In an effort to tackle the gun violence crisis, Dr. Mengxue Li, Co-Director of the International GEO Center and Ruibo Han from the Center for Geospatial Information Science have recently secured pilot research funding from the University of Maryland’s PROGRESS (Prevent Gun Violence: Research, Empowerment, Strategies, and Solutions) initiative.
Gun violence continues to devastate communities across the U.S., causing tragic loss of life, numerous injuries, and lasting psychological trauma. Its impact goes beyond the immediate human toll, placing heavy economic burdens on healthcare, straining law enforcement, eroding social cohesion, and undermining education in high-violence areas. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies that include legislation, community support, and preventative interventions.
Drs. Li and Han's project will use GeoAI (Geospatial Artificial Intelligence) to create data-driven and community-based solutions for reducing gun violence. The funding is for a 1 year pilot project with potential student involvement.
The team plans to develop a unified gun violence data platform to analyze patterns, trends, and socio-economic factors, build GeoAI-based spatial models to guide prevention and policy strategies, and release Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) apps to increase awareness, foster community dialogue, and support local violence intervention efforts. As gun violence remains a critical national issue, initiatives like this provide hope by combining advanced technology and community engagement to drive meaningful change.
In the photo above: Mengxue Li (Co-Director Int. Geo Center) with Jo Richardson (Co-Director of PROGRESS), Samuel Graham (Guest at the BSOS Research Hub), Woodie Kessel (Co-Director of PROGRESS) and Gregory Ball, UMD Vice President for Research
Photo courtesy of PROGRESS/UMD