Rise, Respond and Rebuild: Healing Communities by Ending Gun Violence
Sept. 11-12, 2026 | Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Join physicians, educators, researchers, social workers, community leaders, students and advocates for a two-day Jacobs School conference examining gun violence as a public health issue. Through keynote presentations and collaborative discussions, explore the social, economic and structural factors that contribute to violence, its impact on communities, and the critical roles of health care, social work, education and public policy in prevention, healing and change.
Why attend?
- Explore gun violence as a public health issue affecting communities nationwide
- Learn from experts working across medicine, public health, education and community-based practice
- Discover practical tools, models and strategies that support prevention, healing and collaboration
- Connect with colleagues and partners committed to creating safer, healthier communities
With our September 2026 conference, we aim to engage our participants in conversations, curriculum and programming that employ a public health approach to reduce firearm injuries and fatalities.
Gun violence continues to affect individuals, families, and communities across the nation, leaving lasting impacts on physical, emotional, and social well‑being. As a medical and biomedical institution, the Jacobs School is committed to leading with science, compassion, and public‑health principles to drive meaningful change.
Our Goals
- Facilitate meaningful dialogue on how firearm violence intersects with medical education, professional training, public health practice, and community safety.
- Share practical resources and tools—including programs, curricula, and strategies—that support others in teaching, practicing, and advocating for firearm violence prevention.
- Build new perspectives by fostering connection among diverse professionals, educators, community members, and leaders working to end gun violence.
- Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration to accelerate community‑centered responses and prevention strategies.
Friday, Sept. 11, 2026
1–1:30 p.m.
Registration & Welcome Reception
1:45–2 p.m.
Opening Remarks
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions:
- Community Resiliency After Gun Violence
Melissa Archer, MSN, PMHNP-BC, and Fred D. Archer, MD, will explore the impact of gun violence on individuals and neighborhoods, highlighting approaches to healing and community recovery following the Tops mass shooting. - Are Mass Shooters a Social Kind?
Kurt Blankschaen, PhD, will examine how terms such as mass shooter shape public understanding of gun violence and influence prevention efforts. - Stop the Bleed: Survivability, Engagement and Magical Thinking
Tracey Nerney, RN, BS, MPA, will discuss how Stop the Bleed programs combine lifesaving emergency-response training with community engagement and violence prevention.
3:15–3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion:
Law Enforcement and Community Relations
Facilitators Eddie Payne and Adrienne Garr, LMSW, will lead a discussion on trust, communication and collaboration.
4:45–5:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions:
- Femicide as a Gun Violence and Public Health Crisis
Kimberly Slew-Ngarambe will examine the intersection of intimate partner violence, firearm access and gender-based violence through a public health lens. - Street Engagement Team: Violence Interruption in Buffalo
Pastor James E. Giles will discuss how Buffalo's community-based violence interruption program builds trust, prevents violence and strengthens neighborhood safety. - Teaching Medical Students How to Support Trauma Patients
Mike Lamb, PhD, will explore how trauma-informed training prepares future physicians to better understand and support patients beyond the hospital setting.
5:30–7 p.m.
Keynote Speaker and Dinner Reception:
- From Nonfatal to Fatal: Tracing the Community Firearm Violence Pipeline in Baltimore and Its Public Health Implications
- Brian Wade, PhD, will examine the pathways that connect nonfatal and fatal firearm violence, drawing on community-based research in Baltimore to explore the broader public health implications of violence exposure and opportunities for prevention.
- Hosted by Heather M. Gardiner, PhD, MPH, this conversation will further explore firearm violence as a public health crisis and highlight strategies for prevention, intervention and community healing.
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
8:30–9 a.m.
Check In / Grab-and-Go Breakfast
9–9:45 a.m.
Welcome and Poetry Performance
10–10:30 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions:
- Compassion Fatigue: Identifying Risk and Promoting Resilience in Health Care Workers
Chandra Drabill, PhD, will explore compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary traumatic stress, with practical strategies to build resilience and support well-being. - Means Reduction Through Erie County Suicide Prevention Coalition Initiatives
Members of the Erie County Suicide Prevention Coalition, including Elena Miller, will discuss how means reduction efforts are advancing suicide prevention across the community. - Showcasing the Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention (FIMP) Pilot Program
Representatives from SAFE (Scrubs Addressing Firearms), UB Chapter, will highlight how the FIMP pilot program is expanding across Western New York to connect patients at risk for firearm violence with safety resources.- This session will last a full hour.
10:45–11:15 a.m.
Networking
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Keynote Speaker and Lunch Reception:
- Ethical and Equitable Considerations: The Use of AI and Digital Storytelling in Gun Violence Research
Joseph Richardson, PhD, will discuss how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital storytelling, are shaping gun violence research and prevention efforts, with a focus on ethics, equity and community engagement.- Location: Active Learning Center
1:15–2:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion:
- Imagining a Childhood Without Firearm Violence
Patricia Logan-Greene, PhD, MSSW, will lead an interactive discussion exploring the impact of firearm violence on children, families and communities, while encouraging participants to envision prevention-focused approaches that promote safety, healing and healthier childhood experiences.
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions:
- There's Light on Our Faces, Now
Join Jillian Hanesworth for an interactive poetry workshop exploring community violence, healing and the power of storytelling. - From Trauma to Healing: Survivor-Led Solutions for Safer Communities
Aswad Thomas will share how survivor-led initiatives can transform trauma into healing, strengthen communities and help prevent violence. - Wellness-focused Session
3:45–4:30 p.m.
Community Conversation
Location: Active Learning Center
Registration for Rise, Respond and Rebuild is now open. Attendees will be able to reserve their place for this two-day conference through the registration page.
Venue & Logistics
The conference will be held at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.
Additional information on parking, accessibility, accommodations and directions will be posted here as details are finalized.
This symposium is intentionally designed for a broad, interdisciplinary audience committed to reducing harm and strengthening communities.
Participants may include:
- Medical and health professionals.
- Biomedical and public health researchers.
- Educators from K-12 through higher education.
- Community advocates and nonprofit leaders.
- Mental and behavioral health professionals.
- Hospital and health-system staff.
- Public-facing workers and community safety partners.
- Students and trainees across related fields.
Join us in advancing solutions to gun violence through a public health lens.
Sponsorship supports a highly inclusive convening—ensuring that community members, students, trainees and frontline professionals are able to participate, contribute and help shape meaningful outcomes.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Our executive committee is composed of community leaders, advocates and partners who believe that gun violence is preventable and that change begins with action. Each member brings a personal commitment to protecting lives and strengthening communities, and their collective voice helps shape our mission, priorities and path forward.
- Zeneta Everhart, Masten District Councilwoman, City of Buffalo
- Heather Gardiner, Director of the Community Health Equity Research Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Adrienne Garr, Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, City of Buffalo
- Selina Irizarry, Masten District Chief of Staff, City of Buffalo
- Patricia Logan-Greene, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UB School of Social Work
- David Milling, Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Eddie Payne, Coordinator of the Erie County Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce
- Rev. Kinzer Pointer, President of Greater Buffalo United Ministries
- Julie Szrama, Director of Student and Academic Affairs, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Brian Wade, Senior Data Scientist at The University of Pennsylvania
- Kamilah Weems, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships in Medical Education at AAMC
- Garnell Whitfield, Social Justice Advocate
- Annie Printup, Office of Accreditation and Quality Improvement, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Dawn Cwierley, Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Linda Christiano, Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Accreditation
The University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Certification
To be determined.
The Evolution of Our Work
Rise, Respond and Rebuild builds on the Jacobs School’s ongoing commitment to addressing gun violence as a public‑health crisis. This conference evolved from earlier conferences focused on prevention, education, and community partnership, expanding that work into a broader, more inclusive forum for shared learning and action. Today, the event brings together diverse voices to strengthen our collective ability to promote healing, safety, and well‑being across all communities.