Kim Smith
Director of National Programs and External Engagement
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Expertise
Kim Smith is the Director of Programs for the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab, where she works across a portfolio of research projects in close partnership with government agencies and local nonprofits. She works extensively on the Crime Lab’s efforts to make data more accessible to the public, most recently by supporting the development and release of the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard, a tool for non-profit organizations, the media, and the general public, which provides near-real-time data and visualizations of violence trends.
Prior to joining the Crime Lab, she worked at Innovations for Poverty Action, a research organization dedicated to discovering and advancing what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty. Kim was one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 in 2022 and a fellow in the 2023 class of Leadership Greater Chicago. Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from McGill University.
Webinar: Untapped Levers for Reducing Gun Violence – The Impact of Behavioral Science Programs
Learn more about our study of Choose to Change® and other behavioral science interventions.
Summer Safety Analysis: Chicago Crime Trends
These data visualizations present our summer safety analysis on Chicago crime trends.
2024 End-of-Year Analysis: Chicago Crime Trends
Gun violence remains one of the most pressing challenges in America but there are signs of progress.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Week in Washington, D.C.
View highlights from the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy’s week in Washington, D.C. in February 2024 including capstone presentations, meeting with policymakers, and the graduation event at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris.
CVI Leadership Academy
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) is a first-of-its-kind program to train community violence intervention leaders from across America.
Back to Our Future (B2OF)
Back to Our Future (B2OF) is a state-funded, district-led, evidence-informed effort to re-engage disconnected students at an elevated risk for gun violence involvement.
Read the new policy brief.
City of Chicago Mayor’s Office Technical Assistance
The Crime Lab supports the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Office on several crime reduction projects and initiatives that aim to improve public safety outcomes for Chicago residents.
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Technical Assistance
The Crime Lab has provided technical assistance to Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services and its service providers to aid in their efforts to more strategically direct their prevention and intervention services to those individuals most in need.
Latest Updates
Maintaining violent crime decline is Chicago’s evergreen resolution
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board provides commentary on the promising declines in violence from the Crime Lab’s end-of-year analysis and the need for continued support for successful violence prevention programs.
Violent crime is declining in Chicago, but crime prevention funds are too
WBEZ’s David Struett covers the Crime Lab’s latest analysis of end-of-year Chicago crime trends showing declines in violent crime.
Research shows signs of success in program stopping youth violence
Fox 32 Chicago covers new research from the University of Chicago Crime Lab showing how behavioral science interventions can reduce gun violence.
