Carlos Vilalta

Residency: October 2014 – June 2015

Research Project: The better angels of our nature? Crime and fear of crime in contemporary Latin America

Research Interests: crime prevention, crime statistics and surveys, prison populations in Latin America, spatial and temporal elements of crime and fear of crime

Public Talk: “The better angels of our nature? Crime and fear of crime in contemporary Latin America” on May 20, 2015

Biography

Carlos Vilalta is a researcher at the Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de Información Geoespacial (CentroGeo) and a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers at the highest rank (SNI-3). In his research, he examines the causes and effects of crime and fear of crime with the use of geospatial predictive modelling techniques. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed and chapters, produced a number of books, and won awards and grants for his teaching and research. He continuously provides scientific and policy recommendations for rethinking and reducing these social problems to international organizations, federal and local authorities, as well as NGOs.

Vilalta has held visiting positions at the University of Cambridge, McGill University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Houston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Ph.D. in urban studies from Portland State University in 2002 and his master’s degree in urban studies from El Colegio de México in 1998.