Lela Rankin
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340 N. Commerce Park Loop Sutie 250 Tucson, AZ 85745
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Mail code: 3920Campus: Dtphx
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Lela Rankin is a professor in the School of Social Work, Tucson. She is also a faculty affiliate and investigator with the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, a faculty affiliate with the Interdisciplinary Training Academy for Opioid use prevention and healthcare, and a faculty affiliate with the Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona.
Rankin’s scholarship focuses on preventive interventions for children and families, particularly in vulnerable populations. She has established strong community partnerships that have led to the development, implementation, and management of several federally funded intervention studies. Rankin has expertise in longitudinal and intensive-repeated-measure designs, using surveys, observational, and qualitative methods for immigrant Mexican mothers, adolescent mothers, and mothers with newborns born opioid-exposed. In addition, her scholarship is innovative and prolific; she has produced more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals. Both locally and internationally, she is regarded as the spokesperson on using infant carriers as a tool to enhance parenting and promote infant development, reaching several media outlets and international speaking engagements.
Rankin teaches human behavior and the social environment, clinical practice courses with adolescents, and LGBTQ+ issues.
Rankin has interdisciplinary training in psychology and family studies and human development. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland and Temple University and earned her doctorate from the University of Arizona.
Ph.D. University of Arizona
Read more about Williams’ current projects and publications on Research Gate.
Selected Publications
Williams, L. R. & Rueda, H. A. (2018). Teen dating violence: Perceptions of need, priority, and prevention responsibility among schools in predominantly Mexican heritage communities. Children and Schools, 40, 135-144. doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdy012
Williams, L. R., Ayón, C., Marsiglia, F. F., Kiehne, E., & Ayers, S. L. (2017). Acculturation profiles and associations with parenting among immigrant Latinos. Hispanic Journal of Social Sciences, 39, 452-469. doi: 10.1177/0739986317725509
Williams, L. R. & Rueda, H. A. (2016). Mexican American adolescent couples’ vulnerability for observed negativity and physical violence: Pregnancy and acculturation mismatch. Journal of Adolescence, 52, 170-181. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.08.001
Williams, L. R., Ayers, S., Baldwin, A., & Marsiglia, F. F. (2016). Delayed youth substance use initiation: A RCT of complementary youth and parenting interventions. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 7, 177-200. doi: 10.1086/685298
Williams, L. R., Marsiglia, F. F., Baldwin, A., & Ayers, S. L. (2015). Unintended effects of an intervention supporting Mexican-heritage youth: Decreased parent heavy drinking. Research on Social Work Practice, 25, 181-189. doi: 10.1177/1049731514524030
Rueda, H. A., Lindsay, M., & Williams, L. R. (2015). “She posted it on Facebook”: Mexican American adolescents’ experiences with technology and romantic relationship conflict. Journal of Adolescent Research, 30, 419-445. doi: 10.1177/0743558414565236
Williams, L. R. & Anthony, E. K. (2015). A model of positive family and peer relationships on adolescent functioning. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 658-667. doi 10.1007/s10826-013-9876-1.
Williams, L. R., Adams, H. L., & Nagoshi, J. L. (2014). Trust, cheating, and dating violence in Mexican American romantic relationships. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 5, 339-360 doi: 10.1086/677174.
Anthony, E. K., Williams, L. R., & LeCroy, C. W. (2014). Trends in adolescent development impacting social work practice: How can we catch up? Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 24, 487-498 doi: 10.1080/10911359.2013.849220.
Williams, L. R. (2014). Experiences with violence in Mexican American and European American high school dating relationships. Children and Schools, 36, 115-124. doi: 10.1093/cs/cdu009.
Letendre, J. & Williams, L. R. (2014). “I hear you”: Using focus groups to give voice to adolescent girls’ experiences with violence. Social Work with Groups, 37, 114-128. doi: 10.1080/01609513.2013.823832
- Williams,Lela Rankin. Mexican American Teen Relationships (MATR) study: The Development of Culturally Sensitive Intervention Models to Prevent Teen Dating Violence. NY COMM TRUST(9/1/2011 - 5/31/2014).
- Williams, Lela Rankin. Substance Exposed Newborn Attachment and Wellness (NAW) Study. PUBSRV (3/1/2018-3/1/2019).
Radio Interview with KJZZ 91.5 (March, 2018). Are there measurable benefits of Babywearing? https://kjzz.org/content/616713/are-there-measurable-benefits-babyweari…
Courses
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWG 502 | Human Behavior & Social Env II |
| SWG 502 | Human Behavior & Social Env II |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWG 502 | Human Behavior & Social Env II |
| SWG 502 | Human Behavior & Social Env II |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWG 502 | Human Behavior & Social Env II |
| SWG 502 | Human Behavior & Social Env II |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWU 461 | LGBTQ Issues |
| SWG 561 | LGBTQ Issues |
| SWU 461 | LGBTQ Issues |
| SWU 461 | LGBTQ Issues |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWU 461 | LGBTQ Issues |
| SWG 561 | LGBTQ Issues |
| SWU 461 | LGBTQ Issues |
| SWU 461 | LGBTQ Issues |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWG 502 | Macro Human Behav Soc Environ |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWG 662 | Soc Wk Practice w/Adolescents |
2020 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWG 502 | Macro Human Behav Soc Environ |
2019 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SWU 303 | Micro Human Behav Social Envir |
Special Guest Editors: Lela Rankin Williams & Ann Bigelow
Infant Behavior and Development Journal
Special issue: 'Effects of Physical Contact on Infants and Their Caregivers'.
https://www.journals.elsevier.com/infant-behavior-and-development/call-…
Society for Research in Child Development
Society for Research on Adolescence
Society for Social Work and Research
World Association for Infant Mental Health
- Casa De Los Niños Board Member
- Pima Community College Advisory Board Member
- Tucson Babywearers Board Member
- Tu Nidito, Program Development and Assessment Advisory Member
- Society for Social Work and Research Cluster Co-Chair for Adolescent Development
- Society for Research on Adolescence, Innovative Small Grants Committee Member