Tulane trauma experts available to discuss mass school killing in Texas

Tulane University has the following experts available to discuss the trauma surrounding the mass killing of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. For interviews, contact Barri Bronston at [email protected] or Mike Strecker at [email protected].

Charles Figley is the Dr. Paul Kurzwek Distinguished Chair and Professor of Disaster Mental Health at the Tulane School of Social Work. As head of the Tulane Trauma Institute, he has been widely interviewed on trauma associated with mass killings and natural disasters.

Leia Saltzman is a professor in the Tulane School of Social Work whose expertise lies in the areas of trauma, community violence and mass disaster. She is interested in community-based research that influences mental health policies and clinical practices with trauma-affected populations in order to promote well-being and build stronger families and more cohesive communities that can withstand the mpact of mass disaster, trauma and violence.

Reggie Ferreira is director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy at the Tulane School of Social Work. His areas of expertise include disaster resilience and international violence prevention. He serves as the editor of the American Psychologial Association Traumatology journal, which focuses on resilience practices among traumatized individuals, families and communities.

Tonya Hansel is an associate professor and director of the PhD program at the Tulane School of Social Work. She is an expert in disaster mental health and trauma services. Her experiences in the field have enabled her to measure traumatic experiences and implement systematic recovery initiatives as well as emphasize the importance of individual and community strengths that contribute to recovery.

Dr. Sharven Taghavi is trauma surgeon and public health researcher focused on injury prevention and health disparities. Dr. Taghavi’s research has focused on improving knowledge of why firearm injuries occur and identifying risk factors that can be intervened upon to reduce the risk of involvement in gun violence.

Joseph Constans is a psychologist whose expertise is in the areas of post-traumatic stress syndrome, gun violence and suicide. In his research, he aims to understand how exposure to trauma may cognitively and behaviorally predispose an individual to violence perpetration.