Catie interviews Dr. Claire M. Renzetti, Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Kentucky;
the Judy Conway Patton Endowed Chair for Studies on Violence Against Women in the Center for
Research on Violence Against Women; Editor, Violence Against Women: An International,
Interdisciplinary Journal (SAGE); Editor, Gender & Justice Series (University of California Press); Co-
Editor, Interpersonal Violence Series (Oxford University Press); and Editor, Family & Gender-Based
Violence Series (Cognella). Dr. Renzetti starts by sharing her excitement for her research of the OVW
funded evaluation of the therapeutic horticulture program at the Greenhouse 17 shelter and its
implications for improvement in self-esteem and self-efficacy for women participating in therapeutic
horticulture shelter programs. The two discuss the value of funding innovative research in the field of
violence against women and the impacts of what Dr. Renzetti calls “purposive research”, which she
defines as data collection that is making a difference and producing usable knowledge.