Laura A. Voith, PhD

Associate Professor
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

Dr. Voith has worked over the last decade to address violence against women and youth through counseling, agency- and community-based coordination efforts, and research.

Her research focuses on the prevention and intervention of violence against women by working with boys and men to uncover the etiology of violence though the lens of trauma and health disparities. Her research shows that exposure to adversity and violence in family- and community-settings in childhood and adolescence are significant factors that, if gone unaddressed, can lead men to perpetrate violence in adulthood.  Dr. Voith’s research aims to inform the development and evaluation of violence prevention programs with at-risk youth and improve batterer intervention programming with men. 

To learn more about her research team, their current projects, and dissemination go to the Healing, Empowerment, Antiviolence Research Team (HEART) page.

Biosketch
Curriculum Vitae

Why I Teach

Teaching provides an opportunity for me to create learning communities where all participants––students and instructor alike–– can explore and question the origins of their points of view, apply critical thinking skills, and engage as active producers of knowledge, rather than passive consumers in the classroom and field. Drawing on trauma-informed, social justice, and intersectional feminist frameworks and active learning principles, I aim to create learning environments that have high expectations, while scaffolding opportunities for each student to find their own “edge”. Dr. Voith has received national awards for her teaching, including the Donna Harrington Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring of Social Work Doctoral Students and the Scholarship in Teaching Award, and was nominated for the Outstanding Faculty/Staff Advocate Award by the Disabilities Resource Center at ǿմý

Why I Chose this Profession

I chose Social Work because it embraces the complexity of the human condition and recognizes the influence of larger systems on social welfare. I can't imagine a better lens use when trying to make a meaningful impact in our world. 

Teaching Information

Teaching Interests

Doctoral Student Mentoring

Dr. Voith is committed to the development of the Mandel School’s doctoral and masters-level students. Her mentoring philosophy is grounded in the basic tenet that through scaffolded, collaborative, and experiential learning opportunities, students will develop the requisite skills to launch their careers as independent scholars. Working with Dr. Voith, students will have the opportunities to learn the processes of grant writing and manuscript development, co-author manuscripts, and present at national conferences. She also welcomes the opportunity for doctoral students to complete a teaching mentorship in one of her current courses.

 Learn more about how to get involved with her research

Courses Taught

SASS 500: Community Trauma and Resilience: Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice
SASS 555: Women’s Issues
SASS 638. Integrative Research Seminar

Publications

Recent Publications

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Carlson, J., Voith, L.A., Holmes, M.R., & *Brown, J. (Accepted). Applying a Developmental, Social Ecological, and Survivor Lens to Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence: The Current State, Challenges, and Future Directions. Violence Against Women.

Yoon, S., Voith, L. A., & Kobulsky, J. (2018). . Journal of Adolescence, 64, 89-97.

Voith, L.A., Holmes, M.R., & Duda-Banwar, J. (2018) . Journal of Social Work Education, 1-11. doi: 10.1080/10437797.2017.1283268

Voith, L.A. & Brondino, M.J. (2017 Epub ahead of print) . American Journal of Community Psychology. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajcp.12163/full doi:10.1002/ajcp.12163

Voith, L.A. (2017 Epub ahead of print). . Trauma, Violence, and Abuse.  http://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/D7btJzDWeHuEIbaRNzqB/full doi: 10.1177/1524838017717744

Voith, L.A., Anderson, R.E., & Cahill, S.P. (2017 Epub ahead of print) . Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 

Voith, L.A. & Blakey, J.M. (2016 Epub ahead of print) . Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 1-12. Available online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40653-016-0116-x

Voith, L.A., Topitzes, J., & Reynolds, A.J. (2016). . Violence and Victims, 31(4), 767-784. doi: 10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-14-00090

Yoon, S., Kobulsky, J., Voith, L.A., Steigerwald, S., & Holmes, M. R. (2015). . Child Abuse & Neglect, 50, 104–15. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.10.012

Holmes, M.R., Yoon, S., Voith, L.A., Kobulsky, J. & Steigerwald, S. (2015). . Behavioral Sciences, 5(2), 176-189. doi: 10.3390/bs5020176

Learn more about her active research projects.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Master of Social Work
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Bachelor of Arts
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Additional Information

Concentration

  • Children, Youth and Families

Affiliations