Before joining the faculty at Pennsylvania State University this fall, Caylin Louis Moore ’17 returned to campus to share his research and reconnect with faculty in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts.
Moore, who was a student-athlete on the TCU Football team and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from TCU before completing doctoral studies in sociology at Stanford University, visited through a fellowship-supported program that allowed him to host a departmental colloquium at a university of his choosing.
“I thought, where better than TCU,” Moore said. “I am a proud TCU alumnus and Horned Frog through and through, and it means a great deal to return to my alma mater before beginning at Penn State.”
Hosted by the TCU Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, the colloquium highlighted Moore’s research on how people are classified and labeled within the criminal justice system and how those labels can shape opportunities and life outcomes after incarceration. During his presentation, Moore shared findings from a larger research project examining how reputations formed within prison systems continue to influence individuals long after they return to their communities.
Liberal Arts in the Real World
Moore's return also highlighted the interdisciplinary foundation of an AddRan education — training students for real-world problems.
“Dr. Moore’s journey from studying economics to conducting research in criminology perfectly captures the spirit of a liberal arts education,” said Brie Diamond, department chair and associate professor. “It shows that our degrees don't lock students into a single track; instead, they build intellectual agility. By taking the data-driven analytical tools of economics and applying them to the complex social challenges of crime and justice, Caylin demonstrates what happens when you break down academic silos.
Faculty members in the department and throughout AddRan also welcomed the opportunity to engage with Moore’s scholarship. One faculty member, whose research primarily focuses on street gangs, described the presentation as both relevant and thought-provoking.
“One of the biggest things that stood out was the lens that Caylin has taken to his work,” said Jose Sanchez, associate professor. “We often focus our research on the institutions responsible for the criminal justice system and the impacts it has on the people who come into contact with it. Sometimes we neglect that those individuals have families and communities that may also experience the impacts that come with something like incarceration.”
Moore’s visit marks another milestone in a remarkable academic journey that began at TCU.
As he prepares to join the Penn State faculty, Moore’s return offered a chance to share new scholarship while strengthening the connection between TCU and one of its distinguished alumni.
Learn more about his path from TCU student to Rhodes Scholar in a previous profile published by TCU Magazine.