Bianca E. Bersani joins the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice as an associate professor in the fall of 2019. 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, family and intimate relationship dynamics, divergence in offending across race/ethnicity, gender, and immigration status, and the application of innovative methodologies to understanding the mechanisms of behavioral change.  She has directed the CCJS Honors Program since 2019, a unique 2-year  a unique opportunity for undergraduate CCJS majors to challenge themselves academically, interact with departmental faculty, and gain hands-on research experience. https://ccjs.umd.edu/undergraduate/departmental-honors-program.

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. https://bsos.umd.edu/academics-research/about-center