Positions

Research Areas research areas

Overview

  • Sharyn J. Potter, PhD, MPH, is a Professor of in the Department of Women and Gender Studies and the Co-founder and Executive Director of Research at the Prevention Innovations Research Center: Ending Sexual and Relationship Violence and Stalking at the University of New Hampshire. She is also the Co-founder and Vice-President of Research of Soteria Solutions. Professor Potter is a global leader on the social scientific development and evaluation of bystander intervention strategies. Dr. Potter’s work focuses on engaging community members to work collaboratively to reduce sexual and relationship violence, stalking and harassment in high schools, colleges and universities, the United States Military and other work places. She has been a leader in the development, dissemination and evaluation and of theory- and research-based bystander intervention prevention strategies including the uSafeUS® mobile app, the Know Your Power® Bystander Social Marketing Campaign, and a bystander video game that models pro-social bystander behaviors, all of which have been shown to be effective with both campus and military audiences. Dr. Potter and her colleagues adapted both the Bringing in the Bystander® In-Person Prevention Program and the Know Your Power® Bystander Social Marketing Campaign for two US Army Posts in Europe (USAREUR). These two pilot studies represent a very small pool of studies specifically focused on sexual violence prevention in the US Military. She also led a study for the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault to examine sexual misconduct policy delivery methods. In addition, Dr. Potter is a national expert on designing and administering sexual violence prevalence studies. Her recent TEDx talk describes the individual and societal economic and human capital losses attributed to sexual violence. Dr. Potter’s work has been groundbreaking in her effort to partner with organizations as they strategize and implement cultural change that impacts all organizational levels. Her work has been cited in international and national news media including the Guardian, New York Times, National Public Radio, Vox, Teen Vogue and Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Principal Investigator On

  • Commercializing novel mobile platform technology to both prevent and respond to high school violence  awarded by National Science Foundation (NSF) 2021 - 2024
  • Campus Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention Consortium  awarded by Campus SRV Prevention Consortium 2018 - 2023
  • EHY Core Research  awarded by University of New Mexico 2020 - 2023
  • Evaluation of the One Love 1-session Dating Violence Prevention Program  awarded by One Love Foundation 2021 - 2023
  • Bringing uSafeUS to all NH Post-Secondary Institutions  awarded by NH Department of Justice (Attorney General) 2021 - 2022
  • IPA, Navy  awarded by US DOD, Navy 2021
  • Bringing uSafeUS to all NH Post-Secondary Institutions 2020  awarded by NH Department of Justice (Attorney General) 2020 - 2021
  • uSafeHS  awarded by National Science Foundation (NSF) 2019 - 2020
  • Technology Enhancements Funds for Existing VOCA Projects  awarded by NH Department of Justice (Attorney General) 2020
  • IPA Navy  awarded by US DOD, Navy 2019 - 2020
  • Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)  awarded by NH Department of Justice (Attorney General) 2018 - 2020
  • Non-Residential and Community College Sexual Assault Policy and Prevention Initiative  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2018 - 2019
  • Comprehensive Sexual and Relationship Violence and Stalking Prevention Strategies  awarded by McLane Middleton Professional Association 2015 - 2018
  • Adaptation and Evaluation of Video Game to Reduce Sexual Violence on Campus  awarded by US DOJ, Department of Justice 2015 - 2018
  • uSafeUS  awarded by National Science Foundation (NSF) 2018
  • Non-Residential and Community College Sexual Assault Policy and Prevention Initiative  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2017 - 2018
  • SHARP  awarded by Catharsis Productions 2016 - 2017
  • Non-Residential and Community College Sexual Assault Policy and Prevention Initative  awarded by US DHHS, Dept of Health & Human Services 2016 - 2017
  • Discussion Group Design and Facilitation Assistance  awarded by US Veterans Administration 2016 - 2017
  • Prevention Innovations Assessment of Army SHARP  awarded by General Dynamics Information Technology 2015 - 2016
  • Prevention Innovations Assessment of Army SHARP  awarded by General Dynamics Information Technology 2014 - 2015
  • Prevention Innovations Assessment of Army SHARP  awarded by General Dynamics Information Technology 2014 - 2015
  • Adaption of the UNH Know-Your-Power Social Marketing Campaign for University of California Merced  awarded by University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) 2011
  • Open Doors to Safety Projects  awarded by New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence 2008 - 2011
  • Army Pilot Study for Bystander Intervention  awarded by US DOD, Army 2009 - 2010
  • Teaching Activities

  • Advanced Topics Taught course
  • Gender, Power and Privilege Taught course
  • Research Internship Taught course 2022
  • Advanced Topics Taught course 2021
  • Gender, Power and Privilege Taught course 2021
  • Internship Independent Study Taught course 2018
  • Internship Independent Study Taught course 2018
  • Research Internship Taught course 2018
  • Senior Thesis Taught course 2017
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2017
  • Senior Honors Thesis Taught course 2017
  • Senior Honors Thesis Taught course 2016
  • Sexualized Violence Taught course 2016
  • Sexualized Violence Taught course 2016
  • Independent Reading & Research Taught course 2015
  • Sexualized Violence Taught course 2015
  • Medical Sociology Taught course 2014
  • Statistics Taught course 2014
  • Education And Training

  • B.S., State University of New York
  • M.P.H. Public Health, Emory University
  • Ph.D. Sociology, Emory University
  • Full Name

  • Sharyn Potter
  • Mailing Address

  • University of New Hampshire

    Prevention Innovations Research Center

    9 MADBURY RD Suite 405

    DURHAM

    NH

    03824-2046