Firearm Safety is Topic of Upcoming Provost’s Distinguished Lecture

The Oct. 9 presentation highlights a day devoted to emergency preparedness on the Keuka College campus.


Wednesday, October 2, 2019

The Provost’s Distinguished Lecture Series at Keuka College continues next week with a presentation focusing on gun safety.

Dr. Nicole A. Stassen, professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will deliver a lecture titled “Firearm Injury Prevention in 2019: Where We Are, Where We Should Be.” The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 6:15 p.m. in the College’s Norton Chapel. It is free and open to the public.

The lecture was instigated after the College lost an alumnus to gun violence this summer.

“In light of the recent shooting in Gilroy that took the life of alumnus Trevor Irby, we wanted to focus on this important issue,” said Keuka College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Brad Fuster.

The lecture will cap a day of public-safety initiatives at the College:

3:30 p.m.: College-wide Evacuation Drill: The campus population will be prompted to evacuate all buildings (student athletes with practice are excused) via the Nixle system. Students, faculty, and staff are asked to please follow directions as they are communicated in real time.

4:30 p.m.: Stop the Bleed Training; Norton Chapel: A team of trauma surgeons led by Dr. Mark Gestring, director of Adult Trauma at the Strong Regional Trauma Center in Rochester, will conduct a workshop on the proper way to assist in controlling bleeding during emergencies.

NOTE: Although an active shooter drill was initially considered, that exercise will not be part of the day’s activities.

“All campuses in 2019, no matter how serene they appear, must be prepared for the unthinkable scenario of an active shooter,” said Provost Fuster.

Dr. Stassen serves as the director of the third-year medical student clerkship at the University of Rochester Medical School and as the director of the Kessler Family Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit. She completed her General Surgery Residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals and a Trauma and Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Louisville Hospitals in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Stassen actively develops educational courses and curricula in areas including acute care surgery and trauma. She serves on numerous boards and committees including the American College of Surgeons’ New York State Committee on Trauma. And she has won numerous awards, grants, and fellowships during her career.

An active researcher who publishes frequently, Dr. Stassen has lectured across the country on issues ranging from the use of sedatives in intensive care units to the impact of graduated driver’s licenses on crashes involving young passengers in New York.

The Provost’s Distinguished Lecture Series at Keuka College provides opportunities for scholarly and social discussion of current issues relevant to the campus and local community.