Cary Carr, MPH, is a PhD candidate in public health, social and behavioral sciences. Cary has more than five years working in the nonprofit sector and is passionate about violence prevention. Her primary research focus is addressing violence against sex workers.
Cary has her BA in journalism from Temple University and her MPH in public health from the University of Florida. She has primarily worked in advocacy and crisis counseling for victims of violence and abuse. Cary has also delivered numerous violence prevention programs to military members, college students, and law enforcement. In her role as the program director at the YWCA of South Hampton Roads, she oversaw the implementation of one of the first coordinated crisis response systems to respond to victims of sexual violence, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
With a focus on the harms of criminalization and stigmatization, Cary’s current research seeks to understand violence prevention and response efforts for sex workers in the United States. Additionally, her research centers the voices and expertise of sex workers and sex worker activists. Cary is mentored by Dr. Lindsey King, who she has collaborated with on projects related to trauma, resilience, and maternal and child health. She has also contributed to research projects on resilience building in US correction facilities, sexual violence training among military members, and gender stereotypes and norms on social media.
Cary aims to incorporate feminist methodologies within her research and is passionate about the role of academia in advocating for social justice. She hopes that her research can amplify the voices of those who have been stigmatized and lead to improvements in culturally competent violence response.