Poco D. Kernsmith

Dr. Poco D. Kernsmith is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. His work integrates research and practice in violence prevention, school policies, and community-based interventions. He leads federally funded projects addressing youth violence, intimate partner violence, and school-based prevention programs.

Educational Background:

• BA (1994): Psychology & Women's Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
• MSW (1995): Interpersonal Practice and Community Organizing, University of Michigan
• PhD (2002): Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles
• MPH (2020): Urban Public Health, Wayne State University

Research Focus: Dr. Kernsmith studies violence perpetration etiology, trauma-informed school policies, water justice, and hate-motivated violence prevention. His research is funded by the CDC, NIH, and National Institute of Justice.

Teaching & Leadership: He teaches research methods and violence intervention courses at BSW, MSW, and PhD levels. As former PhD program director, he addressed structural inequities in academic systems.

Community Engagement: Collaborates with the ACLU on criminal legal system reform and develops community-based strategies against domestic terrorism.

Current Projects: Investigating disparities in doctoral student mentorship and school policy frameworks for inclusive violence prevention.