▁ 7 th ▁and ▁ 8 th ▁grade ▁special ▁education ▁at ▁University ▁Ne igh bor hood ▁Middle ▁School ▁in ▁Manh attan ' s ▁Lower ▁East ▁Side . ▁ ▁In ▁New ▁York , ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁teacher ' s ▁license ▁and ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁education ▁from ▁P ace ▁University . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁D ens ley ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁England ▁to ▁complete ▁a ▁D . Ph il . ▁in ▁soci ology ▁from ▁Oxford ▁University ' s ▁Ext ra - Leg al ▁Govern ance ▁Institute . ▁ ▁D ens ley ▁studied ▁under ▁ma f ia ▁sch ol ars ▁Diego ▁G amb etta ▁and ▁Feder ico ▁Var ese , ▁and ▁his ▁work ▁seems ▁to ▁reflect ▁his ▁time ▁with ▁them ▁from ▁his ▁methods , ▁to ▁his ▁theory , ▁and ▁focus ▁on ▁social ▁organizations . ▁ ▁D ens ley ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁Metropolitan ▁State ▁University ▁that ▁same ▁year . ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁full ▁professor ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁aged ▁just ▁ 3 7 . ▁ ▁Research ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁England ▁ri ots ▁occurred ▁just ▁weeks ▁after ▁D ens ley ▁had ▁finished ▁his ▁Ph D , ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁gang s ▁in ▁London . ▁After ▁the ▁UK ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁David ▁Camer on ▁bl amed ▁the ▁ri ots ▁on ▁gang s , ▁ ▁D ens ley ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁academ ics ▁to ▁question ▁this ▁logic . ▁D ens ley ' s ▁first ▁book , ▁How