Welcome To Our Inaugural Begun Center Quarterly Newsletter

Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research & Education

Winter 2017

SOLUTIONS FOR A SAFER AND HEALTHIER TOMORROW

The Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, led by Dr. Daniel Flannery, is home to a distinguished group of applied community-based research, evaluation, training, and technical assistance specialists in operation over the past two decades.

With grants and contracts of nearly $5M annually, our center serves as a research partner to various local, state and national non-profit, foundation and government organizations to learn innovative ways to address some of society's most pressing problems.

This quarterly newsletter was created as an expedient way to update our partners and colleagues on topics such as new projects and funding, recent publications, and staff updates. We hope it helps keep you current on the good work occurring at the Begun Center.

Get to know us

Begun Center Advisory Board Member

Kristina Anderson, Founder and Director of the Koshka Foundation, is a survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting and one of our distinguished board members. She started the foundation so others would never forget April 16, 2007.

Learn more

Begun Center Staff Member

Jeff Kretschmar, PhD is a Research Assistant Professor, Senior Research Associate and now the new Managing Director of the Begun Center.

Jeff's area of expertise include juvenile behavioral health, domestic violence, child trauma and community based research.

Learn more

Poly-Victimization Across Social Contexts

Senior Research Associate Fred Butcher and colleagues recently published an article examining childhood exposure to violence across social contexts.

Sexual Assault Kit Research Gets National Attention and Funding

The Begun Center is partnering with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office on two recently awarded BJA grants to test more backlogged sexual assault kits and initiate research into DNA testing on perpetrators.

In the News

To Stop Bullying in Children, Show Them How to Get Along – Jane Timmons Mitchell, Senior Research Associate, wrote a blog post for Psychology Today giving insight on how to curb bullying in our children.

Even After Back-logged Kits are Tested, Convictions are Rare – Rachel Lovell, Senior Research Associate, was interviewed by CBS regarding back-logged rape kits and their associated conviction rates.

Cleveland’s New Youth Violence Prevention Program – Daniel Flannery, Director and Professor of the Begun Center, is helping the city shape its new youth violence prevention program.

New Staff & Promotions

The Begun Center recently promoted Fred Butcher to Senior Research Associate and Leon Harris, Laura Overman and Tiffany Walker to Research Associates.

Welcome to all newly hired staff... Misty Luminais as a Senior Research Associate and Research Associates Rebecca Bray and Ashley Bukach .

Congratulations and Welcome!!

Advisory Board News

Patrick Kanary, M.Ed., has agreed to join the Begun Center Advisory Board. Patrick recently retired as the Director of the Center for Innovative Practices at the Begun Center, and brings with him decades of valuable experience in community-based, inter-system policy and program development, with particular focus on youth and family issues. Patrick serves on the Board of the Georgetown Children’s Mental Health National Technical Assistance Center and is a program reviewer for SAMSHA’s National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices (NREPP).