EXPERTS ADVISORY
University of Michigan experts can address the most pressing education topics of the school year, including AI in the classroom, teacher shortages and retention, school violence prevention and safety, student mental health and well-being, pandemic learning loss, digital wellness, immigration crackdowns, cuts to school meals, increasing housing instability, concussions, the benefits of electric school buses, and more.
School safety
Justin Heinze is an associate professor of health behavior and health equity at the School of Public Health and director of the School Safety section at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. He is also principal investigator of the annual Healthy Minds Study and director of the National Center for School Safety. He can discuss a range of school safety and student mental health topics and can explain the recommendations in a recent national report on the impact of active shooter drills on student health and well-being.
“Schools should consider a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to mitigate active shooter drills’ potential emotional, mental and behavioral harm to students and school staff,” he said.
Contact: [email protected]
Sarah Stilwell, research investigator at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, can discuss aspects of student and school safety outside of firearm violence prevention.
“School safety is not just about preventing shootings. It is about creating environments where every student and staff member feels emotionally, socially and physically secure each day,” she said. “It means focusing on positive youth development by supporting the emotional, mental and physical well-being of every child. This includes both psychological safety, such as building mental health resilience and fostering a sense of security, and physical safety, such as preventing harm in school environments. If we want students to thrive, we must prioritize prevention, mental health, strong relationships and the use of evidence-based practices just as much as emergency response.”
Contact: [email protected]
Elyse Thulin, research assistant professor at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, can discuss school safety, technology, confidential reporting systems, social media and school violence risks, bullying, suicide and mental health concerns.
“The school year brings greater exposure to some of the most prevalent concerns facing contemporary youth, including spikes of suicidality that typically occur in October and November, bullying and cyberbullying, interpersonal threats or experiences of injury with a weapon at school, and fears of over the potential for a mass harm event at school,” she said. “Creating a safer school climate, which means that students and staff feel respected, that anyone in the school community is safe to speak up if they notice that something is wrong, is critical. While there are many ways a youth can try to proactively help, letting a trusted adult know either through direct communication or through an anonymous or confidential reporting system can help get resources to the person in need.”
Contact: [email protected]