~ RGVRC Affiliate Scholar ~

Rebecca Cowan, PhD, is a faculty member in the College of Social and Behavioral Health at Walden University and an adjunct professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at Old Dominion University. As a disaster mental health supervisor with the American Red Cross, she has responded to several mass shootings, including the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Cowan also served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Commission to Investigate the May 31, 2019, Virginia Beach Mass Shooting. She has written numerous peer-reviewed articles exploring various aspects of public mass shootings, including the pathway to violence, survivor impacts, mental health issues among mass shooters, and threat assessment. Additionally, Cowan is an associate editor of the Trauma Counseling and Resilience journal. She is a licensed professional counselor and is board-certified in forensic mental health evaluation and forensic behavioral analysis through the National Board of Forensic Evaluators.