Dr. Beidi Dong is an Associate Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. He earned his PhD from the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida and completed postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests revolve around identifying risk and protective factors for community violence in the United States and developing evidence-based strategies to prevent and alleviate the negative impacts of violence on affected individuals and communities equitably. His research also addresses health disparities and inequities associated with crime/violence and punishment. His research largely draws from two theoretical perspectives: the life-course perspective and the socio-contextual perspective. He employs various quantitative and computational social science methods to enhance public safety and health.