Can sports and physical activity be used to provide psycho-social support for children and youth in complex humanitarian situations, such as the refugee crisis in Europe, natural disasters or places of armed conflict? Dr. Dean Ravizza of Salisbury University’s Health and Sport Sciences Department believes so. He recently organized, and presented at, a symposium on this topic for the International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport, held in conjunction with the Summer Olympic Games.

Ravizza joined SU’s faculty in 2006 and also is a senior researcher with SU’s Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution. He is actively involved with international work on using sports for children and youth in areas of conflict in Northern Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, he is collaborating with the United Nations Refugee Agency to incorporate sport as part of holistic resettlement programs for refugees in Berlin, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden.

To arrange an interview with Ravizza, contact Katie Curtin in SU’s Public Relations Office at 410-543-6030 or [email protected].