Our Team

Dr. Pina Violano is the Founder of Guns2Gardens CT and a nationally recognized nurse scientist, public health researcher, educator, and leader in injury and violence prevention. For more than four decades, she has dedicated her career to improving the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities through evidence-based research, education, and community partnerships. 

As Founder of Guns2Gardens CT, Dr. Violano leads statewide firearm buyback and safe firearm storage initiatives that provide practical, community-centered approaches to reducing firearm injury and promoting public safety. Her work is grounded in research, collaboration, and the belief that every community deserves access to effective violence prevention strategies. 

Dr. Violano's interdisciplinary expertise bridges nursing and public health. She is also the co-founder of Swords to Plowshares Northeast (S2PNE), providing leadership in program development, grant acquisition, and research. Her scholarship focuses on firearm ownership, firearm storage practices, and the motivations that lead individuals to voluntarily surrender firearms. This research has informed public health policy and has been presented before the Connecticut General Assembly to support evidence-based legislative initiatives. 

A passionate advocate for children and families, Dr. Violano served for more than 14 years as Principal Investigator for the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of New Haven and continues to serve as an appointed member of Connecticut's Child Fatality Review Panel. She also helped establish Yale New Haven Hospital's Injury & Violence Prevention Program and, in 2021, was appointed to Connecticut's Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention, where she contributes to statewide violence prevention efforts. 

In addition to her public health leadership, Dr. Violano has over 40 years of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse specializing in critical care and emergency medicine. She is an Associate Professor of Nursing at Quinnipiac University and Director of the Quinnipiac School of Nursing Community Engagement Program. Through this innovative program, she combines teaching, nursing practice, and meaningful community service by engaging nursing students in firearm buyback events, safe storage initiatives, injury prevention programs, and community-based research. 

Dr. Violano holds a PhD in Public Health and has secured funding for numerous community initiatives supporting Guns2Gardens CT and other violence prevention programs. She serves on multiple professional and community boards and has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to nursing, public service, injury prevention, and community engagement. A dedicated mentor, she is equally committed to recognizing the achievements of her students and colleagues while inspiring the next generation of healthcare and public health leaders. 

Through Guns2Gardens CT, Dr. Violano continues to advance a vision of safer communities by transforming unwanted firearms into symbols of hope, healing, and renewal—demonstrating that lasting change is built through compassion, research, education, and collective action. 

Bio coming soon...

Vin Coglianese is an Emergency Medical Technician holding his New Jersey, Connecticut, and National Registry licensure. He is a healthcare professional with a strong passion for emergency medicine, public health, and community outreach. Through his work in EMS and healthcare education, he has gained hands-on experience responding to medical emergencies, providing patient care, and supporting health initiatives both on campus and within the community. Vin is committed to serving others through compassionate care, leadership, and advocacy for accessible healthcare education and prevention programs.

In addition to his EMS experience, Vin has been actively involved with the nonprofit organization "In A Heartbeat" Foundation, where he has participated in youth cardiac screening events, CPR/AED education, and community health outreach initiatives. Over the past year and a half, he has helped screen more than 100 young individuals for potential cardiac conditions and contributed to expanding awareness surrounding sudden cardiac arrest prevention. His dedication to community health and preventative medicine led to his appointment to the organization’s Board of Directors, where he continues to support lifesaving initiatives and public health advocacy.

Beyond his clinical and nonprofit work, Vin has developed a strong interest in the intersection of emergency medicine, preventative healthcare, and community engagement. He is passionate about creating programs that improve public access to lifesaving education and empower individuals to take an active role in their health and safety. Whether working directly with patients, assisting at community events, or collaborating with healthcare professionals, Vin brings a service-oriented mindset and a commitment to making a meaningful impact in the communities he serves.

Kendell L. Coker is a clinical psychologist with a specialization in forensic psychology and an attorney. His primary research interests include the study of trauma, substance use, juvenile delinquency, and aggression/violence (e.g., community violence, interpersonal violence, group conflict). His research also explores racial and health-related disparities in the criminal justice system and the contributing impact of systemic bias/discrimination. These research areas tend to naturally intersect. It is not uncommon for trauma and substance use to co-occur among individuals and serve as risk factors for violence and criminal justice involvement. He emphasizes that we also cannot ignore the role of deeply rooted societal bias and discrimination as causal factors in multiple negative outcomes among minoritized populations.

He strongly believes in research-informed policy. He has experience working with researchers and policy makers to advocate for social justice initiatives. He served as a council member on the Juvenile Defense Resource Institute at Northwestern University School of Law, which was a project designed to strategize ways to reduce recidivism and improve legal representation of juveniles involved in the criminal justice system. He works with state officials, non-profit organizations, and local stakeholders to mitigate the harms of gun violence and fight for common sense gun legislation. He is currently the co-editor of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry which is an American Psychological Association (APA) journal and the principal publication of the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice.