Celebrating 35 years of Injury & Violence Prevention
35th Anniversary Spotlight Series
In 2026, we proudly celebrate 35 years as a CDC Injury Control Research Center. This milestone is an opportunity to recognize some of the people whose dedication, leadership, and collaboration have shaped our center over the past three and a half decades—and who continue to advance our mission today.
From August through October 2026, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for our 35th Anniversary Spotlight series. Throughout the campaign, we’ll feature members of our Executive Team—the organizational heart of our center—and our Leadership Team, whose vision and commitment help drive our work every day.
We’ll also recognize current and former injury prevention partners from across Iowa, student alumni, and former Leadership Team members whose contributions helped build our center into what it is today. Their stories reflect the partnerships, innovation, and dedication that have strengthened our impact on injury prevention and safety.
As we celebrate this milestone, we honor everyone who has been part of our journey and look ahead with excitement to the next generation of research, collaboration, and innovation in injury prevention.
A brief history of UI IPRC
The University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (UI IPRC) was established in 1991 with CDC funding after founding director Dr. Jim Merchant recognized the urgent need to address the disproportionately high burden of injury in rural communities. Since then, the UI IPRC has brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community partners to advance injury and violence prevention through research, education, and public health action. While rooted in rural injury prevention, the UI IPRC has grown into a nationally recognized center with broad impact across Iowa, the Midwest, and beyond.
Examples of UI IPRC milestones and impact:
- 1992: Hosted “Firearm Injuries: A Public Health Approach,” a conference responding to the 1991 University of Iowa campus shootings.
- 1997: Convened the Tractor Risk Abatement and Control Policy Conference to address agricultural injury prevention.
- 2000: Led a national workplace violence research workshop that helped secure federal funding for workplace violence prevention research.
- 2004: Informed Iowa’s updated child restraint law through our research and partnerships.
- 2005: Launched the first online “Injury and Violence Prevention” course through UI Global Campus, extending our training to learners around the world.
- 2008: Published the first Burden of Injury in Iowa report, providing a comprehensive picture of injury trends statewide.
- 2010: Launched Steering Teens Safe, an evidence-based program to improve teen driver safety.
- 2015: Helped launch the Iowa Violent Death Reporting System and hosted a summit addressing the opioid crisis.
- 2020: Released recommendations to reduce overdose deaths in rural Iowa and highlighted injury and violence risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2022: Partnered with Iowa HHS to develop Iowa’s first statewide Injury and Violence Prevention Strategic Plan and launched a Department of Defense partnership focused on violence prevention.
- 2025: Served as evaluators for Iowa Health and Human Services older adult falls projects to expand falls prevention programs and support community-clinic linkages across the state.
- 2026: Celebrated 10 years of our Injury Blog.
Directors through the years
- 1991 – 1994: Dr. Jim Merchant
- 1994 – 2005: Dr. Craig Zwerling
- 2005 – 2020: Dr. Corinne Peek-Asa
- 2020 – present: Dr. Carri Casteel