Meet Our Alumni
Our trainee alumni continue to embody the spirit of our mission long after their time with the VPC. They carry forward the knowledge, skills, and values cultivated through the Center as they pursue academic and professional pathways.
“My time with the VPC was truly foundational. Their commitment to supporting trainees showed up in countless ways: bringing in visiting faculty to broaden our perspectives, offering tailored trainings, and helping me find opportunities aligned with my goals. What stood out most during my time with the VPC was how genuinely open the faculty were to student ideas and interdisciplinary collaboration; it was clear they were invested in our growth. Through the VPC, I found my voice as a researcher, advocate, and community member. I also found the best mentors, who I still collaborate with and rely on! I feel incredibly lucky to have been among the first students involved and can’t wait to see how the Center continues to support students. And to potential future trainees: don’t hesitate to knock on their door and introduce yourself—you can tell them I sent you!” – Ava Peters
“As a trainee with the UNC Charlotte Violence Prevention Center, I was welcomed just as I am and supported for the strengths I bring to my work. I deeply cherished the relationships I built with faculty and students, especially the opportunity to learn from mentors and serve as a mentor to undergraduate students. Learning and sharing knowledge continue to be among the most meaningful parts of my work.” – Jasmine Temple
Alumni Career Highlights
Jasmine Temple works on the Research, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement Team at the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation and serves as an Evaluation Consultant with a local consulting group. Her work in the nonprofit and public health sectors focuses on using data and community voices to support evidence- and practice-informed decision making for violence prevention programs and policy. She is also completing her dissertation studies focused on integrating, and thereby strengthening, violence prevention and health promotion programs.
Ava Peters is a PhD student in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she began her studies in September 2025. At UML, her work focuses on documenting sex offender management policies and practices as part of the U.S. Department of Justice SMART Office’s sexual violence prevention initiative. She is also beginning exploratory research on moral injury among incarcerated individuals—an underexamined area with significant implications for behavioral health, reentry, and criminal justice system reform.