Nathan Aguilar

Nathan Aguilar's research interests: Gun Violence, Victimization, Urban Neighborhoods, Street Gangs, Criminal Justice, Tech Intervention, Social Media, Trauma, Grief, Ethics, Collective Efficacy

Nathan is PhD student focusing on gun violence intervention under the guidance of Dr. Desmond Patton. Nathan’s research focuses on the perceptions and experiences of victimization, trauma and grief among gang affiliated individuals. Furthermore, he is interested in technological interventions that can reduce gun violence and increase social efficacy within urban neighborhoods. As a research assistant in the SAFElab Nathan is currently exploring the online grieving practices of black youth and is working to develop ethical standards for social work researchers working with social media data from marginalized communities. For the five years prior to returning to graduate school Nathan worked with gang involved youth on probation and gunshot victims in Chicago. As a result of these experiences he embraces the engagement of community members as collaborators in research and co-producers of knowledge. Nathan holds an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and a BA in Business Administrations from The University of Colorado Denver.