Karissa Pelletier
Biography
Karissa joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice in July 2024. She previously was a postdoctoral research fellow at Temple University’s Public Policy Lab and a T32 Fellow at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention (IFIP). In these roles, Karissa focused on developing evidence-based strategies to address firearm violence and homicide among children and teens. Her dissertation examined the factors influencing child and teen homicide, exploring how macro- and state-level factors impact the likelihood of violent firearm deaths. Additionally, she has examined the impact of community violence and how root causes of violence impact communities. Finally, Karissa has dedicated significant efforts to domestic and intimate partner violence research, collaborating with community advocates and organizations to assess the impact of domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) laws in the Midwest. Her primary focus in all of her work is to create a better system to prevent and intervene in violence.
Responsibilities
Karissa serves as manager for the crisis policy initiative at the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice. She leads grants and projects focused on crisis reimbursement structures, crisis program model fidelity, and system-level performance metrics.
Degrees and Certifications
- Ph.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
- M.S., Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
- B.S., Sociology, University of Rhode Island
- B.A., Psychology, University of Rhode Island
- B.A., Philosophy, University of Rhode Island
Pronouns
she/her/hers