She received her M. S. in Criminal Justice and Ph.D. in Sociology with a concentration in Violence and Conflict from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Cappadona's dissertation is entitled "Which Bias Crimes Get Prosectued? An analysis of bias motivated incidents and prosecutions in the City of Boston, Massachusetts 2007-2008". Her teaching and research are grounded in social justice and human rights. She teaches courses in Sociological and Criminological Theory, Sociology of Violence, Criminology, Justice and Human Rights Advocacy, Human Diversity in Criminal Justice, Hate Crimes and Hate Groups and Juvenile Justice.