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What if tomorrow’s above-the-fold headline reads “Studies Show Dramatic Drop in Gun Violence”? If Dean Hansell, partner at Hogan Lovells, and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health have their way, it will.
Currently things are more ominous. In 2015, more than 50,000 incidents of gun violence, including 12,000 deaths, were perpetrated in the U.S. Mass shootings, homicides, and suicides are on the rise, making gun violence a serious public health issue with staggering physical, psychological, and economic costs.
Exploring — and Ending — the Epidemic
That is why Hansell, who serves on the Fielding School’s board of advisors, made a gift to establish the Dean Hansell Fellowship to Address Gun Violence. Hansell’s gift will provide crucial seed funding for students and faculty to conduct innovative research with the potential to stem the epidemic of gun violence. The inaugural recipient of the fellowship is Danielle Dupuy, a PhD student in the department of community health sciences, whose work addresses youth violence. Dupuy’s project will teach coping and de-escalation techniques to youth detainees who are six to eight months pre-release from detention facilities in Los Angeles County.
“It’s about breaking the cycle, giving these young people better options,” says Dupuy. “I’m so excited about the opportunity this fellowship gives me to make a difference.”
A Commitment to Community Safety
Hansell has been well recognized for his tremendous commitment to civic safety; he was a police commissioner for four and a half years. His generous gift provides an opportunity to change the narrative on gun violence to a hopeful one, making neighborhoods safer and saving lives.
To learn more, contact
Jennifer Powers • 310-267-0447
Published June 2016
