~ RGVRC Affiliate Scholar ~

Joshua Horwitz, JD, is the Dana Feitler professor of the practice in gun violence prevention and advocacy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. He works to reduce gun violence by utilizing public health research and health equity analysis to build advocacy campaigns that meet critical opportunities in the policy development process. With over 30 years of experience, Horwitz is a key leader in firearm policy development and education. He and a small group of colleagues developed the extreme risk protection order (ERPO) policy, which is now law in 21 states and the District of Columbia. As a result, he is now the principal investigator of the national Johns Hopkins ERPO Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University, a Department of Justice-funded training and technical assistance hub that provides support to states implementing extreme risk protection orders. Horwitz has also developed many policy translation reports, including the newly released “Alcohol Misuse and Gun Violence: An Evidence-Based Approach for State Policy” and the original report from the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy, “Guns, Public Health, and Mental Illness: An Evidence-Based Approach,” which identified ERPOs as a needed policy tool. He has also testified before numerous state legislatures and the US Congress. Horwitz is the co-author of Guns, Democracy and the Insurrectionist Idea, published by the University of Michigan Press in 2009. He received his BA from the University of Michigan in 1985 and his JD from The George Washington University in 1988.

Cory V. McCray is the senator of Maryland’s 45th Legislative District, covering parts of east and northeast Baltimore, a seat he won in 2018.

McCray’s foray into politics commenced in 2014 when he was elected to represent the 45th District in the Maryland House of Delegates. His tenure as a freshman legislator was nothing short of extraordinary, with prominent news outlets like Center Maryland recognizing him as one of the most effective in the entire state.

McCray’s approach to public service is rooted in a profound commitment to hearing the concerns of his constituents and finding practical solutions. McCray passed the Action and Power Apprenticeship Act when they asked for better jobs. The legislation expanded funding for apprenticeships that lead to family-supporting careers. During his tenure in the legislature, he has spearheaded the passage of over sixty bill proposals with broad subjects such as raising the minimum wage, transportation funding, protecting the environment, increasing snap benefits for families, and greater access to public libraries.

Beyond his tireless work in the community and the capitol, McCray finds solace and joy in his family life. He cherishes every moment with his loving wife and four children in northeast Baltimore.

McCray remains deeply committed to his local union and steadfastly endeavors to enhance opportunities for a better life for men and women throughout our city and state. His story is one of triumph against all odds, an inspiring narrative of transformation and unwavering dedication to the betterment of Maryland and its people.

Silvia Villarreal is the director of research translation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Gun Violence Solutions. She aims to bridge the gap between research and policy by translating research into evidence-based reports. Villareal is also the managing director for the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy where she coordinates a group of experts to craft gun violence policy solutions from a public health perspective. She has led development of several reports on firearm policy, including “Racial Equity Impact Assessment Framework for Gun Violence Prevention” and “Alcohol Misuse and Gun Violence: An Evidence Based Approach for State Policy.”

Jaclyn Schildkraut, PhD, is the executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, where she leads a multidisciplinary research portfolio focused on understanding and reducing firearm violence in New York State and beyond. In this role, she oversees the Consortium’s research, grantmaking, and public engagement efforts; develops partnerships with researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community organizations; and works to translate rigorous research into evidence-informed policy and practice. A nationally recognized expert on mass shootings and school safety, her research focuses on targeted violence prevention, emergency preparedness, and the experiences of individuals and communities affected by mass violence.

Schildkraut leads Sharing Information to Stop Mass Shootings (SISMS), a large-scale research initiative examining the behaviors, circumstances, and information-sharing processes that precede mass public shootings. The project has produced one of the most comprehensive databases of pre-attack behaviors associated with these events and a growing body of research focused on identifying opportunities for prevention and intervention. Findings from the project also are being translated into educational trainings designed to improve the recognition and reporting of concerning behaviors.

Her broader research has examined school emergency preparedness, the prevention and consequences of mass violence, behavioral indicators preceding attacks, and the experiences and long-term needs of survivors and affected communities. Schildkraut led the largest national study to date examining the effects of lockdown drills on students, educators, and school personnel, helping to identify evidence-based practices for building preparedness while minimizing unnecessary fear and anxiety. She also has conducted extensive research with mass shooting survivors and provided expert analysis to Canada’s Mass Casualty Commission, which investigated the April 2020 mass casualty event in Nova Scotia.

As executive director, Schildkraut also leads the Consortium’s efforts to strengthen the evidence base for firearm violence prevention across New York State. She oversees competitive research funding programs and works with state agencies, academic researchers, practitioners, and community partners to support research addressing pressing questions related to firearm violence and its prevention. Through these efforts, she seeks to bridge research, policy, and practice and ensure that evidence is accessible to those positioned to use it.

Schildkraut is the author or editor of numerous books on mass shootings, school safety, and firearms, including Mass Shootings: Media, Myths and Realities (2016), Columbine, 20 Years Later and Beyond: Lessons from Tragedy (2019), Lockdown Drills: Connecting Research and Best Practices for School Administrators, Teachers, and Parents (2022), and Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law (3rd ed., 2022). Her research has been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals across criminology, violence prevention, victimology, school safety, psychology, and public policy. Her research and expertise also are regularly sought by policymakers, practitioners, schools, survivors, and national and international media outlets, including CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Associated Press, Reuters, and BBC News.