Richard Legault

Dr. Richard Legault, a Ph.D. graduate in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University at Albany, SUNY, currently serves as the Senior Advisor for Social & Behavioral Science in the Science & Technology Directorate at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

With a rich background in academia and government service, Dr. Legault has held various key roles such as Director of the Office for Public Safety Research, Deputy Director of the Resilient Systems Division, and Branch Chief for the Human Behavior and Identification Branch at the Department of Homeland Security.

Additionally, he has been involved in significant research projects at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) and the Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM) at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Legault's expertise lies in quantitative social and behavioral modeling and analysis, translational criminology, user-centric design in applied analytics, and evaluation and assessment research.

Furthermore, his professional interests encompass organizational planned change, leadership, and multinational cooperative research and development efforts.

His educational background includes a BA in Sociology from The College of Saint Rose and specialized studies in Leadership at the Federal Executive Institute.

Dr. Legault has a prolific publication record with scientific research articles, book chapters, reports, and a book focusing on various topics including terrorism, survey analysis, policy evaluation, and violence-reduction strategies.

His diverse work experience ranges from serving as a Gas Turbine Systems Technician in the U.S. Navy to assuming leadership roles within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and participating in research projects funded by entities like the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security.

Through his multifaceted career, Dr. Legault has showcased his commitment to enhancing our understanding of social science phenomena and contributing to the development of strategies for mitigating risks associated with terrorism and violence.