Invited Presentations

Valasik, M. (2024). “There and Back Again: Unpacking the relationship between gang-related violence, neighborhood social structure, & gentrification in Los Angeles.” Presented at the University of California, Irvine, CA, October 25.

Valasik, M. (2024). “The myths and realities around alt-right gangs and their members.” Presented at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, January 29.

Valasik, M. (2022). “A Gentle Introduction to Alt-Right Gangs: Reconceptualizing White Power Groups.” Presented at the National Gang Crime Research Center Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, August 1-3.

Valasik, M. (2021). “ Spatial Analysis of Social Data” Presented at the Crime & Security Data Analytics Lab (CASDAL), Fayetteville, AR, April 1.

Valasik, M. (2021). “‘Stand Back and Stand By’: The Continued Failure of Law Enforcement to Police Trump’s Far Right Soldiers.” Presented at the LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College Town Hall Meeting on the January 6 Insurrection, Baton Rouge, LA, January 28.

Professional Presentations

LaPointe, R., Barton, M. S., Valasik, M., (2025). “Smoke and Shadows: Analyzing the relationship between wildfires and crime.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 12-15.

Valasik, M., Reid, S.E.,& Daquin, J. C. (2025). “Crips, Bloods & Skins: Are Far-Right Groups Cut from the Same Cloth as Conventional Gangs?” Presented at the European Society of Criminology Conference, Athens, Greece, September 3-7.

Barton, M. S., Valasik, M., & Daquin, J. C. (2024). “Does a Crime a Day Keep Gentrification at Bay.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 13-16.

Enkhtugs, B., Urbanik, M., Maier, K., Greene, C., & Valasik, M., (2024). “Trap Houses and Crack Shacks: The Intimate Relationship between Drug Dealers, Gang Members, and Homeless Persons.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 13-16.

Valasik, M., Barton, M. S., & Daquin, J. C. (2024). “Urban renewal’s paradox with street gangs: Unpacking the causal ordering of gang-related violence and gentrification.” Presented at the British Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Glasgow, Scotland, July 10-12.

Reid, S. E. & Valasik, M. (2024). “Where are the white gang members? The role of race and police discretion in gang decisions.” Presented at the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, June 6-9.

Urbanik, M., Valasik, M., Maier, K., & Greene, C. (2024). “It’s a trap! Exploring Gang-led Cuckooings’ Relationship to homelessness.” Presented at the Eurogang XXII Workshop, Boulder, CO, June 3-6.

Valasik, M., Barton, M. S., & Reid, S. E. (2023). “Revisiting the Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Gang Homicide in East Los Angeles.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18.

Valasik, M., Barton, M. S., & Reid, S. E. (2023). “Resisting the Structural Characteristics of Gang Homicide in East Los Angeles: A Temporal and Spatial Analysis.” Presented at the European Society of Criminology Conference, Florence, Italy, September 6-9.

Valasik, M., Reling T. T., & Reid, S. E. (2022). “The (Non)Threatening Nature of ‘White Power’ Music.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 16-19.

Yu, S., Brantingham, P. J., Valasik, M., & Vorobeychik, Y. (2022). “Learning Binary Multi-Scale Games on Networks.” Presented at the 38th Conference on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, August 1-5.

Reid, S. E. & Valasik, M. (2021) “Author Meets Critic: Alt-Right Gangs: A Hazy Shade of White.” Panelists: Jennifer Ortiz, David C. Pyrooz. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, November 17-20.

Reid, S. E., Valasik, M., & Bagavathi, A. (2019). “Echoes of Hate: Examining Echo Chambers and White Power Social Networks” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 13-16.

Valasik, M., Barton, M. S., & Brault, E. E. (2019) “Disadvantage or disorder: Investigating the tension between the physical landscape and neighborhood social structure on lethal violence.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 13-16.

Reid, S. E., Valasik, M., & Hyatt, J. M. (2019) “Exploratory Consideration of the Prevalence of Self-Reported Gang Involvement in a Population Representative Prison Sample.” Presented at the Eurogang XVIIII Workshop, Canterbury, UK, June 26-29.

Valasik, M., Reid, S. E., & Hyatt, J. M. (2019) “Alt-Right Gangs: Are White Power Groups Cut from the Same Cloth as Conventional Gangs?” Presented at the Eurogang XVIIII Workshop, Canterbury, UK, June 26-29.

Reid, S. E., Valasik, M., Krishnan, S., Phillips, M. D.,& Bagavathi, A. (2019). “Social Media, Extremism, and the Alt-Right: A Cross-Platform Exploration of Hate Speech” Presented at the Radical Right Research International Network Workshop, Swansea, Wales, March 6-7.

Reid, S. E., Valasik, M., Krishnan, S., Phillips, M. D.,& Bagavathi, A. (2018). “The Gift of GAB: Analyzing the Alt-Right’s Social Media Platform.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 14-17.

Barton, M. S., Valasik, M., & Brault, E. E. (2018) “Gentrification or ‘Gentefication’: Exploring the Relationship of Gang Homicide with Gentrification in East Los Angeles, 1990 to 2010” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 14-17.

Mohler, G. O., Carter, J., Raje, R., Valasik, M., & P. J. Brantingham. (2018). “A Penalized Likelihood Method for Balancing Accuracy and Fairness in Predictive Policing.” Presented at the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Miyazaki, Japan, October 7-10.

Reid, S. E., Wesslan, R., Fair, G., Phillips, M. D., & Valasik, M. (2018). “Social Media and White Power: Alt-right youth and the mainstreaming of white nationalism in the United States.” Presented at the Eurogang XVIII Workshop, Almen, NL, June 26-29.

Brault, E. E., Barton, M. S., & Valasik, M. (2018). “‘Gentefication’ in the Barrio: Examining the Relationship of Gentrification and Gang Homicide in East Los Angeles.” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society, New Orleans, LA, April 4-7.

Reid, S. E. & Valasik, M. (2017). “Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up”: Do Racist Skinheads Resemble Street Gangs? Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18.

Barton, M.S., Valasik, M., Weil, F. D., Rackin, H., & Coto, L. (2017). Community as a Life Preserver: Examining Hurricane Katrina’s Impact on the Relationship Between Serious Crimes and Social Capital in the Crescent City, 2000-2015. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18.

Reid, S. E. & Valasik, M. (2017). People, Folks, Crips, Bloods & Skins: Can Street Gangs Inform Our Comprehension of the Alt- Right? Presented at the Eurogang XVII Workshop, East Lansing, MI, June 27-30.

Valasik, M. & Reid, S. E. (2016). Barrioside: A Growth-Curve Analysis of Neighborhood Correlates of Murder in East Los Angeles. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, November 16-19.

Reid, S. E. & Valasik, M. (2016). Crips & Cops: A Social Network Analysis of Gang Member & Law Enforcement Officer Interactions. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, November 16-19.

Reid, S. E. & Valasik, M. (2016). East Side Story: A Latent Class Analysis of Gang Homicides in East Los Angeles. Presented at the Eurogang XVI Workshop, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 19-22.

Valasik, M., Reid, S. E., & Philips, M. D. (2015). A CRASH Course in Policing: The Temporary Abatement of a LAPD Anti-Gang Unit. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 18-21.

Gravel, J., Valasik, M., Pyrooz, D. C.,  & Mitchell, M. M. (2015). The Small World of Gang Research: “Gangs” of Gang Scholars in a Co-Authorship Network. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 18-21.

Hickey, D., Shihadeh, E., Valasik, M., Barton, M. S. (2015). Fear of Crime: Exploring Regional Differences. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 18-21.

Valasik, M. (2014). Defending Neighborhoods or Commuting to Turf?: The influence of Residency and Mobility on the Territoriality Patterns of Gang Members. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 19-22.

Valasik, M. (2013) “Saving the World, One Neighborhood at a Time”: Exploring the Role of Civil Gang Injunctions in Influencing Gang Behavior. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 20-23.

Tita, G. E, Butts, C., Valasik, M., & Brantingham, J. (2013). Rivalries & Reciprocity: A Relational Event Model of Gang Violence.  Presented at the Network Perspectives on Criminology and Criminal Justice, Phoenix, AZ, January 10 &11.

Tita, G. E., Butts, C., Brantingham, J., & Valasik, M. (2012). A Relational Event Model of Gang Violence. Presented at the International Network of Social Network Analysis’ Sunbelt Conference, Redondo Beach, CA, March 12-18.

Valasik, M. & Tita, G. E. (2011). Hanging Out in Hollenbeck: The Influence of Territoriality, Residency, and Injunctions on Gang Members’ Mobility Patterns. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 16-19.

Halvorson, M., Valasik, M., Reid, S. E., & Tita, G. E. (2011). CRASH & Burn: The Continued Consequences of the Rampart Scandal. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 16-19.

Brantingham, J., Mohler, G., Valasik, M., Reid, S., Tita, G. E., & Short, M. (2011). Modeling the Social Organization of Gang Violence. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 16-19.

Tita, G. E., Butts, C., Brantingham, J., & Valasik, M. (2011). A Relational Event Model of Gang Violence. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 16-19.

Wo, J., Tita, G. E., Faust, K., Valasik, M., Reid, S., Halvorson, M. (2011). Social Networks: Gang Networks in Hollenbeck and the Conditions That May Impact Stability. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Washington, DC, November 16-19.

Valasik, M. (2011). The Spatial and Social Nexus of Gangs, Police, and Violence in Hollenbeck.  Presented at the Hollenbeck Community Policing Advisory Board (C-PAB) monthly meeting, Los Angeles, CA, October, 19.

Valasik, M. & Tita, G.E. (2011). Gang Territoriality and Residency in East Los Angeles.  Presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC, February 3-5.            

Tita, G., E. Faust, K., Reid, S., Valasik, M., Wo, J., Halvorson, M., & Rousell, A. (2010). Measuring the Patterns of Association Among Gang Members. Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 17-20.    

Lynch, M., Verma, A., Omori, M., Rousell, A., Valasik, M., Diggs, R., & Reyes, W. (2010).  Race, Justice, and Reforming Drug Policy. Roundtable discussion at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, November 17-20.

Valasik, M. (2010). Social Capital in Southland: The Role of Intergenerational Closure and Collective Efficacy on Juvenile Delinquency. Presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI, February 4-6.