Bianca Bersani, Ph.D.

Bio

As a life course criminologist, her research interests involve the study of patterns and predictors of offending from adolescence through adulthood. Key themes include the investigation of desistance and persistence in offending, the factors that facilitate and hinder desistance from criminal offending, divergence in offending across race/ethnicity, gender, and immigration status, and the application of innovative methodologies to understanding the mechanisms of behavioral change. She currently serves as the Chair of the Division of Developmental and Life Course Criminology with the American Society of Criminology.

Dr. Bersani is also the Director of the Maryland Crime Research and Innovation Center (MCRIC). The Center offers academic expertise, conducts research, integrates data, builds partnerships between government, academia, and industry, and develops and evaluates innovative criminal justice strategies aimed at preventing and reducing crime.