SAVIR Member Spotlight: David C. Schwebel, PhD

David C. Schwebel, PhD, Office of Research, University of Iowa

Tell us about your areas of interest within injury and violence prevention. Why did you decide to pursue a career in this field?

Well, to make a long story short..I was conducting my master’s thesis on adult personality and cardiovascular health and craving a return to research with children, which I had conducted as an undergraduate. Jodie Plumert, a faculty member in my department at University of Iowa, gave a departmental colloquium on children’s judgement of their reaching, stepping, and crouching ability – and the fact that she had discovered associations between children’s overestimation of personal ability and their history of unintentional injury. Fascinated, I asked her to supervise my dissertation on that topic; she agreed, and that started me on a 25+ year path.

My current areas of research? Wide-ranging, but generally focused on child and adolescent unintentional injury prevention. I have conducted research in a wide range of areas including pedestrian safety, poisoning prevention, drowning prevention, product safety, firearms safety, dog bite prevention, falls prevention, and many more. I’ve also worked in translation of our research to the public, especially through my popular book, Raising Kids Who Choose Safety.

How long have you been a member of SAVIR? What has been your favorite part about being involved with SAVIR?

Well, I’m not sure how long I’ve been a member. The first SAVIR meeting I attended was in 2011. My favorite part? The friendships I have formed with SAVIR members and colleagues over the years.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career so far?

Having the opportunity to conduct theory-driven research that can actually make a difference. Our work saves children’s lives, and remembering that fact motivates me to keep doing what I do every day.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Family time is top priority. My wife and I love traveling with our now-emerging-adult children (ages 18 and 21), and we have crisscrossed the globe to places near and far over the years. I also enjoy daily lunchtime racquetball matches, an activity that nicely breaks up my busy workday and also keeps me healthy.