UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State will honor Phillip W. Graham, a principal scientist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International, with the title of 2024 Bennett Lecturer in Prevention Science. Graham, a leading expert in conducting community-level research to help prevent adolescent interpersonal violence and substance misuse, will offer free lectures on Oct. 2-3 to the Penn State community.

On Oct. 2 at 4:15 p.m., Graham will deliver a lecture titled “Culturally Responsive Healing Practices for Boys and Young Men of Color,” during which he will discuss practices that youth of color-focused organizations are using to disrupt the dehumanization of boys and young men of color. These practices, which include new narratives, culturally responsive programming, and systems reform, are grounded in robust research and the lived experience of boys and young men of color.

"True progress begins when we center the voices of those with lived experiences, for they carry the wisdom, resilience and insights that no data or theory can replicate. Without their perspective, our solutions remain incomplete and disconnected from the realities we seek to change," Graham said.

On Oct. 3 at 4 p.m., Graham will present the 23rd annual Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science. Titled “Conducting Rigorous Community-level Research: The Power of Possibilities,” Graham's lecture will explore the challenges and rewards of conducting rigorous research in real-world settings, tailoring evidence-based interventions to meet the specific needs of diverse populations.

Both lectures will take place in 110 Henderson Building on Penn State's University Park campus and are free and open to the public. No registration is required.

Graham has been at the forefront of community-based research, addressing the critical issues of substance use, violence and inequities that impact youth and their communities. A leader in evaluation at the federal, state and local levels, his work spans diverse areas, including the effects of witnessing community violence, the development of ethnic identity among African American male adolescents, and the implementation of evidence-based interventions to reduce youth substance use. He currently leads two research studies funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one assessing the effectiveness of community violence prevention strategies in Milwaukee, and another evaluating a family-strengthening intervention aimed at reducing opioid use among families affected by adverse childhood experiences in New Jersey.

Most recently, Graham has turned his focus toward inclusive research approaches to evaluating community violence interventions, striving to understand their impact on both community violence and trauma.

“Dr. Graham’s career is a testament to how prevention science can be used in the real world to make meaningful differences in everyone’s lives,” said Max Crowley, director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center and host for the Bennett Lecture.

Graham’s national leadership roles also include president-elect of the Society for Prevention Research and founding director of the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives.

These events are made possible through an endowment given by Edna Bennett Pierce, a 1953 Penn State graduate of the College of Health and Human Development, whose generosity helped to establish and continues to sustain the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, which has developed and implemented evidence-based programs to improving the lives of children, families and communities in Pennsylvania and beyond since 1998. The Oct. 2 lecture is co-sponsored by the Child Study Center at Penn State and the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center.