Eric L. Piza, PhD, is a professor of criminology and criminal justice, director of Crime Analysis Initiatives, and co-director of the Crime Prevention Lab at Northeastern University. His research focuses on the spatial analysis of crime patterns, evidence-based policing, and crime control technology. Before entering academia, Piza served as the GIS specialist of the Newark, New Jersey Police Department, responsible for the day-to-day crime analysis and program evaluation activities of the agency. He received his PhD from Rutgers University.