Mission

The mission of the Patricia A. Tomson Center for Violence Prevention (PATCVP) is to build the capacity of institutions of higher education, K-12 schools, victim service agencies, law enforcement and the criminal justice system to systematically implement best practice violence prevention and evaluation strategies in collaboration with state, family and community partners.

Patricia A. Tomson Center for Violence Prevention

The PATCVP will do this by:

  • Conducting common bullying and gender violence prevention trainings and workshops with school and community partners.
  • Increasing the engagement of men in working to reduce and end violence and abuse.
  • Supporting schools and community partners in their efforts to maintain and sustain bullying and violence prevention initiatives and strategies.
  • Making data-informed decisions with schools and communities in their efforts to reduce and end all forms of bullying and gender-based violence.

About Patricia A. Tomson

The PATCVP is named in honor of Patricia A. Tomson and her decades of work on behalf of survivors of abuse. 

Together with her husband, O. Jay Tomson, the Tomsons granted a $2 million gift to the center (2021) in support of its mission to build the capacity of Iowa’s schools, victim service agencies, law enforcement and other institutions to systematically implement best practices in bystander-based prevention education. The endowed gift provides operational support as well as sustained funding for the Tomson Scholars program, which since 2016 has funded student internships with violence prevention organizations and agencies providing direct services to survivors of abuse.

The Tomsons have received numerous awards for their philanthropy over the years, including for their support of several higher education institutions such as their alma mater: St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Patricia Tomson received her master’s degree in counseling from UNI in 1986, leading to a career as a family therapist and later as executive director for the First Citizens Bank Charitable Foundation, where O. Jay served as chairman of the board.