Dr. Marisa Ross Joins Northwestern Research Team as Post-Doctoral Fellow Through Everytown City Gun Violence Research Grant

Ross Will Take on the Post-Doctoral Fellowship to Help Advance the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative’s Efforts to Expand Research on City Gun Violence and Street Outreach

NEW YORK — Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, the research arm of Everytown for Gun Safety, today announced the appointment of Dr. Marisa Ross, PhD, as the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Post-Doctoral Fellow, who will help lead research on city gun violence as part of a $200,000 research grant recently awarded by the Support Fund to the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative (N3) at Northwestern University. Dr. Ross, who recently finished her doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, begins the two-year post-doctoral fellowship with N3 to research how social network theory can be used to develop new, and improve current, violence prevention efforts in Chicago and beyond.

The grant also will allow N3 to carry out a survey of street outreach workers to better understand the work experiences, life histories, and professional practices of this vital group of front-line community violence preventionists. The survey will provide insights into the significant area of community-led approaches to gun violence prevention.

“The Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative is on the leading edge of city gun violence research across the country, and Dr. Ross brings a wealth of skills and experience to expand its research on much-needed topics,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety. “As policymakers continue tackling city gun violence, N3’s research team has been crucial in building a data-driven roadmap toward change, and Dr. Ross will be an outstanding addition to that team.”

“In Dr. Ross, we’ve found a experienced scholar and researcher perfectly suited to open a new chapter in our team’s work,” said Professor Andrew Papachristos, faculty director at N3. “She brings a fresh perspective and insightful expertise to this field, and our team could not be more excited about the contributions she’ll make to our understanding of city gun violence and street outreach work.”

“City gun violence is an expansive, cross-cutting issue that requires comprehensive, data-driven research,” said Maria Ross, PhD. “I am so thankful to have been selected to lead this research project funded by Everytown’s generous grant, at an institution known for its exemplary commitment to city gun violence research. There has never been a more important time for this life-saving research to take place, and I am excited to leverage my knowledge and experience towards furthering the important work being done at N3.”