Derek is a PhD student in the department of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the history and theory track under the supervision of Dr. Kathryn Holliday. He holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (architecture & sociology), a NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture, and a Master of Business Administration, all from Texas Tech University.

Derek’s research examines the evolution of the American carceral environment in the nineteenth-century, linking the spatialization of prisoners’ lived experience of incarceration to evolving health sciences, social sciences, laws and policies. The standardization of jails and prisons by the U.S. government in 1949 reflects an evolved societal consensus that embodies the concept of McDonaldization. Subsequently, he is also interested in nineteenth century carceral environments and their preservation as twenty-first century spaces of cultural heritage and criminal justice education. 

His work been disseminated through exhibitions such as “Carceral Complicity” in Texas, as well as conference presentations on the historic architecture of the carceral environment. He has extensive experience as a graduate instructor and teaching assistant in architectural design and history and is supported by the Alan K. & Leonarda F. Laing Memorial Fellowship in Architecture.