Robin Conley Riner

Photo of Dr. Robin Conley Riner
Faculty Representative
Huntington, West Virginia

Biography

Dr. Robin Riner is professor of anthropology at Marshall. She has conducted ethnographic research on death penalty trials across Texas, investigating how the use of language shapes jurors’ experiences during trials and impacts their life and death decisions. Her book, Confronting the Death Penalty, published by Oxford University Press (2016), explores how jurors use language to counter moments of empathy they share with defendants, thereby justifying their decisions for death. Riner is also engaged in multiple projects that seek to understand the experiences of military veterans and help with issues they face in their post-service lives.