SAVIR Kicks Off 2026 Mentoring Program

The Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR) Mentoring Program is officially underway for 2026! This year’s cohort brings together dedicated mentors and emerging professionals from across the injury and violence prevention field to foster meaningful connections, career development, and knowledge exchange.

The SAVIR Mentoring Program is designed to support professional growth by pairing experienced leaders with students, trainees, and early-career professionals. Through one-on-one meetings, goal setting, and ongoing dialogue, participants will explore topics such as research pathways, leadership skills, work–life integration, and navigating career transitions.

Meet the 2026 Mentors and Mentees

We are thrilled to introduce this year’s mentor–mentee pairs:

• Mentor: Doug Wiebe (University of Michigan)
  Mentee: Niki Asa (University of Washington)
  
• Mentor: Shannon Guillot-Wright (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)
  Mentee: Hannah Rochford (Texas A&M University)
  
• Mentor: Jason Goldstick (University of Michigan)
  Mentee: Maleeha Naseem (University of Iowa)
  
• Mentor: Avanti Adhia (University of Washington)
  Mentee: Esther Lee (University of Michigan)
  
• Mentor: Cass Crifasi (Johns Hopkins University)
  Mentee: Kelsey Conrick (University of Washington)
  
• Mentor: Megan Moore (University of Washington)
  Mentee: Erin Walton (University of Maryland)
  
• Mentor: Leila Wood (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)
  Mentee: Shoshana Benjamin (University of Washington)
  
• Mentor: Alex Quistberg (Drexel University)
  Mentee: Thais Rivas (University of North Carolina Greensboro)
  
• Mentor: Henry Xiang (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
  Mentee: Justine Broecker (HEAL initiative)
  
• Mentor: Danielle Davidov (West Virginia University)
  Mentee: Jessica Marshall (University of Oregon)
  
• Mentor: Marizen Ramirez (University of California, Irvine)
  Mentee: Shaina Sta Cruz (University of California, Davis)
  
• Mentor: Chris Knoepke (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus)
  Mentee: Bethany Welc (Wayne State University)
  
• Mentor: Dave Swedler (Chicago Department of Public Health, Behavioral Health)
  Mentee: Ashely Trocle (University of Pennsylvania)
  
• Mentor: Carri Casteel (University of Iowa)
  Mentee: Quinn McVeigh (University of Washington)
  
• Mentor: Ginger Yang (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
  Mentee: Hasana Bilal (British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit)
  
• Mentor: Sara Jacoby (University of Pennsylvania)
  Mentee: Hiwot Weldemariam (University of Washington)
  
• Mentor: Shabbar Ranapurwala (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
  Mentee: Betty Mulugeta (City of Philadelphia)
  
• Mentor: Shannon Frattaroli (Johns Hopkins University)
  Mentee: Monte-Angel Richardson (University of Toronto)
  

Looking Ahead

We look forward to seeing the relationships and collaborations that grow from this year’s program and celebrating participants’ accomplishments throughout the year. Updates and highlights will be shared at the annual conference and in future communications.

If you are interested in participating in a future cohort as a mentor or mentee, please contact Niki Asa (nasa3@uw.edu) or Leslie Barnard (leslie.barnard@cuanschutz.edu) to learn more.