Daniel Semenza Joins Rutgers School of Public Health and New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center
Daniel Semenza, PhD, has joined the Department of Urban-Global Public Health as an associate professor. He is also the Director of Research for the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center.
Semenza is a nationally recognized scholar whose work bridges public health, criminology, sociology, and medicine. His research focuses on the causes and consequences of gun violence, as well as the intersections of health, criminal justice exposure, and violent victimization. Across these areas of inquiry, much of Semenza’s work examines how violence contributes to health disparities and social inequality.
"Violence is an ongoing public health problem in the United States, but it also shapes collective well-being and inequality around the world," said Semenza. "I'm looking forward to continuing my work focused on gun violence prevention and education at the Rutgers School of Public Health while contributing to the goal of a safer and healthier future for everyone."
Semenza joins Rutgers with an extensive record of scholarship and leadership in firearm violence prevention. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harm and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals. His works has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, Newsweek, PBS, NPR, LA Times, Scientific American, The Guardian, and The Trace.
He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Emory University in 2018, where he specialized in criminology and the sociology of health and illness.
Semenza will strengthen the school’s growing portfolio of research focused on violence prevention, health equity, and population health while helping to advance the mission of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. His expertise will support interdisciplinary collaborations across Rutgers and contribute to evidence-based solutions that address one of the nation's most pressing public health challenges.
“Dr. Semenza brings to the Rutgers School of Public Health not only an extraordinary record of scholarship, but also a deep appreciation for the human stories that shape public health,” said Perry N. Halkitis, Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. “His work examines how violence affects people's lives and health, particularly among communities that have historically borne the greatest burdens of inequity. As a school committed to humanizing public health, we are excited to welcome a scholar whose work so powerfully advances both scientific understanding and social justice."
Semenza's first book, The Toll It Takes: Gun Violence and America's Hidden Public Health Crisis, will be published by Princeton University Press in February 2027.
“Dr. Semenza is an emerging leader in the field of gun violence prevention science,” said Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. “His arrival to the School of Public Health will help the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center grow and continue to make strides in our efforts to help the communities we serve.”
Through his research, teaching, and leadership, Semenza will help advance Rutgers School of Public Health's commitment to improving health, reducing inequities, and creating safer communities in New Jersey and beyond.
