  Sociologist and author Dr. James Densley is Assistant Professor in the School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University, Minnesota. He previously taught at Fort Hays State University, Kansas, and Ruskin College, Oxford. Densley's research interests include street gangs, organized crime, violence, and theoretical criminology. He is the author of How Gangs Work: An Ethnography of Youth Violence (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and over 20 articles and book chapters. In 2013, Densley received the National Gang Crime Research Center's (NGCRC) Frederick Milton Thrasher Award for "Superior Accomplishments in Gang Research". Densley earned the D.Phil. and M.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Oxford (St. Antony's College), the M.S. in Teaching from Pace University, and the B.A. (Hons.) in Sociology with American Studies from the University of Northampton. He is also a former NYC Teaching Fellow and certified special education teacher. Densley presently serves on the Boards of Growing Against Gangs and Violence (GAGV), an educational partnership with London's Metropolitan Police Service; Law Enforcement Opportunities (LEO), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and increasing cultural diversity in law enforcement and criminal justice fields; and the FBI Minneapolis Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBIMCAAA). Photograph © Amber Procaccini |