The Violence Prevention and Transformation Research Collaborative

The Violence Prevention and Transformation Research Collaborative (VPTRC) is a new initiative housed in the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice at the University of Washington Tacoma that focuses on the study and prevention of violence in general and mass shootings, school violence, and hate crimes, in particular. With funding support from the Vatheuer Family Foundation and the Koshka Foundation for Safe Schools, the VPTRC has two main objectives:

1. Conducting groundbreaking research on the causes and prevention of various forms of violence
2. Sharing this knowledge widely with scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and the public in order to make change and reduce violence in our society.

The VPTRC utilizes empirical knowledge and evidence-based practices from restorative and transformative justice to address issues of violence without creating additional harm through reactive and unnecessarily punitive measures. By better understanding, advocating for, and supporting harm reduction, behavioral threat assessment, conflict resolution, and restorative practices and transformative change, we aim to not only prevent violence but stop it at its root by addressing foundational interpersonal and systemic causes. With this innovative approach informed by decades of research and advocacy, there is countless potential to inform and influence pressing local, national, and international policy debates and thus to positively impact at-risk individuals and affected communities and to improve institutional practices and public safety. We may not be able to end school violence, mass shootings, and hate crimes, but we can certainly do a lot to reduce them considerably.

Katie Callahan, 2025 UW Tacoma President's Medal recipient!

Katie Callahan has been named the 2025 recipient of the President’s Medal, an honor awarded to the graduating senior with the university’s most exceptional academic record. Katie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Sociology. Her professors feel that Callahan demonstrates an extraordinary blend of intelligence, leadership, and empathy. Professor Eric Madfis noted, “Katie is a truly exceptional student and researcher, and I feel very fortunate to have the privilege to work collaboratively with her at the VPTRC.” Associate Teaching Professor Andrea Hill says, “I have never encountered a student who so seamlessly combines intellectual curiosity with a genuine desire to support others.” Beyond campus, Callahan has made significant contributions to community advocacy, working to ensure that differently abled students have access to appropriate learning resources in K–12 schools. Callahan has completed her education while working as a legal assistant and paraeducator. She is the current president of UW Tacoma’s Criminal Justice League and served as panel chair at the February 2025 Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, for the presentation, “A Patriarchal Police State: How the Impact of Dobbs Permeates the Criminal Justice System.” Callahan has also contributed to several manuscripts under review and in progress, including co-authoring, with Dr. Madfis, a book proposal submitted to Temple University Press entitled Mass Shootings and Masculinities: Gender and Cumulative Strain. As Callahan graduates, Dr. Hill reflects, “Katie is an extraordinary scholar, a thoughtful leader, and a dedicated community-builder. She has elevated our campus through her presence, and the impact of her time at UW Tacoma will continue to resonate long after her graduation—through revitalized organizations, strengthened peer networks, and the higher standard of excellence she leaves behind.” Callahan begins graduate school at the University of California Irvine in Criminology, Law & Society this fall.