{"id":20382,"date":"2026-04-10T12:58:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T17:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/opid\/?page_id=20382"},"modified":"2026-04-22T10:50:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T15:50:47","slug":"aubri-mcdonald","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/opid\/wisconsin-teaching-fellows-scholars-program\/2026-27-wisconsin-teaching-fellows-scholars-2\/aubri-mcdonald\/","title":{"rendered":"Aubri McDonald"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t\t
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UW-Parkside<\/h3>\n

Assistant Professor
\n<\/em>Criminal Justice<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Aubri McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She holds a PhD in Criminology from the University of Illinois in Chicago, a Master\u2019s in Media Studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and bachelor\u2019s degrees in Psychology and Journalism from the University of Kansas.<\/p>\n

Dr. McDonald joined UW-Parkside in 2019, where her courses examine race, gender, and media in criminal justice contexts and are cross-listed with Sociology, Women and Gender Studies, and Communication. She also teaches a course on gangs where she brings in former gang members and law enforcement as guest speakers. Dr. McDonald integrates community-based learning (CBL) into her teaching which includes an ongoing partnership between her Race, Crime, Law course and Racine County\u2019s juvenile detention facility.<\/p>\n

Her research investigates gendered and race-based framing in criminal trials, media and social movements. She has published on topics including the #MeToo movement, female gang involvement, and the impact of academic-community partnerships in criminal justice education.<\/p>\n

She lives on a lake with her partner, son, and seven chickens, and enjoys pontooning and traveling.<\/p>\n

Teaching and Learning Philosophy<\/strong><\/h6>\n

My pedagogical approach centers on creating a meaningful learning environment grounded in critical inquiry, real life applications, and building connections within the classroom and broader community. I am committed to continuously refining my teaching and designing courses that engage students and prepare them to think critically about the world around them and help them see themselves as capable of contributing to change in their communities.<\/p>\n

I take time to learn about my students’ backgrounds, experiences, and goals as a way to build rapport with my students and to help me tailor course content to make learning more relevant and personally meaningful. I curate readings and materials that reflect diverse perspectives and draw on my background in media studies to help students interrogate narratives that shape our understanding of justice and inequality.<\/p>\n

I encourage my students to think reflexively, to take a step back and examine their assumptions, and, in the process, develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others. Together, we examine how cognitive biases and systemic inequities shape outcomes for marginalized communities, an especially critical lens for those preparing to work as police officers and in the legal system.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, my hope is to inspire students to become lifelong learners who continuously question, reflect, and grow and who carry that mindset into their professional lives. I view teaching as a reciprocal process. As much as I teach my students, I learn from them, adapt my methods, and deepen my own understanding of the world we share.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>

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