Miranda Galvin, Riley Tucker, Elizabeth Skowron, and Janette Watkins
Description
Faculty Flash Talks
A light lunch will be provided for in-person attendees, please register here.
Dr. Miranda Galvin - Assistant Professor of Criminology
Title: “Policy, punishment, and place.”
Description: This talk will provide an overview of ongoing research related to the sources of disparity in punishment in Pennsylvania and Maryland using decomposition methods to parse the influence of behavior, treatment, and policy structures.
Dr. Riley Tucker - Assistant Professor of Criminology
"How Do Computer Vision Models Make Crime Predictions (and do Neighborhoods Matter?)"
AI technologies are increasingly being used in the criminal justice system. In one quickly advancing area, computer-vision systems enable automated surveillance through security cameras. While these technologies offer operational utility for agencies, there are significant negative consequences when models make incorrect predictions. This is a crucial concern, as the neural networks that generally drive computer vision models are 'black boxes' which assign labels using unknowable logic. To evaluate whether there are systematic biases in image-based crime prediction models, I developed a neural network that can effectively analyze Google Street View images and identify which addresses were burglarized. To probe the model for systematic biases, I applied the model to street view imagery from 91,454 Boston addresses and compared the assigned labels to crime data from Boston Police department. Preliminary results suggest that prediction quality meaningfully varies across neighborhoods, with model performance diminishing when applied to Black neighborhoods. This work highlights an important challenge for deploying computer-vision technologies in real-world criminal justice settings.
Dr. Elizabeth Skowron - Professor of Human Development and Family Studies & Associate Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network
Title: "Identifying modifiable caregiving risk processes and effective interventions to prevent child maltreatment and improve child welfare outcomes"
Description: Child maltreatment (CM) is a serious public health problem in the United States, resulting in substantial economic burdens for the public and negative developmental outcomes for affected children. In this talk, I will present some findings from our studies on modifiable risk processes in parenting young children, including what we’ve learned about dynamic patterns of autonomic physiology and parenting behavior that potentiate risk for physical child abuse and neglect. I will also discuss our clinical trials research on a family-based intervention, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, and its impact on novel target mechanisms and outcomes in child welfare-involved families.
Dr. Janette Watkins - Assistant Professor of Kinesiology
Title: Lion Tracks: "Bringing Brain and Behavior Research Into the Home Through Wearables and Real-Time Data"
Description: Lion Tracks is a community-based research initiative exploring how physical activity environments influence attention, cognitive control, and mental health in youth. Integrating wearable technologies, mobile neuroimaging, and community partnerships, the project examines how movement-based programs—such as those delivered through local fitness affiliates—can support both physical and cognitive development. This flash talk will introduce the conceptual framework behind Lion Tracks and highlight how community settings can serve as scalable laboratories for studying brain–behavior relationships in real-world environments.
