B.A. Laris, MPH, has worked as a Research Associate with ETR since October 1999, planning, developing and coordinating evaluation activities in a variety of settings. She provides capacity-building assistance to community-based organizations working in HIV prevention across the U.S., and works on two randomized control trial evaluations of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention curricula (It’s Your Game for middle school students in Harris County, Texas, and AIM 4 Teen Moms in Los Angeles County).
She has coordinated statewide school-based evaluations in Michigan and Rhode Island in the areas of physical activity and nutrition, and rapid evaluation projects with school districts in Washington (assessing the policies and programs to support Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender students, staff and families) and Colorado (assessing the impact of a price change intervention). She has also managed several evaluation projects with the San Francisco Unified School District to reduce adolescent health risk behaviors related to out-of-school time, nutrition, physical activity, violence, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and comprehensive school health. The projects involve both quantitative and qualitative data collection to assess student, teacher and community improvements in health and safety.
Ms. Laris has been involved in several research synthesis projects, including working closely with Dr. Doug Kirby for the revision of Emerging Answers; reviewing the association between physical activity and academic performance with CDC-DASH; improving adolescent access to health care in Latin America; and assessing factors affecting adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Ethiopia with UCSF for the World Bank.
Her previous work experience includes program planning, management, and evaluation in the areas of HIV/AIDS, substance use prevention and treatment, and international health.
Current Projects
Community Impact Solutions Capacity Building Assistance Program (CDC-DHAP)
AIM 4 teen Moms (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles)
TPP Replication of Evidence-Based It’s Your Game (University of Texas, Houston Health Center)
Publications
Love, L., Coyle, K., Laris, B.A., & Franks, H. (2014). They were only joking: Efforts to decrease GLBTQ bullying and harassment in Seattle public schools. Journal of School Health, 84(1), 1-9.
Rasberry, C.N., Lee, S.M., Robin, L., Laris, B.A., Russell, L.A., Coyle, K.K., & Nihiser, A.J. (2011). The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance: A systematic review of the literature. Preventive Medicine, 52 Suppl 1:S10-20.
Boyle-Holmes, T., Grost, L., Russell, L., Laris, B.A., Robin, L., Haller, E., Potter, S., & Lee, S. (2009). Promoting elementary physical education: Results of a school-based evaluation study. Health Education and Behavior, Pre-published September 11, 2009; DOI: 10.1177/1090198109343895.
Contributing author: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010).The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.
Kirby, D., & Laris, B. (2009). Effective curriculum-based sex and STD/HIV education programs for adolescents.Child Development Perspectives, 3(1), 21-29.
Kirby, D., Laris, B., & Rolleri, L. (2007). Sex and HIV Education Programs: Their Impact on Sexual Behaviors of Young People Throughout the World.Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 206-217.
Kirby, D., Laris, B., & Rolleri, L. (2006).The Characteristics of Effective Curriculum-Based Sex and HIV Education Programs for Adolsecents. Scotts Valley, CA: ETR Associates.
Kirby, D., Laris, B., & Rolleri, L. (2006).Sex and HIV Education Programs for Youth: Their Impact and Important Characteristics. Washington, DC: Family Health International.
Kirby, D., Laris, B., & Rolleri, L. (2006).The Impact of Sex and HIV Education Programs on Youth in Developing Countries. Research Triangle Park, NC: Family Health International.
Kirby, D., Obasi, A., & Laris, B. (2006). The effectiveness of sex education and HIV education interventions in schools in developing countries. In D. Ross, B. Dick, & J. Ferguson (Eds.), Preventing HIV/AIDS in Young People: A Systematic Review of the Evidence from Developing Countries. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Kirby, D., Laris, B., & Rolleri, L. (2005).Impact of Sex & HIV Curriculum-based Education Programs on Sexual Behavior of Youth in Developing Co. Washington, DC: Family Health International.
Lorig, K., González, V.M., Laurent, D.D., Morgan, L., & Laris, B.A. (1998). Arthritis self-management program variations: 3 studies. Arthritis Care and Research, 11(6): 448-454.
Who is Who in Sex Ed 