Fellows

Kevin Beckford is an educator, nonprofit leader, and advocate with more than a decade of experience building partnerships, securing resources, and advancing equity-focused initiatives. He co-founded The Hustlers Guild, a nonprofit that uses hip-hop culture to empower Black and Latinx youth through internships and professional development opportunities. He also serves as a Senior Associate at the Pretrial Justice Institute. His professional background spans education, public service, nonprofit leadership, and policy. He holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University. Through his work, Kevin seeks to create pathways for opportunity, leadership, and community impact among historically marginalized populations.

Ayanna Bell is a Clinical Psychology PhD candidate at Oregon Health & Science University. Her clinical interests include person-centered, multicultural, feminist/womanist, and trauma-informed approaches to care. Her research focuses on violence prevention, health equity, and improving outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color affected by gun violence. She is currently completing her dissertation on community-rooted interventions for survivors of gun violence in Portland, Oregon. Through her scholarship and clinical work, Ayanna aims to advance culturally responsive mental health care and reduce inequities in access to behavioral health services.

Julie Chowdhury serves as Chief Operating Officer of Newark Community Street Team, a leading community violence intervention and public safety organization. She oversees operations, finance, compliance, grant management, and strategic initiatives, including the organization’s Trauma Recovery Center and Hospital Violence Intervention Program. Prior to joining NCST, she served as both a state probation officer and a United States Probation Officer for the District of New Jersey. Julie holds a PhD in Family Science and Human Development from Montclair State University and brings together academic training, professional expertise, and lived experience to advance equitable, community-centered solutions.

Shaina Sta. Cruz, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow with the Centers for Violence Prevention at the University of California, Davis. She earned her PhD in Public Health from the University of California, Merced. With a background in public health and community organizing, her work examines how structural and community-level factors, including housing, neighborhood conditions, and collective power, shape violence exposure and mental health outcomes. She is particularly interested in developing community-informed prevention and intervention strategies that advance safety, well-being, and health equity for underserved populations.

Cierra Edmonds is a licensed clinical social worker and doctoral candidate at Morgan State University. She brings experience in medical social work, school-based therapy, and higher education, including her role as an adjunct professor in Morgan State University’s Master of Social Work program. Her work is grounded in cultural humility, collective wellness, and addressing inequities affecting underserved communities. Through her clinical practice, teaching, and scholarship, she emphasizes a holistic, strengths-based approach that supports resilience, healing, and personal growth.

Ra-Twoine Fields is a multidisciplinary practitioner, researcher, and creative whose work integrates mental health, art, gun violence intervention, poetry, and transformative justice. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, and longtime Richmond, Virginia resident, he is currently completing a PhD in Clinical Psychology focused on the intersection of harm reduction and gun violence. He has collaborated with numerous local, state, and federal agencies on violence prevention and justice initiatives. Through the Holistic Agency and his broader creative work, Ra-Twoine seeks to elevate stories, shift narratives, and foster healing within communities.

Lauren J. Footman is an educator, nonprofit executive, and community strategist whose work focuses on public health, community safety, organizational leadership, and systems change. She holds a Doctor of Education degree from Saint Joseph’s University and currently serves as Executive Director of End Community Violence Now, where she leads statewide efforts to advance community violence intervention and prevention through collaboration, research, policy, and community engagement. Her work centers on building sustainable partnerships across sectors to address complex social challenges through evidence-informed and community-driven approaches. She is committed to strengthening organizational capacity and improving long-term outcomes for communities affected by violence.

Phillip E. Jordan is an implementation scientist, educator, and public health practitioner whose work focuses on firearm injury prevention, health equity, policy implementation, and community-engaged public health practice. He holds a Doctor of Public Health degree from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and brings more than 15 years of experience within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His research examines how public health policies move from legislative adoption to routine practice and how evidence can be translated into meaningful community impact. Through his scholarship and teaching, Phillip works to strengthen implementation, improve outcomes, and reduce health inequities.

Arnella S. Myers is an associate clinical psychologist, educator, and doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. Originally trained in Jamaica, she brings extensive experience in mental health, education, research, and community-based capacity building across Caribbean and Canadian contexts. Her research interests include grief, trauma, community mental health, and culturally responsive psychological practice, particularly among Black, Brown, LGBTQIA2S+, and other historically marginalized communities. Grounded in a scholar-practitioner framework, Arnella is committed to translating research into meaningful community impact through advocacy, mentorship, and equity-focused practice.

Clarice J. Robinson is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago Crown Family School and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar. Her dissertation, “Healing Carceral Wounds,” examines whether somatic healing modalities can reduce the impacts of violence exposure and incarceration while fostering safety, healing, and community. Her research also explores barriers that survivors encounter when seeking crime victim compensation. A former Teach For America teacher and Rikers Island tutor, Clarice is committed to using research, teaching, and practice as tools for healing and liberation.

Monte-Angel Richardson, PhD is an Assistant Professor with the Arizona State University BRIDGS initiative. She holds a PhD in Social Work with a specialization in Public Health Policy from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on firearm violence prevention in diverse and Latine/x communities, countering violent extremism, trauma-informed practice, and transformative justice. Drawing on social work and public health approaches, she examines how violence and trauma affect marginalized communities and how communities build safety, healing, and resilience. Her recent work includes a multi-methods study exploring barriers and facilitators to firearm violence prevention engagement among Latine/x residents near Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Dallas Ryan is a fourth-year medical student at George Washington University with research interests in violence prevention and health policy. Her work focuses on firearm injury among adolescents, including reinjury patterns and the impact of hospital-based violence intervention programs. She has also contributed to research on Medicaid policy implementation, health literacy among justice-involved populations, and policy advocacy addressing youth gun violence. Dallas plans to pursue a career in emergency medicine that integrates trauma care, research, and policy to advance equitable health outcomes.

Maritza E. Salazar, PhD is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. Her research focuses on girls and women of color, youth justice, educational equity, college access, and the school-to-prison nexus. She received her PhD in Urban Education Policy from the USC Rossier School of Education and was awarded the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship. Through her scholarship, Maritza examines the structural barriers that shape educational and justice outcomes and works to advance more equitable opportunities for young people and historically marginalized communities.

Shawndaya Thrasher, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University. She earned her PhD in Social Work from the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on interpersonal and community violence, violence-related outcomes, and youth violence prevention. She examines socioecological and intergenerational risk and protective factors, with particular attention to Black communities and the role of Black fathers in promoting resilience and preventing violence. Through quantitative and qualitative approaches, her work seeks to advance understanding of child development, behavioral health, and community strengths.

Jennifer Uribe is a Sociology PhD candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Their research examines how structural inequalities shape experiences of housing, disability, and urban life. Jennifer’s dissertation draws on original qualitative data, archival documents, and socio-spatial perspectives to examine how privatized public housing redevelopment in the South Bronx reproduces racialized, gendered, and ableist exclusion. Through their scholarship, Jennifer seeks to deepen understanding of disability as an understudied dimension of urban inequality and contribute to more equitable cities.

Danielle Walker, PhD is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, educator, and scholar whose work centers equity, healing, and community-based mental health care. She earned a PhD in Nursing and is board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her research examines the impact of community violence exposure among Black emerging adults with psychosis and explores how trauma, racism, and structural inequities shape mental health outcomes. Across her clinical, teaching, and scholarly roles, she is committed to preparing future providers to deliver culturally responsive care and to expanding pathways into mental health professions for underrepresented communities.

Sylvia C. Washington, PhD is a public health researcher and advocate whose work focuses on community violence intervention and the experiences of Black women and girls affected by violence. She holds a PhD in Education from Indiana University Bloomington. As Director of Community Engaged Research and Partnerships at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, she leads research, advocacy, and partnership initiatives that advance equitable, community-informed approaches to violence prevention. Her interests include participatory research methods, policy translation, workforce development, and culturally responsive violence prevention strategies.

William Wical, PhD is a medical anthropologist whose research examines the emotional experiences of Black men who survive gunshot wounds and participate in hospital-based violence intervention programs. He completed his PhD in Anthropology at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2024. Using ethnographic methods, he explores how survivors understand trauma, healing, loss, and justice in the context of their daily lives. His work highlights the importance of centering survivors’ perspectives when developing culturally and structurally responsive violence prevention services. Through his scholarship, William seeks to expand conversations about care, trauma, and racial justice while challenging domina

Angel Boulware holds a PhD in Human Development from the University of Chicago, where her research examined the effects of structural violence on Black youths’ psychosocial development, with a particular emphasis on how complex trauma from community violence exposure disrupts development and affects health outcomes. Her scholarship is grounded in the belief that addressing mental health and trauma is integral to effective gun violence prevention. Angel is a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on community engaged research to promote anti-violence initiatives. Her research also prioritizes centering Black women and girls in gun violence prevention. Currently, she is investigating the intersection of HIV and intimate partner violence, with a particular focus on health, safety planning, and firearm access among Black women. She is committed to amplifying community voices and collaboratively developing public health strategies that prioritize mental health to reduce community violence.

Caleb Cuthbertson is a PhD candidate in Human Development and Family Sciences with a specialization in Couple and Family Therapy at The Ohio State University. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT) and certified Equine-Assisted Therapist. Caleb is dedicated to creating authentic, collaborative spaces where individuals, couples, and families can heal while being true to themselves and others. His clinical interests include supporting families experiencing or recovering from trauma, navigating grief and loss, and addressing anxiety and mood disorders in Black individuals and families. Before attending The Ohio State, Caleb earned an M.S. in Rehabilitation Mental Health Counseling with a certification in Behavioral Addictions from North Carolina A&T State University — Aggie Pride! His research interests focus on mental health outcomes for survivors and families of gun violence, children and youth resilience, and Black fatherhood, using qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to advance and promote equitable systemic mental health care.

Irene Franco Rubio is a doctoral student in Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing Designated Emphases in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and New Media. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, she is a first-generation scholar-activist and the daughter of Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants. Her research explores multiracial coalition-building, grassroots resistance, and social movement histories in the U.S. Southwest, emphasizing how cross-racial solidarity develops in response to racialized, state-sanctioned violence. Grounded in participatory methods and shaped by ongoing community organizing, Irene’s work connects academic research with movement-building. She is dedicated to collaborative, justice-oriented research that elevates the knowledge and leadership of directly impacted communities.

Brittany “Flo” Flournoy, LCSW-S, LICSW, CCM, PMH-C, has dedicated her professional career to advancing the quality of perinatal health across healthcare settings. Currently, she is a second-year doctoral student at the Howard University School of Social Work and a clinical supervisor and therapist at All Things Flow Therapy and Wellness, PLLC.  Brittany provides consultation to agencies and organizations as a subject matter expert to strategically improve the birthing population’s health outcomes. She received her MSW from the University of Houston, specializing in Health Disparities. She continues to dedicate her professional growth to the perinatal community, bridging the gap between evidence-based research, practical policy, and effective practice to improve patient outcomes. She believes all birthing populations have a right to a safe and supportive environment and desires to facilitate complex yet essential conversations with the perinatal population and those who provide their care.

Daisha Little, MPH, is a Scientific Project Manager at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and a public health scholar passionate about advancing health equity in Black communities. She is currently completing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at Morgan State University, where her dissertation explores the intersection of gun violence, chronic stress, and health outcomes among young Black men ages 18-21 in Anson County, NC. Daisha has led impactful community health summits, managed clinical trials in women’s health and metabolic disorders, and collaborates with cross-sector partners on research and policy initiatives. Daisha’s work is deeply informed by lived experience and guided by her mission to turn pain into purpose through culturally responsive, equity-centered research.

Aaron Mallory is a doctoral candidate in Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati and a Health Policy Research Scholar focused on addressing gun violence through a public health and equity lens. He is the founder and CEO of GRO Community, a mental health organization providing culturally competent services to African American boys and men impacted by trauma, violence, and the criminal justice system. Aaron began his career in engineering but transitioned to social work after mentoring teens in Chicago and witnessing firsthand the effects of systemic violence. His research centers on risk factors for firearm possession, diversion programming, and expanding the pipeline of Black male mental health professionals. Through both scholarship and practice, Aaron is committed to advancing healing and community safety.

Jordan Murphy is a nurse scientist and pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in behavioral health and trauma-informed care. She received her undergraduate and graduate education from Spelman College and Emory University, respectively. Jordan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Interrelational Science and Pediatrics, LLC and Executive Director of its non-profit arm, Girassol Wellness, Inc. Through her work, Jordan supports individuals and families to expand resilience through the use of wellness and clinical interventions and collaborates with organizations nationally to provide workforce development, training, and consultation. Her passion centers on translating science into meaningful clinical practice, working in community settings, and supporting the next generation of health care providers. Jordan is a Community Resiliency Model Senior Trainer for the Trauma Resource Institute, has published research, and partners with educational institutions in the area of curriculum development.

Jasmine Olivier-McGregor, PhD is a Research Officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts in the Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative, where she leads applied research on urban policy issues that shape the well-being of Philadelphia residents. Her work focuses on producing rigorous, equity-centered research that informs policymakers, strengthens government effectiveness, and uplifts historically under-resourced communities. She previously served as a Research Scientist at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), directing large-scale evaluations of community violence prevention and intervention strategies, youth diversion initiatives, and alternative first response programs. Jasmine has also conducted research on reentry, juvenile justice, and housing instability at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, worked as a Visiting Public Safety Research Fellow at the Center for Policing Equity, and served as a Senior Research Advisor to Campaign Zero. Jasmine earned her PhD and master’s in Sociology from Harvard University and her BA in Sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Shawntell N. Pace, PhD is a nationally award-winning scientist-practitioner-advocate rooted in Black Psychology, decolonial theory, and liberation healing. She centers culturally congruent care that honors ancestral wisdom, spiritual wholeness, and communal resilience. Shawntell holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology and a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Georgia. Her work supports Black and Brown communities through trauma interventions grounded in resistance-based coping, collective care, and radical self-care. She trains mental health clinicians in liberation-based, culturally responsive practice, and her mixed-methods research explores racial trauma, colonization, and cultural strengths. Featured on the TEDx stage and in peer-reviewed journals, Shawntell speaks nationally on racial trauma and radical healing. She remains clear in her role: a psychologist for the people—committed to healing as a radical act of justice rooted in community, culture, and the pursuit of liberation.

Wayne Rivera-Cuadrado is a recent graduate from the Department of Sociology at Northwestern University, where he also served as a research fellow in the Institute for Policy Research’s Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science (CORNERS). His research focuses on the qualitative study of network violence and illness, as well as the classificatory work taken up by individuals socially or professionally linked to the lives of victims. Within this broad research agenda, his projects have examined actors’ indirect connections to negative life events – including sexual assault victims’ confidants, community police, outreach workers, and healthcare personnel. He employs various qualitative research methods, including ethnography, interviews, and content analysis to analyze these experiences and enhance our understanding of the interpretive work taken up by these actors. His work has been published in various outlets, including Social Problems, Social Science & Medicine, and Preventive Medicine.

Brielle K. Savage is a Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice and a doctoral fellow at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. Her research focuses on the lived experiences of Black homicide survivors, examining how they define justice, navigate the criminal legal system, and cope with loss in the aftermath of gun violence. Brielle brings a unique perspective shaped by her work with justice-impacted families, consulting with community-based organizations, and her leadership in initiatives addressing youth violence. She is a Ruth D. Peterson Fellow with the American Society of Criminology and an inaugural BRIDGS Scholar with the Center for the Study of Guns in Society at Arizona State University. Brielle’s research and service are deeply informed by her commitment to bridging research and practice, with a focus on healing, racial justice, survivor advocacy, and translating research into meaningful policy change for communities most affected by gun violence.

Anthony Shaw is a PhD student in Social Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Anthony’s scholarly and professional path has been shaped by his upbringing in North Philadelphia’s Badlands, where he observed firsthand the lasting impacts of systemic disinvestment, economic hardship, and community violence. As a first-generation college graduate, he earned degrees from Temple University (B.A. in Political Science), Harvard (Ed.M.), and Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy (M.P.M.). His career began as an elementary school teacher in Paterson, NJ, and later evolved to include roles as an education policy analyst, nonprofit leader, and foundation executive. Most recently, Anthony served as a Policy Fellow with Philadelphia’s Gun Violence Intervention Coordination Center as a National Urban Fellow, where he supported community and hospital violence interruption organizations serving Black men and families affected by gun violence. Currently, Anthony balances his doctoral studies with his role as a research assistant at the SAFELab.

Nathan L. Smith, PhD, LCSW, LADC, is an early career psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, and alcohol and drug counselor in Connecticut. He earned his PhD and MA in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, an MSW from Fordham University, a BA from Albertus Magnus College, and an AS from Gateway Community College. Nathan completed his pre-doctoral internship at Yale University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and is now a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale’s Young Adult Service program. His clinical and research work centers on Black boys and men exposed to community and sexual violence, with a focus on attachment, masculinity, and trauma recovery. His dissertation explored how Black men construct masculinity in the context of violence and hypervigilance. He uses qualitative methods to examine health inequities and substance use and aims to develop culturally responsive, community-based interventions that promote resilience and healing among Black boys and men.

Brian A. Wade, PhD is an urban ethnographer and interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of criminology, public health, and urban sociology. His research examines the structural and community dimensions of gun violence in Black and Brown communities, with a focus on violence intervention strategies, underground firearm markets, neighborhood conditions, and multigenerational trauma. Brian uses qualitative methods—ethnography, in-depth interviews, and focus groups—to center the voices of system-impacted individuals and elevate community-informed solutions. He holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University–Newark and currently serves as a Senior Data Scientist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Crime and Justice Policy Lab. His work has informed community violence intervention efforts in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Newark, and Boston. Through engaged research and policy collaboration, Brian seeks to disrupt cycles of violence and institutional neglect while advancing structural change.

Hiwot Weldemariam is a PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and a pre-doctoral research associate with the University of Washington Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program. She holds an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Washington and a Master of Public Policy from GRIPS in Tokyo. Her research focuses on the intersection of firearm and social policies, particularly their impact on firearm suicide and death. Hiwot is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving access to care for immigrant and underrepresented communities, with a special emphasis on gun violence, mental health, and substance use disorders. She also brings expertise in health economics and outcomes research, having conducted costing and cost-effectiveness studies in low- and middle-income countries. Her work bridges epidemiologic methods, policy analysis, and implementation science to inform equitable and evidence-based public health interventions.

Naomi Whitaker, MPH is a 3rd year PhD student in the Family Science Department at The University of Maryland. Her research examines how trauma exposure influences identity development among Black adolescents, with a focus on the role of family, school, community, and policy contexts. She also explores how extracurricular spaces such as school sports can be leveraged for trauma-exposed youth. She serves as a graduate research assistant at the BLACK Health Research Lab under Dr. Rabiatu Barrie, supporting work on community violence, Black masculinity, identity development, gendered-racial socialization, and intervention development. Naomi also manages UMD student-athletes in a data science internship program that fosters data science skills through sports. Naomi earned her MPH from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health where she worked alongside Dr. Randi Smith on violence prevention research. Naomi completed her undergraduate degree in Public Health from East Carolina University and was a track and field student-athlete.