Laura Schwab Reese

Laura Schwab Reese, MA, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Public Health at Purdue University. She leverages her training as a mental health counselor, public health interventionist, and program evaluator to reduce the burden of violence in the United States. Her work focuses on building and evaluating public health programs that reduce violence and associated mental health consequences through community partnerships.

Dr. Reese earned her PhD, MA, and BS from the University of Iowa. Her educational background forms the foundation for her interdisciplinary approach to violence prevention research.

Her research interests span Child Maltreatment, Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health, and Community-Based Participatory Research. She specializes in Prevention Science, Community-Engaged Research, and Intervention and Implementation Science, with a focus on Developmental Health and Wellness. Dr. Reese's work examines how digital technologies can serve as critical support systems for vulnerable youth experiencing abuse or neglect.

Her most recent publication analyzes how social media serves as a lifeline for abused and neglected young people, revealing that these platforms provide validation and support when traditional reporting systems feel unsafe. Her research demonstrates that abused youth often turn to online communities rather than authorities due to fears about mandatory reporting consequences and lack of agency.

• 50th Anniversary Kempe Lecturer; International Society for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect (2022)
• Poster of Distinction; American Academy of Health Behavior (2022)
• Early Career Award; Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section of the American Public Health Association (2021)
• Article of the Year; Journal of Public Child Welfare (2020)

Dr. Reese's research has been funded by prestigious organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She serves as the 2022 President-Elect for the Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR) and previously chaired the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section of the American Public Health Association. She also contributes to the academic community through editorial board positions at the American Journal of Public Health, Child Abuse & Neglect, and the Journal of Child and Family Studies.