Established in 2020 as part of the Terrorism Research Center (TRC), the Crime and Security Data Analytics Lab (CASDAL) advances multidisciplinary research on domestic terrorism, hate crimes, and hate speech. By partnering with public and private agencies, CASDAL delivers high-quality, data-driven insights on the human causes and consequences of terrorism to support homeland security policymakers and practitioners. Our mission is to enhance science-based crime and security knowledge through qualitative and quantitative research projects.
Dr. Steven Windisch serves as the Associate Director of CASDAL and is currently working on two projects funded by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE). The first project focuses on examining electoral violence in the U.S., with the goal of developing criteria to assess the transition from political activism to political extremism. The second project seeks to identify the latest technologies and datasets related to domestic terrorism and targeted violence that the Department of Homeland Security can provide to its counterterrorism workforce.
CASDAL also offers undergraduate internships, see more details below.
CASDAL Resources & Projects
Terrorism Research Center Library
A comprehensive collection of research materials covering various terrorism-related topics, including homeland security, bias crimes, and ideological violence.
Terrorism and Targeted Violence Datasets
This repository provides snapshots for many of the terrorism datasets most frequently used by researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
CASDAL Internship
As election misinformation and disinformation continue to spread, the need to address threats targeting election administrators has become increasingly urgent. CASDAL seeks interns to join this team and contribute to a groundbreaking study focused on the language of violent talk directed toward election administrators. In this role, you will explore the language employed in harassing messages and the legal nuances surrounding “credible threats.” Moreover, you will have the unique opportunity to delve into the complexities of online discourse and its implications for democratic integrity.
This internship will be for Fall 2024. Interns will be enrolled in class credit and are expected to work around 12 hours a week. More general FAQ’s and details can be found on the Internship page.