Dr. Connie Ireland
What fears or anxieties did you have about going to college?
I really had no idea what to expect going to college. I worried about how I would be able to pay for college on my own (particularly as a single mom with two young children) and how to do basic things like applying for financial aid and selecting the right classes that would count for my degree. I had a lot of anxiety because "I didn't know what I didn't know" and often felt really unprepared about basic things that my classmates understood (like the need to register months in advance for classes, and there's only exams/no classes during finals week). I was also worried about connecting with others who were similar to me, finding others like me in the giant university system.
BA, BA, MA, Ph.D., UC Irvine
Take a breath. You've got this. And if you get stuck, we can figure it out together.
I love to walk/hike and do about 7 miles every day (yes, I hike 7 miles every day, sometimes more). I also have a deep and abiding love of french fries, so the 7 miles a day is kind of my penance. I love music and minored in vocal performance. I love to cook and have a simple lifestyle with 10 chickens, lots of fruit trees, and a vegetable garden. I also love to travel, and my super-power is world travel on a budget. I love exploring the world around me and understanding the experiences of others, which helps me connect with students (and also makes me a pretty good prison researcher).
- Fertilized chicken (first clutch of eggs will supply my island with chickens & eggs forever!!)
- Solar-powered water desalinator
- Bible (unlimited short stories and a constant reminder of hope)
I loved working as a paid musician (singer) for many years in college, performing at private events, swanky hotels (as a Dickens Caroler), and international venues. The most stressful job I ever had was doing "cold calls" for an insurance salesman. I have also worked at the district attorney's office, the public defender's office, a private drug treatment program, and a government facility for abused and neglected children.
My research is in the area of corrections, specifically prisons. I'm interested in collateral consequences of incarceration, both for inmates and their families, as well as impacts on those employed in the field, and on victims and communities. I am particularly interested in relationships in the context of incarceration, including relationships between inmates & their loved ones, and relationships/support systems for correctional workers. I teach: Corrections (prisons), Research Methods, Ethics, Probation & Parole, Correctional Environments (Jails on Wheels), Get On The Bus (service learning class bringing children to visit incarcerated parents), and Collateral Consequences of Incarceration.
