Education
Center faculty play important roles in educating Johns Hopkins public health students who are interested in the prevention of gun violence. Our Center’s reputation as a leader in gun violence prevention policy attracts Masters and Doctoral-level students from around the world who are interested in pursuing careers in research, advocacy, and education.
Many of the nation’s premier gun violence prevention researchers have completed their training at Johns Hopkins and/or with our Center, including: Steve Teret, Garen Wintemute, Steve Hargarten, Daniel Webster, Jon Vernick, Shannon Frattaroli, Charles Branas, April Zeoli, Beth McGinty, Lisa Hepburn, Jennifer Mendel Whitehill, and Maria Bulzachelli.
Seminars & Courses taught by Center for Gun Policy and Research faculty (2018-2019)
301.627.01 Understanding and Preventing Violence
Course Instructor: Daniel Webster
Explores the role of public health in reducing violence and associated injuries. Focuses on factors that contribute to interpersonal violence, policy issues relevant to violence and violence prevention, and approaches to violence prevention and their effectiveness. Topics include the epidemiology of violence; biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors related to violence; intimate partner violence; the role of alcohol and other drugs; firearms policy; behavioral approaches to violence prevention; and community efforts to prevent violence.
305.610.01 Issues in Injury and Violence Prevention
Course Instructor: Jon Vernick
Addresses prominent sources of injury, including motor vehicles, falls, fires, and firearms. Explores the biological, behavioral, and social issues relating to injury and violence prevention and policy. Emphasizes basic strategies for preventing injuries and deaths in the workplace, home, travel, and recreation, and the relative effectiveness of various types of approaches.
300.713.01 Research and Evaluation Methods for Health Policy
Course Instructor: Cassandra Crifasi
Introduces basic principles and methods for undertaking scientifically rigorous research with a special emphasis on evaluations of interventions intended to improve health and safety. Focuses on evaluations of health policies, health care delivery systems, and public health programs. Topics include the relationship between health services research, health policy research, health policy analysis and health program management; common research designs and their strengths and weaknesses; and internal and external validity with the intent of making students better consumers of research conducted by others.
300.721.01 Foundations in Health Policy I
Course Instructor: Colleen L. Barry
Familiarizes students with some of the foundational readings in health policy and provides an understanding of the theories and conceptual frameworks used in the development, implementation and analysis of health policies. Explores how different disciplines (political science, ethics, law, economics, sociology, behavioral sciences and history) inform thinking about the development, implementation and analysis of health policies that make a difference in the public’s health. Emphasizes critical reading and thinking, informed debate with respect for a range of opinions, and communication skills.
300.712.01 Formulating Policy: Strategies and Systems of Policymaking in the 21St Century
Course Instructor: Shannon Frattaroli
Explores the considerations, activities and participants involved in the formulation of public health policy. Examines the process of selecting and assessing policy options, and discusses the role that various players have in the making of health policy. Through the analyses of case studies, students learn how policy-makers interact, and how outside influences such as the media and advocates help shape policy. Presents basic legal principles that govern health policy, and discusses the roles of economics and ethics in policy formulation.
306.650.01 Public Health and the Law
Course Instructors: Jon Vernick, Lainie Rutkow
Introduces non-lawyers to the important role played by the law in determining the public's health. Students analyze judicial opinions, statutes, and regulations in classroom discussions. Covers substantive legal topics including the balance between individual rights and public health initiatives, privacy, medical malpractice, and informed consent.
Online and In-Person Training on Gun Violence Prevention
The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research received a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to offer learners access to courses on gun violence prevention (GVP) taught by some of the world’s leading GVP researchers.
Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change Programs
Online
- A MOOC (massive open online course) called “Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change” is now available on Coursera. The purpose of the MOOC is to help learners understand relevant legal issues and effectively use data that are most relevant to policy debates on gun violence. Learners will gain an understanding of the interventions with the greatest impact on gun violence and common concerns and arguments made about gun policies.
Interested in learning more? Take a look at the Course Resource List.
Previous Bloomberg School MOOCs, which by design are tuition-free, have attracted a total of over 6 million registrants from around the world.
- A Teach-Out on Purchaser Licensing launched in January of 2020. While the learning experience has ended, the content will be available shortly. Come back soon for more information!
Summer Youth Institute
This summer, the Center invited 63 youth from 23 states in 52 different cities for the second Summer Youth Institute. During the four-day institute, Students had the opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s leading academic researchers studying gun policy and gun violence prevention, including Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, and Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, MPH, the director and deputy director of the Center. In addition to learning from academic researchers, students also interacted with various community leaders on the front lines of gun violence prevention and advocacy efforts. Based in cities such as Baltimore, New York City, and Los Angeles, these organizations include violence interrupters engaging with those at highest risk for gun violence, advocates for police reform, organizers of hospital-based strategies, and more.
Due to safety precautions with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Summer Youth Institute--Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change--was held virtually. Learning sessions were balanced with experiential learning exercises, small breakout group work, and activities to help students enhance their understanding of policy and effectively use data to advance their advocacy goals.
Read more about the 2020 cohort from the Great Lakes Region. Other student profiles coming soon!