About

Basically, I’m a big nerd. I like to solve problems and help people.

After being a professor for a little over two years, I decided to take a senior research analyst role at a public interest law firm. One thing I knew I would miss about academia was teaching students about research methods and statistics. I started creating YouTube tutorial videos based on a graduate course I had taught and then started this website, hoping it would be an outlet for posting helpful content and resources for students or anyone interested in learning.

Outside of my full-time gig, I provide consulting (statistical consulting, program evaluation, etc.) and statistics training workshops (seminars, live and on-demand).

Contact me: westdesignandanalysis@gmail.com

VITA HIGHLIGHTS

Dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and reports.

  • West, M. P., Huff, J., & Saldana, B. L. (2023). Crime severity, relational distance, and bystander reporting. Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2023.102074
  • Rorie, M., Park, S., & West, M. P. (2022). Does structural choice theory predict immunity as well as victimization? A test using zero-inflated mixed-effect SEM analyses of adolescent victimizations in South Korea. International Review of Victimology, 28(3), 345-366. https://doi.org/10.1177/02697580211057330
  • West, M. P., Rorie, M., & Cohen, M. A. (2020). The “pliability” of criminological analyses: Assessing bias in regression estimates using Monte Carlo simulations. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 36, 371-394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-018-9398-5
  • Yelderman, L., Joseph, J. J., West, M. P., & Butler, E. (2019). Mass shootings in the United States: Understanding the importance of mental health and firearm considerations. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 25(3), 212-223. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000200

Millions of dollars in external funding for research and programs.

  • Reimagining Public Safety Act (RPSA) Evaluation (2023). Illinois Department of Human Services (No. 24-444DHS-PROCU-B-37760). $2,313,672 [My role: Content Specialist]
  • A Needs Assessment Regarding Gun Violence in Carbondale (2022). City of Carbondale, IL. $64,391 [My role: Co-Principal Investigator]
  • Body-Worn Camera Policy and Program Implementation (2022). Bureau of Justice Assistance (No. 15PBJA-22-GG-03300-BWCX). $264,000 [My role: Grant Co-Writer)
  • A Moral Foundations Approach to How Jurors Weigh Aggravating Evidence (2021). Build and Broaden 2.0 (No. 2116981), National Science Foundation, Division of Social and Economic Sciences. $340,000 [My role: Statistical Consultant]

Hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students trained and mentored.

  • Courses such as research methods, introductory and advanced statistics, and crime, justice, and social diversity.
  • Invited seminars and workshops on topics such as capital punishment, legal decision-making, and statistics.
  • Chaired or served on dissertation, thesis, and comprehensive paper committees.