Dr. Straub currently leads Safe and Sound Schools’ Violence Prevention Research and Programs team. In that role, he also serves as Co-Director of Michigan State University’s and Safe and Sound Schools’ Prevent 2 Protect Project, and oversees the national Averted School Violence Project, after-action reviews, technical assistance and education programs.

Previously, Dr. Straub served as the founder and director of the National Policing Institute’s Center for Targeted Violence Prevention. He led in-depth studies of several high-profile targeted violence events to include the San Bernardino terrorist attack, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Kalamazoo mobile mass shooting, the Marjory Stonemen Douglas High School shooting, and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte shooting. He created and led the national Averted School Violence database and consulted with government and non-government organizations regarding school violence, extremism and terrorism prevention.

Dr. Straub served for over 30-years in federal, state, and local law enforcement. He led law enforcement/public safety agencies in New York, Indiana, and the State of Washington. He was the New York City Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner of Training and Assistant Commissioner for Counterterrorism immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. During the first six years of his law enforcement career, he served on the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York City.

Dr. Straub has served on U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security school safety and threat assessment working groups. He currently serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Mass Violence Advisory Initiative, the Oakland County (MI) Gun Violence Commission, and Calhoun County Community Mental Health’s (Summit Pointe) Board of Directors.

Dr. Straub holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Forensic Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. He is a licensed masters-level psychologist. Dr. Straub is a recognized national and international expert on the prevention and analysis of mass violence events.