Gail Rioux received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from The University at Albany – State University of New York. She taught criminal justice at several colleges and universities and achieved the rank of tenured professor at West Virginia State University. In addition, she served as Chair of the Criminal Justice Department and the Dean of the School of Professional Studies at that institution. She has conducted research in prisons and jails, on domestic violence, the homeless, and was a principal investigator on a federal grant from the Transportation Security Administration regarding educational needs of personnel. She is now retired and lives in Fayette.