Restorative Justice Practices

Jeremy A. Rinker is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, where he is currently engaged in research that explores the intersections among peace building, collective trauma, and systems of oppression. Dr. Rinker graduated with a Ph.D. from George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution in 2009. His Master’s degree is in Asian Religion from the University of Hawaii (2001) and his Bachelor’s degree is in Philosophy and Political Science (dual major, 1995) from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Rinker’s research and writings have long focused on South Asian communities, untouchability, human rights, and narrative meaning-making in social justice movements. With expertise in restorative justice conferencing, program development, and social movement organization, Dr. Rinker is the editor of the Journal of Transdisciplinary Peace Praxis (published by Frontpage). His past publications include “Identity, Rights, and Awareness: Anti-Caste Activism in India and the Awakening of Justice Through Discursive Practices” (Lexington Books, 2018) and “Realizing Nonviolent Resilience: Neoliberalism, Societal Trauma, and Marginalized Voice” (New York: Peter Lang, 2020), as well as articles in academic and peace-oriented outlets. He is currently working on a book for the Association for Conflict Resolution Practitioners Guide Series (Rowman and Littlefield) entitled “The Practitioner’s Guide to Trauma-Informed and Emotionally Mindful Conflict Practice.”

Katrina Nobles is the Director of Conflict Programs for the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at the Cornell University ILR School, focusing on educating the next generation of neutrals and practitioners on campus and in the workplace. Professor Nobles designs curriculum, instructs professional programs, and facilitates discussions for organizational workplace conflicts. She also teaches the Campus Mediation Practicum, an on-campus credit course that applies mediation skills to the campus judicial system, allowing students to work as peer mediators. 

Professor Nobles has presented at national conflict resolution conferences on facilitating collaborative problem solving, cross-cultural communication, and conflict diagnosis. She has practiced mediation for over 15 years, and prior to her employment at Cornell, Professor Nobles was the Cortland County Coordinator for New Justice Mediation Services. During that time, she mediated hundreds of community, child custody/visitation, child support, and family disputes. Professor Nobles holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Engagement from Antioch University Midwest.

Lauren Mauriello is a faculty member with Notre Dame of Maryland University’s School of Education, where she teaches in the Instructional Leadership and Higher Education Leadership graduate programs. Prior to joining the NDMU community, Dr. Mauriello taught a variety of courses, including restorative practices skills, conflict resolution, campus violence, and conflict resolutions in the Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice department at Towson University, and in the Community Leadership graduate program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She also spent 15 years working in student affairs administration in the areas of residential life, student conduct, Title IX, and assessment.

Central to Dr. Mauriello’s passion for teaching is a desire to help students to develop policy, management, and communication skills, and consider these skills within the broader societal implications of an increasingly complex policy landscape. Her research interest in the evaluation and implementation of education policy explores this balance. Dr. Mauriello’s most recent research projects focus on the implementation of restorative practice and restorative justice programs in K-16 along with their implications for equity and well-being. Her dissertation “Restorative Practices: Attitudes and Evidence” modeled community support for educational interventions in Baltimore and the efficacy of education policy in reaching equity and well-being outcomes in K-16.

Dr. Mauriello earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology/College Student Personnel Sdministration from James Madison University.

Liz Davis-Frost is a mediator, coach, and question-asker. With backgrounds in conflict studies, public administration, and communication, Ms. Davis-Frost’s approach to her work is inherently interdisciplinary and innovative. Currently, this takes shape in her position as a Mediation and Training Extension Associate in the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Her primary responsibilities are co-teaching the Campus Mediation Practicum courses and developing conflict coaching for constituencies across campus — but her work is intentionally wide-reaching and open-ended as she engages with partners within and outside of Cornell.

Since arriving in 2016, Ms. Davis-Frost has championed Cornell toward fulfilling its potential as an undergraduate and graduate student, then as a member of the Board of Trustees, and now as staff. In that time, she has leveraged her expertise in a range of roles — including serving on the Public Safety Advisory Committee, coordinating the Undergraduate Student Leadership Council for the Student and Campus Life unit, and supporting the Restorative Practices Professional Learning Group. These experiences have shaped her commitment to restorative justice, constituent investment, and accessible community-building.

Ms. Davis-Frost is a creative and a collaborator by nature, and she relishes in thinking about new opportunities outside the box. Equipping people with the ability to better navigate challenges, engage with other perspectives, and think critically is a big part of her work. Ms. Davis-Frost brings levity and joy to her spaces, with a commitment to learning from all parts of her life — like work and play and seeing them as connected.

Ms. Davis-Frost holds a Master of Public Administration, concentrating in Social Policy with a focus on higher education; and a Bachelor of Science in Communication, with minors in Inequality Studies and Law & Society.