McNair Program Scholar

Catherine Venegas-Garcia is a student enrolled at Southern Oregon University ​working on getting a Baccalaureate of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in ​Philosophy and Psychology. Catherine anticipates graduating magna cum laude in June ​2025.

Catherine’s academic interest lies in studying the negative effects arising from the ​marginalization of minority groups, such as police brutality. She plans to pursue research ​regarding discriminatory behavior from rehired, or “wandering”, police officers in graduate ​school.

Along with achieving Provost’s List in Spring 2024, Fall 2022, and Fall 2021, Catherine has ​been awarded President’s List from Southern Oregon University in Spring 2022, Winter 2023, ​Spring 2023, and Fall 2023. Scholarships from the Renaissance Scholar Program, ​Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville, Carpenter Foundation, ​Pear Blossom Princess Scholarship, and the Fairy Godmother Scholarship Program have ​generously funded Catherine’s undergraduate studies. Recently, she was the 2024 recipient ​of the Dr. Gabriel Gallardo Memorial Scholarship. She is currently a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program Scholar.

After completing her degree from Southern Oregon University, Catherine is pursuing a  Ph.D. ​program. She hopes to get her Ph.D. in Sociology, with an interest in analyzing police ​misconduct reports in wandering officers’ records and seeing how police departments work ​to fix such behaviors. After graduating, she hopes to become a researcher. With this ​research, she wants to be able to challenge the discrimination and abuse faced by marginalized ​individuals by the police.

McNair Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shanell Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice