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Webinar | Built on Trust: Community Partnerships for Firearm Violence Prevention ResearchPlease join us for this webinar to receive practical guidance from experts on addressing past research harms and building durable, trust-based partnerships with communities to support meaningful firearm violence prevention research.Please join us for a webinar that will share practical guidance on addressing past research harms and building durable, trust-based partnerships with communities to support meaningful firearm violence prevention research. A panel of experts will discuss:
- The core principles of Community Engaged Research (CER)
- Best practices in CER and their application to firearm violence prevention
- Strategies for co-creating research questions and study design with community partners
- When and how to engage academic partners to support research activities
- Actionable guidance on trust building, data sharing, and institutional review board (IRB) considerations
Speakers include:
Kathryn Bocanegra, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois Chicago, has more than 18 years of experience in community mental health, community violence prevention, and criminal justice reform work. Her professional and research interests include community violence prevention, complex trauma and bereavement, working with survivors of violent crime, and examining the intersection of the criminal justice system with urban neighborhoods.
Kelly Carroll, LCSW, Associate Director of Staff Wellness and Behavioral Health Services, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, earned her BA in Legal Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and her MSW at the University of Southern California. Kelly has worked with survivors of trauma for over 13 years in various clinical settings focusing on issues such as homelessness, acute medical care, readjustment to civilian life from the military, reducing community violence, and PTSD related to combat trauma, sexual trauma, and community violence. After spending 10 years working with military veterans and their family members, she most recently worked as a trauma specialist at Chicago CRED where she trained staff in trauma-informed care practices and oversaw the development and implementation of a cognitive behavioral intervention designed to build resilience from trauma. She has a special interest in the intersection between trauma and public policy and addressing trauma exposure among violence intervention workers.
Edwin Galletti, Vice President, Violence Intervention and Prevention Services, UCAN Chicago, brings more than two decades of hands-on and executive leadership experience designing, implementing, and evaluating multidisciplinary strategies to prevent violence and disrupt cycles of retaliation. He currently serves as the executive leader of UCAN’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Services (VIPS) program, where he oversees a team of more than 100 staff delivering integrated, evidence-informed programming across several of Chicago’s highest-risk communities, including North Lawndale, East Garfield Park, Roseland, Riverdale, Burnside, and West Pullman. Grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience, Edwin is deeply committed to building trusted relationships between individuals and community assets to address trauma, enhance safety and resilience, expand opportunity, and improve the physical, social, and economic conditions of communities most impacted by gun violence.
About the Webinar Series: This event is part of a webinar series for researchers, community-based organizations, and other leaders in firearm violence prevention. Designed to strengthen the capacity, confidence, and visibility of those advancing solutions to prevent firearm-related violence, the program will feature sessions on:
- March 27, 1 pm | From Problem to Purpose: Choosing Research Questions That Drive Change in Firearm Violence Prevention
- April 2026 | It’s Not Just What You Do – It’s How You Do It: Implementation Science for Firearm Violence Prevention
- June 2026 | Not Just a Report: Disseminating Firearm Violence Research for Impact
Sign up for our e-newsletter to get the latest on webinar dates, speakers, and registration details.
When: Thursday, February 26, 2026 1:00 PM EDTThursday, February 26, 2026 2:00 PM EDTTagged: Events
Please join us for a webinar that will share practical guidance on addressing past research harms and building durable, trust-based partnerships with communities to support meaningful firearm violence prevention research. A panel of experts will discuss:
- The core principles of Community Engaged Research (CER)
- Best practices in CER and their application to firearm violence prevention
- Strategies for co-creating research questions and study design with community partners
- When and how to engage academic partners to support research activities
- Actionable guidance on trust building, data sharing, and institutional review board (IRB) considerations
Speakers include:
Kathryn Bocanegra, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois Chicago, has more than 18 years of experience in community mental health, community violence prevention, and criminal justice reform work. Her professional and research interests include community violence prevention, complex trauma and bereavement, working with survivors of violent crime, and examining the intersection of the criminal justice system with urban neighborhoods.Kelly Carroll, LCSW, Associate Director of Staff Wellness and Behavioral Health Services, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, earned her BA in Legal Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and her MSW at the University of Southern California. Kelly has worked with survivors of trauma for over 13 years in various clinical settings focusing on issues such as homelessness, acute medical care, readjustment to civilian life from the military, reducing community violence, and PTSD related to combat trauma, sexual trauma, and community violence. After spending 10 years working with military veterans and their family members, she most recently worked as a trauma specialist at Chicago CRED where she trained staff in trauma-informed care practices and oversaw the development and implementation of a cognitive behavioral intervention designed to build resilience from trauma. She has a special interest in the intersection between trauma and public policy and addressing trauma exposure among violence intervention workers.Edwin Galletti, Vice President, Violence Intervention and Prevention Services, UCAN Chicago, brings more than two decades of hands-on and executive leadership experience designing, implementing, and evaluating multidisciplinary strategies to prevent violence and disrupt cycles of retaliation. He currently serves as the executive leader of UCAN’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Services (VIPS) program, where he oversees a team of more than 100 staff delivering integrated, evidence-informed programming across several of Chicago’s highest-risk communities, including North Lawndale, East Garfield Park, Roseland, Riverdale, Burnside, and West Pullman. Grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience, Edwin is deeply committed to building trusted relationships between individuals and community assets to address trauma, enhance safety and resilience, expand opportunity, and improve the physical, social, and economic conditions of communities most impacted by gun violence.About the Webinar Series: This event is part of a webinar series for researchers, community-based organizations, and other leaders in firearm violence prevention. Designed to strengthen the capacity, confidence, and visibility of those advancing solutions to prevent firearm-related violence, the program will feature sessions on:
- March 27, 1 pm | From Problem to Purpose: Choosing Research Questions That Drive Change in Firearm Violence Prevention
- April 2026 | It’s Not Just What You Do – It’s How You Do It: Implementation Science for Firearm Violence Prevention
- June 2026 | Not Just a Report: Disseminating Firearm Violence Research for Impact
Sign up for our e-newsletter to get the latest on webinar dates, speakers, and registration details.
Webinar | From Problem to Purpose: Choosing Research Questions That Drive Change in Firearm Violence PreventionPlease join us to learn from experts who share how they work with community partners to develop research questions that matter — questions that are meaningful to communities, fill critical gaps, and can realistically be answered with available resources.
In this session, experts will share how they work with community partners to develop research questions that matter — questions that are meaningful to communities, fill critical gaps, and can realistically be answered with available resources.
Speakers include:
Durell Green is the Teaching & Advancement Project Manager at CHOOSE 180. Durell is a community cultivation advocate who was born in Tacoma, Washington. His lived experience as a child who was funneled through the school to prison pipeline is the main motivating factor behind his work in restorative practices with Choose 180. He believes strongly in learning and recovering from mistakes, the resiliency of our youth, and the power of choice. He envisions a world where systems and “isms” do not rob young people of recognizing and operating in their gifts and purpose. His passion led to being appointed to serve for 6 years on the Washington Statewide Reentry Council to help inform government on policy. He has also designed curriculum focused on assisting young people to mitigate the negative impacts of gun violence and incarceration to successfully integrate into society
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, PhD, is the Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence, and Director of Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program, at the University of Washington. He evaluates community-based interventions, social programs, and public policies for their impact on multiple forms of violence with a focus on preventing firearm-related harm. He serves as a member of the Black & Brown Collective for Community Solutions to Gun Violence, Board of the National Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, and Advisory Committee of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research & Education. In recognition of his research on firearm violence, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2023. He received his MD from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran, MPH from Yale University, and PhD from the University of Washington.
Christina Umali, MPH, is the Teaching and Advancement Project Manager at CHOOSE 180. Growing up in South King County, Washington, Christina witnessed many of her peers and family members impacted by incarceration and gun violence. At 21, after making mistakes of her own, she experienced firsthand what it was like to navigate the criminal legal system. This turning point inspired her to dedicate her life and career to supporting individuals and families affected by incarceration. After being incarcerated, she went on to earn both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Health from the University of Washington and now serves as the Teaching and Advancement Project Manager at CHOOSE 180, a Washington State nonprofit that works to transform the juvenile legal system and provide young people with opportunities to thrive outside of it. Grounded in the belief that representation matters, Christina is committed to showing youth who share her lived experience that there are many pathways to success and that their voices, resilience, and brilliance can drive meaningful change.
About the Webinar Series: This event is part of a webinar series for researchers, community-based organizations, and other leaders in firearm violence prevention. Designed to strengthen the capacity, confidence, and visibility of those advancing solutions to prevent firearm-related violence, the program will feature sessions on:
- April 2026 | It’s Not Just What You Do – It’s How You Do It: Implementation Science for Firearm Violence Prevention
- June 2026 | Not Just a Report: Disseminating Firearm Violence Research for Impact
When: Friday, March 27, 2026 1:00 PMFriday, March 27, 2026 2:00 PMTagged: Events
In this session, experts will share how they work with community partners to develop research questions that matter — questions that are meaningful to communities, fill critical gaps, and can realistically be answered with available resources.
Speakers include:
Durell Green is the Teaching & Advancement Project Manager at CHOOSE 180. Durell is a community cultivation advocate who was born in Tacoma, Washington. His lived experience as a child who was funneled through the school to prison pipeline is the main motivating factor behind his work in restorative practices with Choose 180. He believes strongly in learning and recovering from mistakes, the resiliency of our youth, and the power of choice. He envisions a world where systems and “isms” do not rob young people of recognizing and operating in their gifts and purpose. His passion led to being appointed to serve for 6 years on the Washington Statewide Reentry Council to help inform government on policy. He has also designed curriculum focused on assisting young people to mitigate the negative impacts of gun violence and incarceration to successfully integrate into society
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, PhD, is the Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence, and Director of Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program, at the University of Washington. He evaluates community-based interventions, social programs, and public policies for their impact on multiple forms of violence with a focus on preventing firearm-related harm. He serves as a member of the Black & Brown Collective for Community Solutions to Gun Violence, Board of the National Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, and Advisory Committee of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research & Education. In recognition of his research on firearm violence, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2023. He received his MD from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran, MPH from Yale University, and PhD from the University of Washington.
Christina Umali, MPH, is the Teaching and Advancement Project Manager at CHOOSE 180. Growing up in South King County, Washington, Christina witnessed many of her peers and family members impacted by incarceration and gun violence. At 21, after making mistakes of her own, she experienced firsthand what it was like to navigate the criminal legal system. This turning point inspired her to dedicate her life and career to supporting individuals and families affected by incarceration. After being incarcerated, she went on to earn both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Health from the University of Washington and now serves as the Teaching and Advancement Project Manager at CHOOSE 180, a Washington State nonprofit that works to transform the juvenile legal system and provide young people with opportunities to thrive outside of it. Grounded in the belief that representation matters, Christina is committed to showing youth who share her lived experience that there are many pathways to success and that their voices, resilience, and brilliance can drive meaningful change.
About the Webinar Series: This event is part of a webinar series for researchers, community-based organizations, and other leaders in firearm violence prevention. Designed to strengthen the capacity, confidence, and visibility of those advancing solutions to prevent firearm-related violence, the program will feature sessions on:
- April 2026 | It’s Not Just What You Do – It’s How You Do It: Implementation Science for Firearm Violence Prevention
- June 2026 | Not Just a Report: Disseminating Firearm Violence Research for Impact