Citizen Security and Justice Leadership

Olga Espinoza serves as Professor at the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Chile, where she coordinates the Master's program in Criminology and Management of Citizen Security. After earning her PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Chile, Master of Laws from the University of Sao Paulo, and Law degree from San Martín de Porres University in Peru, she has established herself as an expert in criminal justice and human rights policy. Her career includes serving as Director of the Citizen Security Studies Center from 2014 to 2017 and consulting for organizations like the Ford Foundation and Inter-American Development Bank on human rights and criminal justice reform across Latin America. As a member of the University's Human Rights Steering Committee, she continues to advance understanding of penitentiary policies while collaborating with regional institutions to improve criminal justice systems.

Eduardo Pazinato serves as Professor and Coordinator at the Citizen Security Center (NUSEC) of Santa María Law School while holding the position of Anti-Corruption and Integrity Area Coordinator at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil. After earning his PhD in Public Policies from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Master's in Law from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, he has built an extensive career in public security and criminal justice. His leadership roles include serving as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety in Canoas (2009-2012), National Security Counselor (2013-2014), and coordinating multiple security observatories across Rio Grande do Sul. Through his consultancy work with organizations like UNDP, IDB, and UNODC, and his role as Senior Associate at the Brazilian Forum of Public Security since 2010, he continues to advance citizen security initiatives while contributing to academic and technical publications in security and justice.

Alejandra Mera serves as Director of Law Degree at Universidad Diego Portales in Chile, where she leads the Criminological Studies Group incorporating students into research. After earning her Master's in Criminal Justice and Human Rights from Queen's University Belfast and law degree from the University of Chile, she has established herself as an expert in criminology while pursuing her PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her consultancy work includes conducting research for UNICEF on restorative justice for youth offenders and collaborating with the Justice Studies Center of the Americas. Through her academic leadership and research initiatives, she continues to advance understanding of criminal justice reform while fostering student engagement in criminological research.

Hung-En Sung serves as Professor and Director of International Research Partnerships at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he focuses on drug abuse treatment, correctional health, police performance, and justice reform in transitional societies. After earning his PhD and MA in Criminal Justice from SUNY Albany and BA in Psychology from Universidad de Belgrano, he built an impressive career including roles as Director of Research at Kings County District Attorney's Office and Research Associate at Columbia University's National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse. His current work includes implementing the model precinct initiative in Peru, leading police training in El Salvador, and assessing transnational organized crime control in the Western Hemisphere

Rosemary Barberet serves as Professor of Sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, specializing in international criminal justice, juvenile delinquency, victimization, and gender and crime. After earning her PhD in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, MA in Applied Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and BA in Sociology and Spanish from Georgetown University, she has established herself as a leading voice in global criminology. Her achievements include chairing the International Division of the American Society of Criminology, receiving the Herbert Bloch Prize and Rafael Salillas Prize, and serving as editor of Feminist Criminology. Through her roles representing the International Association of Sociology and Criminologists Without Borders at the UN, consulting for organizations like the World Bank, and authoring the award-winning book "Women, Crime and Criminal Justice: A Global Investigation," she continues to advance understanding of gender issues in criminal justice while influencing international crime prevention policy.

Juan Carlos Ruíz serves as tenured professor at Universidad del Rosario's Faculty of Political Science, Government, and International Relations in Bogotá, where he has researched police issues and citizen security strategies for 15 years. After earning his DPhil in Politics from Oxford University, MA in Public Administration from École Nationale d'Administration, MBA and BA in Political Science from Laval University, and MA in Political Science from Universidad de Los Andes, he has established himself as a leading security policy expert. His career includes serving as Program Director for MA programs at Universidad del Rosario and Escuela Superior de Guerra de Colombia, advising Colombia's Ministry of Defense, and holding visiting professorships at Sciences Po Paris, University of Barcelona, and Max Planck Institute. Through his academic leadership and research initiatives, he continues to influence security policy while contributing to the understanding of police reform and citizen security strategies.

Liliana Manzano serves as Deputy Director of Sociology at Universidad Central de Chile, where she specializes in advanced quantitative research methods applied to violence, crime, and social exclusion in urban contexts. After earning her PhD in Social Policy from the University of Edinburgh, Master's in Social Research Methods from the London School of Economics, and Master's in Management and Public Policies from the University of Chile, she has established herself as an expert in citizen security policy evaluation. Her research focuses on neighborhood-level factors affecting victimization, as demonstrated in her 2017 doctoral dissertation examining social exclusion and institutional factors in Santiago's communities. Through her 16-year tenure at the Citizen Security Studies Center of the University of Chile's Institute of Public Affairs and her current academic leadership role, she continues to advance understanding of urban violence while contributing to policy evaluation in citizen security programs

Diego Piñol serves as Research Coordinator at the Citizen Security Studies Center (CESC) of the University of Chile, where he specializes in public policy evaluation. After earning his Master's in Anthropology and Diploma in Crime Prevention from the University of Chile, he continues to pursue his PhD in Psychology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. Since 2005, he has dedicated his career to conducting studies and evaluations of public policies across multiple sectors, including citizen security, prisons, education, and public health