Mohammad Khalilian is a criminologist studying the intersection of social control, organizations, and social networks. He is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of Kentucky and a Food Connection Fellow at One Rural Collective. His research explores how formal social control marginalizes ordinary people and how affected communities resist through relational practices. His dissertation investigates the criminalization processes in post-revolutionary Iranian music, uncovering the ways in which cultural producers navigate state censorship.

He earned an M.Sc. in Social Science Research from the National University of Iran and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Kentucky. Before beginning his doctoral studies, he spent ten years as a music journalist. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Lexington's music scene.