Matthew Valasik

Matthew Valasik (1981-) received his Ph.D. in Criminology, Law & Society from the University of California, Irvine in 2014. He is currently an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The University of Alabama. Matthew's research interests include the socio-spatial dynamics of gang behavior (i.e., territoriality, group cohesion, and violence), including comparing and contrasting the attributes of street gangs with other deviant groups (i.e., ISIS, Skinheads, Alt-Right, White Power groups), and problem-oriented policing strategies (e.g., gang units, civil gang injunctions) used by law enforcement.

Matthew's research has appeared in prominent criminological and sociological peer-reviewed journals including: Journal of Criminal Justice, Social Science Research, Homicide Studies, Theoretical Criminology, Journal of Youth Studies, Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Deviant Behavior, Statistics and Public Policy, Journal of Crime and Justice, Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, and Critical Criminology. Additionally, his research has received coverage in mainstream media outlets such as The Conversation, The Washington Post's The Monkey Cage, The Guardian, and The Crime Report.

He is a recipient of the 2019 LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award, the 2019 LSU Rainmaker Award for emerging scholars, the 2020 LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award, and the National Gang Crime Research Center Frederic Milton Thrasher Award in 2022.