Christopher Benway concentrates in biology at Harvard University, where his areas of interest include genetics and molecular biology. He has worked with Dr. Alan Michelson’s Drosophila lab at Harvard Medical School, and plans to further explore Drosophila development and to investigate the relationship between genetic control, behavior, and memory with Dr. Sam Kunes’ laboratory at Harvard’s Biology Laboratories. He enjoys recreational soccer and basketball and is a member of the Harvard Republican Club. For this book, he contributed the case study on Ted Bundy and addressed questions concerning the biological and genetic aspects of psychopathy. He resides in Milton, Massachusetts, and is an avid Boston Red Sox fan.
Alexander Blenkinsopp concentrated in Social Studies at Harvard University and is pursuing further study in Criminology at the University of Oxford. While at Harvard, he worked as a research assistant for Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan Dershowitz and was Executive Editor for the Harvard Crimson. His thesis on the civil commitment of sex offenders and the legal rights associated with punishment won the twenty-five-hundred-dollar Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize. He also contributed to and was the Associate Editor of the earlier Harvard seminar books, Thinking About the Insanity Defense and Thinking About the Sexually Dangerous. He was Associate Editor of this entire book.
Marina Bontkowski studies psychology in conjunction with the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Interdisciplinary Initiative at Harvard University. She has worked in Professor Daniel Schacter’s laboratory on the neuropsychology of aging where she aided in research on baseline memory functions of older adults. A member of the Radcliffe varsity crew team, she also assists with statistics for the varsity men’s and women’s hockey teams. She wrote the Frank Abagnale, Jr. case study and contributed primarily to the section on theories of causation.
Jane Brinkley concentrates in psychology at Harvard University where she has worked for Professor Todd Pittinsky’s social psychology laboratory at the Kennedy School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership. Her areas of interest include abnormal psychology and social psychology. She has worked on the technical crew of The Hasty Pudding Theatricals and also helped address issues facing women on Harvard’s campus as a member of The Seneca. For this book, she contributed the case study on Gary Leon Ridgway, the Green River Killer. Hailing from Seattle, Washington, she found this case to be particularly interesting. She also contributed to several of the frequently asked questions.
Irene Choi concentrates in Psychology, with an interest in legal issues, and is pursuing a foreign language citation in Spanish at Harvard University. An active member of student government and an all-girl rock band she has also played violin in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and the Mozart Society Orchestra. She has hosted an underground rock radio show for the Harvard radio station and has done volunteer work for the Small Claims Advisory Service. She also contributed to the earlier Harvard seminar book, Thinking About the Sexually Dangerous. For this book, she wrote the Martha Stewart case.
Ellsworth Lapham Fersch has taught at Harvard University in the Medical and Extension Schools and in the College since receiving his J.D. in law and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology there. He has been a visiting faculty member at various colleges and universities, including Boston University, Yale University, and the University of Massachusetts. A licensed clinical psychologist and member of the Massachusetts bar, he served as a long-time director of the Massachusetts Court Clinic. As General Editor of this volume, he guided its preparation in his seminar, contributed material, and wrote the Introduction. He was also General Editor of the other volumes in this series: Thinking About the Insanity Defense and Thinking About the Sexually Dangerous.
Alexander Gordon concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University where he has also pursued music studies. He counts Bach and Thelonious Monk among his primary musical influences. He directed the music for a spring production of Chicago in the historic Agassiz Theater and played in the Harvard Jazz Band as well as in jazz clubs and with groups in the Cambridge area. A resident of Norwell, Massachusetts, he will be a non-resident music tutor in John Winthrop House and plans to pursue further music studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He spent a year studying and practicing Tibetan Buddhism at the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. For this book, he wrote the Ted Kaczynski and Henry Murray case, contributed to the collective cases, and to the frequently asked questions.
Christine Mathieson concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University where her interests range from social psychology to psychopathology. She has worked in the Professor Daniel Wegner Laboratory aiding in the research of ideas surrounding mental control. On the board of Pleiades Society, a Harvard women’s group, where she is the head of a non-profit community service branch, she is a Leverett House senior gift agent. She was also a part of the NCAA Championship Radcliffe crew team. She spent a semester abroad at the University of St. Andrews where she became interested in the theoretical perspectives of psychology. She also contributed to the earlier Harvard seminar book, Thinking About the Sexually Dangerous. For this book, she wrote the Scott Peterson case study, and contributed to the characteristics and legal response sections in the frequently asked questions.
Erin McGuirk concentrates in English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University, where she is pursuing a foreign language citation in French. She has been a member of the cross-country and track teams and has volunteered at St. James Homeless Shelter through the Phillips Brooks House Association. She plans to pursue a career in journalism, and also has a special interest in screenwriting. For this book, she wrote the case study on the Whitey and Billy Bulger brothers, and contributed to the frequently asked questions and the collective case studies. She is a resident of Boston, Massachusetts.
Olivia Milian-Rodriguez concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University where her primary focus is on psychopathology, particularly self-destructive behaviors. She has worked in Professor Matthew Nock’s Laboratory as a research assistant studying self-injury in adolescents and has done additional coursework in computer programming. She is an active member of the Harvard Anime Society. She contributed the case study of Velma Barfield and answered several of the frequently asked questions. She was born and raised in Miami, Florida.
Mark Musico concentrates in Philosophy and is part of the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Interdisciplinary Initiative at Harvard University. His philosophical interests span philosophy of mind, including accounts of rationality, disjunctivism, epiphenomenalism, and evolutionary ethics. He has studied music perception and cognition under Dr. Mark Tramo. His non-academic endeavors include volunteer work with the Small Claims Advisory Service, which provides legal assistance to greater Boston residents, and service as accompanist and music director for theatrical productions at various regional theaters. At Harvard, he has directed Carousel on the mainstage of the Loeb Drama Center as well as productions in many other locations. For this book, he wrote the Saddam Hussein case study, contributed to the frequently asked questions on neurobiological research into psychopathy, and edited the frequently asked questions on statutory, judicial, and legal responses to psychopathy. He was Associate Editor of this entire book.
Cindy Nguyen concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University where her academic and research interests include the cognitive interface between bipolar disorder and creativity, the biological causes of schizophrenia, and psychological and legal issues involved in recovered memories. She has worked for female empowerment through a domestic violence clinic and for enabling disadvantaged communities through self-education. She enjoys Victorian literature. For this book, she wrote the case study on The Corporation. She also contributed to the frequently asked questions and the collective cases.
James P. Sharp concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University, where his academic interests have revolved around psychopathology and he has focused heavily on all aspects of psychopathy. He has worked in Professor Richard McNally's Laboratory for the research of people who believe they have recovered memories from past lives. He is the Chairman of the Quincy House Committee and Director of the Quincy Collective both of which are responsible for a wide variety of social events in Harvard’s Quincy House. He is also a Director of the Cambridge Youth Enrichment Program, one of the Summer Urban Programs in the non-profit organization Phillips Brooks House. For this book, he wrote the Patrick Bateman, Bret Easton Ellis, and American Psycho case study and contributed to the treatment section of the frequently asked questions and to the collective cases. He was Associate Editor of this entire book.
Jonathan Spiker concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University, where he has served as a research assistant in Professor Daniel Wegner's Social Psychology Laboratory and in Professor Jesse Snedeker's Developmental Laboratory. He plans to pursue study in business school in order to start his own company. For this book, he wrote the Marshall Applewhite and Jim Jones case study and contributed to the frequently asked questions and the collective cases. He also contributed to the earlier Harvard seminar book, Thinking About the Sexually Dangerous. Jonathan hails from Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was a four time undefeated state high school wrestling champion and a member of the National Honor Society.
HaNhi Tran concentrates in Psychology at Harvard University where her areas of interests include drug and criminal policy and criminal behavior. She is devoted to working for refugee and immigrant groups and other underprivileged communities. In the future, she hopes to be able to work for various marginalized communities throughout her professional career. For this book, she wrote the Devin Moore and Grand Theft Auto case study and contributed to the frequently asked questions and the collective cases.
