The college is pleased to announce that Dr. David Weisburd, a George Mason University Distinguished Professor in Criminology, Law and Society and Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, has been reappointed to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Science Advisory Board. Appointed by former Attorney General, Eric Holder, Weisburd will serve a two-year term on the Board of 18 experts in the field of criminal justice. The mission of the Science Advisory Board is to provide advice and counsel to the Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs, specifically on the state of research in the criminal justice and aligned fields, to help guide evidence-based policy implementation.
Weisburd said he is, “very flattered to be reappointed” to the board, which has again tapped scholars and practitioners “who are doing some of the best research in criminal justice in the country.” Dr. Weisburd was previously appointed to the first Science Advisory Board, which was founded in 2010 under the leadership of the former Assistant Attorney General and now Distinguished Professor at Mason, Laurie Robinson.
Weisburd explains that establishing the Science Advisory Board was a, “very important advancement… in acknowledging that evidence and science should impact public policy.” He feels the work with the board complements his work at Mason perfectly. “It’s the mission of our department. In CLS, we’re very concerned with how science and evidence can be used in the implementation of public policy. It’s really our calling card. The advisory board represents what we are working toward and complements the importance Mason places on shaping policy.”
Weisburd will begin his two-year voluntary commitment in August at the Science Advisory Board’s next meeting, held in Washington, D.C. He has been asked to serve as the chair of the Subcommittee on Research Methodology and Evidence Translation in addition to his other duties to the board. This subcommittee will focus on the quality and rigor of research methodology used in OJP projects and on related topics such as evidence translation, research integrity, and increasing consumption of OJP research by practitioners.
July 24, 2015
