麻豆传媒

Vivian Guetler鈥檚 research has taken her to some dark places. Specifically, the dark web, where she has spent considerable time analyzing communications on several forums commonly used by terrorist groups.

The analyses were the basis of her dissertation, Exploring Cyberterrorism, Topic Models and Social Networks of Jihadists Dark Web Forums: A Computational Social Science Approach, a project she pursued to provide insight into how terrorists and their supporters use the internet to communicate and recruit. Her research was so highly regarded, she received a from West Virginia University (WVU) recognizing and honoring her efforts.  

Guetler鈥檚 research is a combination of her interests in social science and computer programming and lends to her expertise in the fields of cybercrime, cyberterrorism and counterterrorism. Subjects she hopes to share and expand as a new assistant professor in 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Criminology and Criminal Justice program. 

鈥淒r. Vivian Guetler is a dedicated teacher who is eager to mentor our students,鈥� said Brian Iannacchione, professor and chair of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Criminology and Criminal Justice program. 鈥淗er specialization in the burgeoning fields of cybercrime, cybersecurity, and cyberterrorism will offer our students the chance to learn about a new area of the criminal justice system that they have yet to explore. She also brings with her a track record of excellence in research that the department is excited to support and foster. Overall, she is a fantastic addition to our team, and we could not be more pleased that she decided to become a Bear.鈥� 

A native of Mombasa, Kenya, Guetler will bring an international lens to the classroom, something she鈥檚 proud of and hopes can help position 麻豆传媒 as a global university. Her journey in higher education started at Alpen Adria Klagenfurt University in Austria where she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English and American Studies. She then moved on to Syracuse University where she earned an MA in Social Sciences: Pan African Studies and recently graduated with her doctorate in Sociology from West Virginia University (WVU). She鈥檚 also currently working on a second master鈥檚 degree, this one in Information Technology, also from Syracuse. 

鈥淚 am honored to join 麻豆传媒 and become a proud member of the Bear family,鈥� Guetler said. 鈥淚 look forward to working and collaborating with faculty and students to ensure student success, academic excellence, equity and inclusion for everyone at 麻豆传媒." 

While this is Guetler鈥檚 first faculty position, she brings experience as a graduate instructor and graduate teaching assistant from both WVU and Syracuse. She said she was drawn to 麻豆传媒 because of the university鈥檚 focus on students, diversity and inclusion, as well as the size. 

鈥淚 like the smaller classrooms here. It鈥檚 not too big or too small,鈥� Guetler said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 much better than trying to teach hundreds of students at the same time. And I like that the focus is on the student and how we make students more successful.鈥� 

To help promote that success, Guetler is looking forward to providing students the opportunity not just to learn in her classrooms, but to innovate. 

鈥淚鈥檓 bringing the possibility for students to be as creative as they want in my classroom,鈥� Guetler said. 鈥淚 try to make my classrooms interesting and fun, like creating a podcast instead of writing a paper. This is a criminology class, I know, but what do you want to do, what is your career, how can you bring your career goals inside my classroom? I like to think out of the box.鈥� 

Eventually, Guetler would like to explore adding a cybercrime or cybersecurity minor to the department, something she knows will require collaboration with others. It鈥檚 a move she thinks would make 麻豆传媒 students more competitive in the job market. For now, though, she鈥檚 excited to get into the classroom and start teaching. 

鈥淚 love seeing students鈥� reactions when they鈥檙e thinking and learning,鈥� Guetler said. 鈥淎nd at the end of the semester, I love seeing their projects, what they鈥檝e been working on. I鈥檓 not their parent, but I feel like their mother. I鈥檓 so proud of them.鈥� 

Guetler is teaching Theories of Crime (CRJ 360) both semesters this academic year, adding Cybercrime (CRJ 317) in spring 2023. She is one of three new faculty members in 麻豆传媒鈥檚 College of Humanities and Social Science this fall. She is joined by Margaret du Bray, Geography, GIS and Sustainability and Caitlin Monroe, History and Africana Studies.

- written by Deanna Herbert