Richard T. Barnes, JD

Richard Thurman Barnes, J.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health. He is also the Assistant Director for the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. Mr. Barnes received his Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law—Newark.

Mr. Richard T. Barnes brings a wealth of practical experience to the Rutgers School of Public Health from government to the private sector and ministry. He manages grant funded research projects and civic engagement for the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. The areas of research have a dual focus: suicide prevention and interpersonal violence in the context of the ever-present racial disparities in black and brown communities. Mr. Barnes pursues areas of personal interests like the intersection of Black voices in the public health space—often discounted or overlooked—with an emphasis on historical figures with a tangible connection to faith and faith-based communities. An ecumenical and interfaith approach to examining these voices will allow a holistic understanding of the history of public health advocacy and public health justice with a focal point on the foundational work championed by resilient men and women of color.