The American Society of Criminology (ASC) awarded START Founding Director Gary LaFree the Edwin H. Sutherland Award for his work advancing the scientific study of terrorism. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to theory or research in criminology on the etiology of criminal and deviant behavior, the criminal justice system, corrections, law or justice.
LaFree is professor and chair of the UMD Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He was recognized by ASC for his research on the causes and consequences of violent crime, which has brought terrorism and responses to terrorism into the mainstream of criminology and criminal justice research and education.