07/18/2023

New SAVIR Executive Director announced

The Society for Advancement of Injury and Violence Research is excited to announce Christen Rexing, PhD, MPH as our new Executive Director.

Injury and violence are leading causes of death and disability globally yet rarely receive the attention from policymakers and funding agencies to mirror their impact. As a field, we face many challenges but we know we can better serve if we face them together. SAVIR wants to continue this hard work, facing challenges and opportunities with our new executive director, Christen Rexing. She will bring her collaborative leadership style, commitment to our science, and vision for bringing SAVIR forward.

The next chapter of SAVIR will be about building from our strengths, amplifying injury and violence prevention research voices, and developing our pipeline to face 21st Century challenges. Christen is excited to get to work supporting our members and communities by developing new programming, creating new partnerships and pipelines, and exploring new opportunities.

Searching for a community of violence prevention researchers, Christen joined SAVIR in 2008 and never left. She’s served in many leadership positions inside and outside of SAVIR and really looks forward to continuing the work of building capacity and support for the injury and violence prevention research community, taking what we do best to the next level. In addition to her academic background, Christen is actively involved in her community.

A Transition Committee made up of Board members met throughout the past year to develop a process for this transition which was recommended to the full Board for a vote. In March 2023, the Board voted to approve Christen as the executive director!

We look forward to the next chapter of SAVIR’s impact, and thank you for your continued support.