LAURA A. RAPP, Ph.D. Associate Scientist Center for Drug and Health Studies University of Delaware Newark, DE lrapp@udel.edu EDUCATION January 2012 May 2007 December 2004 Ph.D. in Sociology Dissertation: Women in Romantic Relationships with Convicted Sex Offenders M.A. in Applied Sociology, Criminal Justice Concentration Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA Thesis: College Students Concern Regarding Prison Sexual Violence B.S. in Sociology Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA RESEARCH AND EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE Fall 2013-Present Associate Scientist 2012-Fall 2013 Post-Doctoral Researcher Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Center for Drug and Health Studies, Lead in implementing and monitoring the community component and assisted in the statewide level evaluation system for substance use and abuse prevention. Oversaw graduate research assistants. Documented the process of multiple agencies and entities collaborating to achieve designated substance reduction priorities. Directed the training and technical assistance to community groups creating their strategic plans, needs assessments, survey design, and data analysis. Interacted directly with University, federal and State administrators to ensure fulfillment of state and federal government regulations by managing federal reporting tools, providing monthly and quarterly reports, detailing the fulfillment of contract deliverables on a monthly basis. Wrote and compiled successful competitive RFP responses resulting in multiple contracts to the University. Initiated work on new funding opportunities working with state, community, and university colleagues. 2009-2011 Researcher, Program Evaluator Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Laura A. Rapp -- Resume 1
Center for Drug and Health Studies, Assisted in implementing and monitoring a community and statewide level evaluation system for substance use and abuse prevention. Documented the process of multiple agencies and entities collaborating to achieve designated substance reduction priorities. Aided in conducting a statewide needs assessment on substance use and abuse. Provided training and technical assistance to community groups creating their strategic plans, needs assessments, survey design, and data analysis. Required expertise with the roles, policies, and regulations of grant administration at the federal level. Ensured compliance with state and federal government regulations by managing our federal reporting tool and monthly and quarterly reports, detailing the fulfillment of contract deliverables. 2010-2012 Researcher Women in Romantic Relationships with Convicted of Sex Offenders Conducted in depth qualitative interviews with women dating or married to convicted sex offenders. Transcribed, coded, and analyzed data in Atlas.ti to identify the impact on the women, techniques to neutralize the stigma, and conceptualizations of the relationship as compared to women married to convicted offenders (other than sex offenses) and women married to men with no criminal background. Explored issues related to reentry and unintended consequences of policies on spouses of convicted sex offenders. Summer 2010 Summer 2009 Summer 2009 Data Analyst Diversity Task Force Office of Equity and Inclusion, Analyzed data from three university wide survey samples, including students, faculty and staff. Analysis focused on interpreting differences in university experiences by race, class, gender, and sexuality. Created tables and graphs to display survey results. Results were used to shape University wide policies that focus on diversity and inclusion issues. Summer Research Assistant Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Compiled University wide dataset for emergency preparedness steps and action plan for each office and department. Assisted in creating templates for preparedness in case of school shut down for extended periods of time. Research Assistant Reliability of Assessment for Sexual Interest Project Laura A. Rapp -- Resume 2
Conducted interviews for a test retest reliability study of an assessment for sexual interest. Conducted interviews with sixty convicted sex offenders over a two-month time period. Fall 2007 Summer 2006 Research Assistant Women s Resiliency Project Explored the factors associated with women leaving a domestic violence situation and staying out of violent relationships for at least three years. Conducted in depth qualitative interviews with survivors of domestic violence. Transcribed subsequent interviews. Research Supervisor Social Science Research Center, Norfolk VA Carried out quality control checks and inputted data on a mailed statewide survey of mental health services for minors. Attended bimonthly meetings to generate ideas for new research projects. Developed proficiency in the CATI system, which produced and maintained information from phone surveys. Conducted quality control checks on the phone interviews. RELATED EXPERIENCE Summer 2009 Graduate Assistant National Science Foundation Advanced Grant Compiled and synthesized information about women academics in the STEM departments. Drafted literature review for an additional NSF grant about women in the STEM departments at the University of Delaware. Summer 2008 Graduate Assistant Diversity Task Force President s Office, Graduate assistant to the President s Diversity Task Force that conducted a review of diversity policies and recommended new procedures and policies. Compiled statistical data and conducted content analysis. Moderated meetings with constituency groups. Reviewed and synthesized best practices and policies of fostering a diverse environment in colleges and universities. 2007-2009 Teaching Assistant Teaching assistant at the University of Delaware for various undergraduate sociology and criminal justice classes. Such class include, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Sociology of Risk, and Research Methods and Statistics. Responsibilities include, running the lab section of the statistics class, developing grading scales, questions for tests. Grading assignments. Laura A. Rapp -- Resume 3
2004-2006 Sexual Assault Counselor/Advocate Response Sexual Assault Support Services of the YWCA, Norfolk VA Certified crisis counselor. Provided sexual assault counseling and advocacy to victims and their families through the 24-hour hotline, hospital accompaniment, and throughout the court process. Worked with police officers, forensic nurses, victim witness, and commonwealth attorneys. Trained volunteers, Navy personnel, and forensics nurses. Taught educational classes to students and athletes on local college campuses. RESEARCH CERTIFICATION& TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS SPSS/PASW Statistics STATA ATLAS.ti CATI Motivational Interviewing Certification PUBLISHED WORKS Michalec, Barret and Laura Rapp. 2014. Medical Marijuana: The Importance of Education and Research. Delaware Medical Journal 86(11): 333-335. Rapp, Laura A. 2012. Sex Offender Registration. Encyclopedia of Community Corrections. Eds. Shannon M. Barton-Bellessa and Geoffrey J. Golson. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Rapp, Laura A., Deeanna M. Button, Ben Fleury-Steiner, and Ruth Fleury-Steiner. 2010. The Internet as a Tool for Black Feminist Activism: Lessons from an Online Anti-Rape Protest. Feminist Criminology 5(3):244-262. Anderson, Tammy L., Philip R. Kavanaugh, Laura A. Rapp, and Kevin Daly. 2009. Variations in Clubbers Substance Use by Individual and Scene-Level Factors. Addiciones 21(4):289-308. Leon, Chrysanthi and Laura A. Rapp. 2009. Incest. The Praeger Handbook of Victimology. Ed. Janet Wilson. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Rapp, Laura A. and Margaret L. Andersen. 2009. A Review of Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. Sociological Forum, 24(4), 945-948. Anderson, Tammy L., Kevin Daly, and Laura A. Rapp. 2009. Clubbing Masculinities and Crime: A Qualitative Study of Philadelphia Nightclub Scenes. Feminist Criminology. 4(4), 302-332. Rapp, Laura A. and Deeanna M. Button. 2008. A Review of Predators: Who They Are and How to Stop Them. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 15(1), 125-128 Laura A. Rapp -- Resume 4
Payne, Brian K., Deeanna M. Button, and Laura A. Rapp. 2008. Challenges to Doing Sexual Violence Work. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 17(3), 374-393. CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS Rapp, Laura A. Managing Stigma, Honoring Strength: Telling the Stories of Women in Relationships with Sex Offenders. A paper presented at the American Society of Criminology, Washington, DC, November 2011. Rapp, Laura A. Sex Offense Convictions and the Registry: The Impact on Wives and Girlfriends of Convicted Sex Offenders. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society, Philadelphia, February 2011. Fleury-Steiner, Ben and Laura A. Rapp. Nappy Headed Hos and Mass Legal Culture: Investigating the Don Imus Controversy in Cyberspace. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association International Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 2008. Rapp, Laura A. and Deeanna M. Button. Women and Disasters: The Effect of War on Violence against Women. A paper presented at the Geis Student Research on Women Conference, Newark, Delaware, April 2008. Rapp, Laura A. Does Gender Matter? Gender and Other Factors that Affect Concern toward Prison Rape. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society, New York City, February 2008. Kevin Daly and Laura A. Rapp. Clubbing Masculinities, Drugs, and Crime. A paper presented at the Graduate Student Conference, Newark Delaware, February 2008. Rapp, Laura A. College Students Attitudes toward Prison Rape. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Seattle Washington, March 2007. Triplett, Ruth and Laura A. Rapp. Social Disorganization and the Role of the Church in Understanding Neighborhood Rates of Crime. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Los Angeles, November 2006. Rapp, Laura A. To Report or Not: Correlates of Rape Reporting. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, March 2006. SELECTED COMMUNITY SERVICE 2009-2010 Suicide and Crisis Hotline Volunteer ContactLifeline Delaware Wilmington, Delaware Answered 24-hour hotline for people in crisis and looking for referrals for services. Completed training on topics such as suicide, domestic violence, Laura A. Rapp -- Resume 5
and sexual assault, joblessness, depression, substance abuse, and gambling addictions. 2008-2009 Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Sexual Offense Support Newark, Delaware Provided crisis counseling and advocacy to victims of sexual violence and those in their support system that were also impacted. Answered the 24 hour hotline and met victims at local police stations to offer advocacy and support while interacting with police officers while they were making their statements about the sexual assault. 2006-2007 Hotline Volunteer Response, Sexual Assault Support Services of the YWCA Norfolk, Virginia Answered 24 hour hotline and provided crisis counseling and education to sexual assault victims and their friends and family. Coordinated hospital accompaniment of victims, to meet the counselors and forensic nurses at the hospital for the forensic examination. 2005 Domestic Violence Training Samaritan House, domestic violence/homeless shelter Virginia Beach, Virginia Completed training to help domestic violence victim and their families more effectively. GRANTS AND AWARDS 2011 Women of Promise, Graduate Student 2010 Frank Scarpitti Outstanding Graduate Student Award 2010 University Dissertation Fellows Office of the Provost, 2008 Student Travel Award Office of Women s Affairs, 2008 Professional Development Award Office of the Provost, MANUSCRIPT REVIEWER Violence Against Women American Journal of Criminal Justice Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Laura A. Rapp -- Resume 6