various responses to reduce the extent of suffering in our communities. The small classrooms, emphasis on mentorship, and opportunity for service-learning reflects her pedagogical approach. Her students’ passion for justice motivates her as well.

Dr. Hien Park has an MPA degree from the University of Washington and a doctoral degree in Sociology from UC Irvine. Her research interests are immigrant communities and the immigrant/refugee adaptations over the life course. She enjoys teaching research methods, statistics and research practicum. Dr. Park enjoys teaching at Vanguard for its small class sizes because she gets to mentor student research and help them attend academic conferences to present their empirical findings. She's been the faculty advisor to a number of student clubs, including APIC, VU Leap, and One Voice.

Dr. Voss received his Master’s in Public Health from Boston University and his doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies. He is the author of a number of articles and chapters on cross-cultural health and development issues. He served as a co-editor for the book Health, Healing and Shalom: Frontiers and Challenges for Christian Healthcare Missions (2015).

He is presently conducting research on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on congregational leaders. His areas of emphasis include poverty studies, socio-cultural change and health education. As an applied social scientist, Dr. Voss is especially interested in helping community health organizations better understand the role of culture in their efforts to sustain human flourishing.

Dr. Thomas Ropel obtained his doctorate in International Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCS) in 2022. He was recently hired as the lead Assistant Professor for the new Criminal Justice program at Vanguard University. Dr. Ropel serves as a dissertation chair at TCS and was an adjunct professor in the sociology department at Vanguard University since 2021. He was a career government employee and served as a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over 21 years.

Dr. Ropel traveled to over 20 countries to conduct interviews and investigative work for the FBI. His focus in the FBI was the field of counterterrorism and is a subject matter expert in the interview and interrogation of high value criminals. Dr. Ropel was a coordinator for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in the Los Angeles area and assisted with the behavioral profiling of criminals. 

• United States Attorney General’s Award for National Security and Counterterrorism investigations. 
• Lead instructor for the High Value Detainee Interview and Interrogation Group.