Faculty and Staff Grants From February 2025

Advancing Denver's Handgun Intervention Program through Action Research

• Anne DePrince, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• Funder: United States Department of Justice
• Abstract: Youth gun violence is a pressing criminal justice problem in the United States. Although youth diversion programs show promise in reducing youth firearm recidivism, gun-related offenses are often not eligible for participation in youth diversion programs. To address this gap, this project will help identify actionable, data-driven, and evidence-based decisionmaking to guide the ongoing development of the Denver Handgun Intervention Program (HIP). HIP is a specialized court for youth charged with gun-related offenses and their families, developed and launched in 2021 in Denver (Colorado).

Pathways to Legal Licensure: Individualized and Comparative Outcomes

• Logan Cornett, IAALS
• Funder: Restricted
• Abstract: Restricted

Korbel AmeriCorps Program

• Rae Ann Bories-Easley, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
• Funder: Americorps
• Abstract: The University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies (Korbel School) will have 27 quarter-time AmeriCorps members to support 7 public service organizations addressing housing, food, healthcare, employment, and economic instability in Denver County. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will have expanded the scale, reach, efficiency, and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations and government agencies that support high-needs and historically underserved populations.

2025 Direct Services for Survivors of Torture (SOT) Program in Denver

• Tiamo Tamale, Gwen Mitchell, Maria Vukovich, Graduate School of Professional Psychology
• Funder: International Rescue Committee Denver (subaward Department of Health and Human Services - DHHS)
• Abstract: The Direct Services for Survivors of Torture (SOT) Program in Denver is beginning another year of providing mental health and behavioral health evaluations and services to survivors of torture. The Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) faculty will work with the International Rescue Committee to develop referrals for services, which will be provided by GSPP master's student clinicians while being supervised by GSPP faculty.

The Playful Campus Initiative Launch

• David Thomas, Academic Affairs
• Funder: Unlikely Collaborators
• Abstract: This proposal covers the base costs of running the Playposium 2025 event at the Kennedy Mountain Campus.

Understanding Higher Education in Rural America: Developing a Typology of Rural-Serving Institutions and Examining their Community Contributions

• Cecilia Orphan, Chris Nelson, Morgridge College Of Education
• Funder: Appalachian State University (subaward ECMC Foundation)
• Abstract: Through this project, the team will work with Child Trends and the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges on this five-year project to create a typology of Rural-Serving postsecondary Institutions.

AFRC-C4D Coaching

• Meredith Silverstein, Kavitha Kailasam, Graduate School of Social Work
• Funder: Advocates for Recovery Colorado (subaward Caring for Denver Foundation)
• Abstract: Advocates for Recovery Colorado (AFRC) will expand inclusive access to its peer coaching and recovery services for Denver residents to at least 270 people per year over 3 years. The project will also strengthen the peer recovery workforce through capacity building and developmental coaching for AFRC staff.

ISS December 2025

• Jonathan Moyer, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
• Funder: Institute for Security Studies Trust
• Abstract: The Pardee Institute will work with the Security Studies (ISS) and its African Futures Initiative (AFI), which models Africa’s future through advanced forecasting. The Pardee Institute's signature International Futures tool underlies the AFI platform's modeling infrastructure and will support scenario analysis for 5 African countries.