CFK BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Abigail Kohn

Abigail Kohn received her A.B. from Harvard University in Folklore and Mythology ('91), a degree that introduced her to cultural anthropology and story-telling in cultural context. After a brief and ill-fated attempt to become a Hollywood casting director (she has the dubious distinction of assisting the casting director of "Major League"), Abigail became interested in all things crime-related. She pursued a Masters in Criminology from Cambridge University ('92), where she wrote a thesis on the law enforcement and mental health professionals' response to child abuse and satanic cults. She then began a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco ('00), ostensibly to continue researching cultural perceptions of and responses to child abuse and trauma.

Her research took a different turn, however, when a friend introduced her to the world of recreational gun use. She became interested in American gun ownership, about which she eventually wrote her Ph.D. dissertation. Her book, Shooters: Myths and Realities of America's Gun Cultures, was published by Oxford University Press in in May 2004. She followed up on the gun research with a 3-year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Institute of Criminology at the University of Sydney. She learned quite a bit about Australian gun ownership, and although the crocodiles and accents held a certain appeal, Abigail finished the fellowship in June 2004 and headed home. She is now living in Washington, D.C., and happily working for a Washington-based strategy and technology consulting firm. Corporate life is treating her well.

Most of all, Abigail is delighted and honored to serve on the Board of Directors of CFK, which she believes provides a shining example of what happens when individuals from different cultural backgrounds come together to improve the lives and spirits of people in need.