University of MD Baltimore launches multi-office initiative to prevent violence

BALTIMORE -- The University of Maryland Baltimore will head a new Center for Violence Prevention to research the leading causes and lasting impacts of violence and develop policy proposals to address them.

Led by trauma surgeon Dr. Thomas M. Scalea, the center will bring together members of the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which includes programs dedicated to law, social work and medicine.

"Violence, specifically gun violence, is not just a problem in Baltimore," said Scalea. "It's a problem all over the country. Until we as a society decide to tackle it in a serious way, it's not going to get better. It's not a political issue, it's absolutely a public health issue. It is a terrible disease, and it's a disease that we can treat, we can prevent, and we can do better."

Betsy Sherman and the Sherman Family Foundation donated $2 million to start the center, the school said.

In addition to bringing together multiple disciplines within the University of Maryland umbrella, the center will conduct research in partnership with local governments, businesses, communities and nonprofits, as well as other academic institutions.

Dr. Judy L. Postmus, dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, said the interdisciplinary approach will be "groundbreaking" for the city and tap into the knowledge of experts across campus.

"We stand united to help address and resolve the ongoing violence that plagues so many of the communities we live and work in," she said.