2026 Featured Speakers

OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Rashawn Ray
Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research
University of Maryland, College Park

The Power of Meaning in Police-Civilian Interactions: Beyond "Bad Apples" to Symbolic Criminalization and Structural Bias

Police-citizen interactions are critical junctures where meanings are rapidly constructed, often with profound and unequal consequences. This keynote address, framed within the lens of symbolic interactionism, explores how implicit and explicit biases, social psychological processes, and structural factors coalesce to shape these encounters, frequently leading to the criminalization of Black individuals. Drawing from extensive research, including virtual reality simulations of police-citizen interactions, analysis of officer biases, and social media data from movements like Black Lives Matter, this talk unpacks the mechanisms through which "Blackness becomes weaponized." Ray will examine how perceptions of deference and criminality are differentially assigned based on racial and gendered cues, and how these constructed meanings influence officer behavior and public perception. Moving beyond the simplistic "bad apples" metaphor, Ray argues for understanding the "rotten trees" of systemic racism and structural biases embedded within the organizational structure of policing. The address will conclude by outlining actionable policy interventions, emphasizing that deconstructing and reshaping the *power of meaning* is fundamental to fostering equitable and just police-citizen interactions.

Dr. Rashawn Ray is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. His research explores the causes of racial and social inequities, particularly in criminal justice reform, health policy, and wealth disparities. As the Founding Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR), he developed a virtual reality training program for law enforcement and led implicit bias training for thousands of police officers, military personnel, and corporate leaders.

Dr. Ray’s extensive academic contributions include three books and over 50 articles and book chapters published in top journals such as the American Journal of Sociology, Science Advances, Social Science Research, and Du Bois Review. His work has been supported by major institutions, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Ford Foundation. Dr. Ray was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, and served on the National Advisory Committee for the RWJF Health Policy Research Scholars Program. He also served as co-editor of Contexts Magazine: Sociology for the Public, which attracted over one million website views annually.

Beyond academia, Dr. Ray is a sought-after expert who regularly testifies before federal and state lawmakers, offering critical insights that inform policies on racial equity, public safety and policing, and criminal justice. He has written extensively for The Washington Post, The New York Times, and POLITICO, and is featured regularly as a trusted expert commentator on major networks such as CNN, Fox, MSNBC, BBC, CBS, and NPR. Through his media contributions and public speaking, Dr. Ray’s work continues to reach diverse audiences, shaping public discourse on some of the most pressing social challenges of our time.

His expertise extends to several high-impact advisory roles, including:

• The National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board Subcommittee on Law Enforcement, where he advises the U.S. President on law enforcement and AI;

• The Maryland Governor’s Task Force on Bias in Property Valuation, where he focuses on reducing bias in property assessments;

• The Legacy Renovation Scholars Committee, National Civil Rights Museum, where he supports initiatives to preserve African American history and

• The Meta Global Policy Council, where he provides strategic advice on global policy issues.

Dr. Ray’s contributions to sociology and public policy have earned him numerous awards, including:

• The Andrew Carnegie Fellowship;

• The AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science;

• The Public Understanding of Sociology Award, American Sociological Association;

• The Morris Rosenberg Award for Outstanding Sociological Achievement, awarded by the D.C. Sociological Society; and

• The Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Indiana University.