OUR TEAM
Read Hayes, PhD, CPP
Dr. Read Hayes started as a store detective in retail loss prevention and has over 30 years’ of hands-on crime and loss control experience working with organizations worldwide. A Co-Director of the Loss Prevention Research Team at the University of Florida, and Director of the retailer-supplier coalition Loss Prevention Research Council. Dr. Hayes’ co-founded the University of Florida’s globally used National Retail Security Surveyin 1989, and has conducted over 75 LP field research projects. He has spoken at over 100 conferences, and is the author of over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, 150 magazine articles, and four top selling books, and provides crime prevention expertise to FoxNews, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, NPR, Oprah, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today and the BBC.
Chad McIntosh
Chad McIntosh retired from Bloomingdale’s where he was the Vice President of Asset Protection and Risk Management. Chad is an accomplished Loss Prevention executive with over 40 years of experience as a strategic partner with corporate leadership. Chad has retail loss prevention experience with various retailers that include Neiman Marcus, The Home Depot, Polo Ralph Lauren as well as Macy’s, Inc. Chad is a founding member of LPRC and is currently the Director of Operations for the council. He is a graduate from the University of Maryland with a degree in Business Administration.
Diego Rodriguez
Diego graduated from the University of Florida in 2019 where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, and a minor in Sociology. He graduated with cum laude honors for both degrees. While at the University of Florida he was heavily involved in pre-law programs including Phi Alpha Delta and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. In 2019 the UF Phi Alpha Delta Pre Law chapter awarded him the inaugural Diego J Rodriguez UF Phi Alpha Delta Outstanding Member Award. He was also recognized by the National chapter for putting together Law in the Swamp, a pre-law conference with over 40 law schools and 20 organizations from across the nation. The event was awarded the National Outstanding Professional Program Award beating out dozens of other nominated programs. In his spare time, he enjoys finding new nature trails to explore and volunteering at the Alachua County Animal Services Center.
Cory Lowe
Cory Lowe was born and raised in Taylorsville, Georgia. He moved to Gainesville in 2016 to pursue his PhD in Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of Florida. At UF, he specialized in criminological theory, crime prevention, and research methods and plans to defend his dissertation “Moral Communities in Chicago Neighborhoods: Examining the Relationship between Family and Neighborhood Religiosity and Youth Substance Use and Delinquency” in July of 2020. He has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles, several chapters and entries in edited volumes, and has presented his research at numerous regional and national conferences. Prior to attending the University of Florida, he received his BA in history and political science from Shorter University in Rome, Georgia; and his MA in Sociology and Criminology at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. His grandfather, Clayton Jackson Harris, is his hero.
James Martin
James specializes in geospatial analysis and data science. He previously worked as a research assistant at the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida studying many issues including the social factors influencing COVID-19 mortality in northern Italy, the effects of air pollution on infant health outcomes in Florida, and the prevalence of work-related injuries among seafood workers on the gulf coast. James graduated from the University of Florida with a Master of Science in Geography in 2019 where he studied the social and spatial dynamics of vector born viral diseases and gained experience in statistical modeling, machine learning, and network analysis. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health where he learned social theory. James is interested in applying new methods to loss prevention science to address the many challenges retailers face and help them thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
Chasey Atkinson
Chasey Atkinson graduated from Western Carolina University during the Fall semester of 2019, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During her time at Western Carolina University, she was a Research Assistant for the Criminal Justice Department where she aided in the completion and presentation of various research projects such as “Does Legal Counsel at a First Appearance Court Session Really Matter?” and “Deflection and Pretrial Reform in a Rural Jurisdiction”. Following her graduation from Western Carolina University, she earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice with concentrations in Crime Analysis and Analysis of Criminal Behavior from the University of Cincinnati during the Spring semester of 2021. Prior to joining the LPRC, she worked as an Assistant Asset Protection District Manager in retail asset protection, where she partnered with store teams and asset protection business partners to mitigate risk and decrease internal and external loss. During Chasey’s off time, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, and indulging in her love for indoor plants.
Justin Smith
Justin J. Smith was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. He received a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida in Orlando in August 2022. Justin’s dissertation, “Innovation Resistance? Understanding Officer Attitudes Toward Police Innovation,” reported the key findings of a mixed method study he devised that involved primary data collection. He surveyed and interviewed police officers regarding their opinions toward innovations such as community-oriented policing and crime analysis. Prior to receiving his doctorate, Justin received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Criminal Justice, both from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. He is also a graduate from Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts where he majored in theater. Justin has authored several peer-reviewed publications. He has presented at national conferences, such as the American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and regional conferences such as the Southern Criminal Justice Association. He has taught undergraduate courses such as Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Famous Crimes and Trials. His primary research interests include police innovation and culture, environmental criminology, and situational crime prevention. In his off hours, Justin enjoys exercising, watching classic films, and spending time with his family.
Kim Ruffier
Kim graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations. She recently relocated back to Gainesville from Orlando, where she was the Event Manager for an historic venue, overseeing 100+ events a year. She was also active in civic and non-profit organizations such as the Orlando Museum of Art, Orange County Public Schools and the City of Orlando. In her free time, Kim enjoys watching Gator sports, especially football and baseball; spending time exploring outdoors and trying new restaurants.
Stephen Mackay
Stephen Mackay is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with a certificate in Geospatial Information Analysis and a minor in Spanish. While at UF he worked as an Undergraduate R¬esearch Assistant in the Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation lab at the Emerging Pathogens Institute studying and presenting on research related to spatiotemporal trends in vector borne diseases in the tropics. He has also worked as a GIS Intern in Plant Records at Moore Farms Botanical Garden in Lake City, South Carolina; an English teacher in Murcia, Spain; and a Biological Scientist at the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. His research and academic experience has also included remote sensing, geomatics, environmental sciences, and network analysis. He is excited to promote multidisciplinary innovation in loss prevention research that helps protect people and places.
Jonathan Duong
Jonathan Duong attended FIT in New York City where he studied design. He has over fifteen years of experience working in technology, and is passionate about user experience and teaching others. In his spare time, his hobbies include painting, sculpture, and volunteering in his community. He and his wife Kate also enjoy traveling and trying new cuisines.