Human Development & Family Studies                                                 Phone: 814-321-2902

Pennsylvania State University                                                                 Email: bethgrisa@psu.edu

113 Henderson Building

University Park, PA 16802

EDUCATION

Ph.D.Human Development and Family Studies, May 2011

The Pennsylvania State University

M.S. Human Development and Family Studies, May 2009

The Pennsylvania State University

             Areas of study: Family and Prevention

             Research Interests:  Contextual influences on family processes; family interventions for  

             resident mothers and non-resident fathers to improve quality of relationship, father

             involvement, and child outcomes

Adviser: Douglas M. Teti, PhD.

B.A.Psychology/Philosophy, December 2000

University of Illinois at Chicago

B.A.      Music, May 2005

University of Illinois at Chicago

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Grisa, E.K. , Perkins, D.F. (2008, May). Measuring Quality through Observations in After-School

Programs for Children, Paper presented at the Society for Prevention Research, San

             Francisco, CA.

Gorman-Smith, D.,  Schoeny, M., Grisa, E.K., Gay, F.N., Tolan, P.H., & Henry, D.B, (2008, May).   

             Predicting Early Fatherhood and Father Involvement among Inner-City Men,

             Paper presented at the Society for Prevention Research, San Francisco, CA.

Schoeny, M., Gorman-Smith, D., Henry, D.B, & Grisa, E.K. (2008, March). Peer Networks as

            Mediators of the Relation between Adolescent Delinquency Patterns and Aggression in

            Offspring. Paper presented at the Society for Research in Adolescence,

            Chicago, IL.

Grisa, E.K. , Gorman-Smith, D.,  Schoeny, M., Tolan, P.H., & Henry, D.B, (2007, May).

            Predictors of Early Fathering Among Inner-City Men, Poster presented at the Society for

            Prevention Research, Washington, D.C.

Schoeny, M., Gorman-Smith, D., Tolan, P.H., Henry, D.B, & Grisa, E.K. (2007, May).

            Intergenerational Transmission of Aggression In a Sample Of High-Risk Inner-City

            Fathers. Paper presented at the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, D.C.

Grisa, E. K., Griffin, T. D., Mullen, E. & Skitka, L. J. (1999). Cultural differences in political

            ideology. Paper presented at Northwestern University’s Undergraduate Research

            Conference, Evanston, IL.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2008 – 2009 Research Assistant

                       Human Development & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University

                                 Project S.I.E.S.T.A.

2006 – 2008 Research Assistant, Center for Human Development and Family Research in

          Diverse Contexts

              Human Development & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University

                                L.E.G.A.C.Y. Afterschool Project: Assist in measure decisions with P.I.s; construct

                                tech reports of all measures from 2006 pilot study; train field observers to use

                                observational measures for afterschool programs across Pennsylvania; observed

                                afterschool sites for pilot study in Gettysburg and Harrisburg, PA. Under the

                                direction of Emilie Smith.

2003 – 2006  Project Director, Chicago Youth Development Study 

                        Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago

                                Recruited, consented, and tracked 700 participants for a longitudinal study of    

                                inner-city minority men, their biological and non-biological children, and the

                                children’s mothers; assisted Primary Investigators in decision-making for

                                constructs and measures for assessments; co-designed and constructed consent

                                database; assisted with IRB amendments; trained and supervised field

                                interviewers; handled all administrative tasks including payments to participants

                                and payroll for interviewers; managed consent database and incoming data    

                                from interviews.

2001 – 2003  Research Assistant; G.R.E.A.T. Schools and Families Study

                        Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago

                                Assisted in tracking and recruiting 2,500 students involved in multisite middle

                                school violence prevention efficacy trial; assisted in training and supervising a

                                staff of seven used in administrating post-violence prevention intervention

                                surveys to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in Chicago Public Schools; assisted

                                and coordinated locations for interventions as well as child care for participants

                                of intervention.

1999 – 2000  Undergraduate Research Assistant, Social Psychology Lab

           Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Chicago

                                Obtained field data for two social psychological experiments; co-developed   

                                coding strategies used for data analyses; administered dissertation-level

                                experiments with human research subjects.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

2008-presentAffiliate Member, Outreach Subcommittee

             Collaborative on Racial and Ethnic Diversity

             The Pennsylvania State University

2004 – 2006    Co-chair, Academic Professionals Subcommittee

             Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women

             University of Illinois at Chicago

2002 – 2004Graduate Assistant, Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women

             University of Illinois at Chicago

                                 Organized and coordinated annual Woman of the Year reception attended by        

                                 Chancellor and Provost, including press, catering, and award; handled all

                                 administrative tasks for committee; attended all steering committee meetings,

                                 taking minutes; managed all paperwork and transfers of expense for all co-

                                 chairs served as a liaison between co-chairs and Office for Access and Equity.

1998-2000Executive Officer

              Psi Chi, University of Illinois at Chicago Chapter

Professional Affiliations

Society for Prevention Research

Society for Research in Child Development

Society for Research in Adolescence

Society for Community Research and Action

Psi Chi – The Honors Society of Psychology