EDUCATION
2021
2015
2009
PhD in Sociology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
MS in Sociology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC
BA in Sociology and Political Science, Austin College, Sherman, TX
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Applied Social Research, University of Oklahoma, 2021-present
Project Manager, College of Natural Resources, NC State University, 2018-2021
Instructor of Record, Department of Sociology, NC State University, 2017-2021
Research Assistant, Department of Sociology, NC State University, 2014-2017
RESEARCH & TEACHING INTERESTS
Environmental sociology, Environmental justice, Social movements, Disasters and hazards, Rural sociology, Political sociology
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Bray, Laura A. Forthcoming. “Settler Colonialism & Rural Environmental Injustice: Water Inequality on the Navajo Nation.” Rural Sociology, special issue of “Race, Ethnicity, and Rurality in the United States.” doi: 10.1111/ruso.12366.
Bray, Laura A., Nicholas J. Membrez-Weiler, and Thomas E. Shriver. Forthcoming “Agrochemical Exposure and Environmental Illness: Legal Repression of Latin American Banana Workers.” The Sociological Quarterly. doi: 10.1080/00380253.2020.1841585.
Shriver, Thomas E. , Laura A. Bray, Annika Wilcox, and Adriana M. Szabo. Forthcoming. “Human Rights and Dissent in Hybrid Environments: The Impact of Shifting Rights Regimes.” The Sociological Quarterly. doi: 10.1080/00380253.2021.1909444.
Adams, Alison E., Thomas E. Shriver, Laura A. Bray, and Chris Messer. 2020. “Petrochemical Pollution and the Suppression of Environmental Protest.” Sociological Inquiry (90)3:646-68. doi: 10.1111/soin.12321.
Bray, Laura A., Olivia Vilá, Bethany B. Cutts, David Lowry, Margaret Crites, Hannah Goins, Nathan McMenamin, Mac Legerton, and Angela Harris. 2020. “Promoting Environmental Justice through Participatory Disaster Research: Hurricane Recovery in Robeson County, North Carolina.” Carolina Planning Journal 45:48-57. (not peer reviewed)
Shriver, Thomas E., Adriana Szabo, and Laura A. Bray. 2020. “Opportunity and Threat behind the Iron Curtain: The Failed Diffusion of Human Rights Activism in Romania.” International Sociology 35(6):739-57. doi: 10.1177/0268580920928925.
Shriver, Thomas E., Annika Wilcox, and Laura A. Bray. 2020. “Elite Cultural Work and Discursive Obstruction of Human Rights Activism.” Social Currents 7(1):11-28. doi: 10.1177/2329496519870554.
Bray, Laura A., Thomas E. Shriver, and Alison E. Adams. 2019. “Framing Authoritarian Legitimacy: Elite Cohesion in the Aftermath of Popular Rebellion.” Social Movement Studies 18(6):682-701. doi: 10.1080/14742837.2019.1597698.
Shriver, Thomas E., Alison E. Adams, and Laura A. Bray. 2019. “Political Power and Manufacturing Consent: The Case of the 1953 Plzeň Protest.” The Sociological Quarterly 60(1):26-45. doi: 10.1080/00380253.2018.1526046.
Bray, Laura A., Thomas E. Shriver, and Alison E. Adams. 2019. “Mobilizing Grievances in an Authoritarian Setting: Threat and Emotion in the 1953 Plzeň Uprising.” Sociological Perspectives 62(1):77-95. doi: 10.1177/0731121418791771.
Shriver, Thomas E., Laura A. Bray, and Alison E. Adams. 2018. “Legal Repression of Protesters: The Case of Worker Revolt in Czechoslovakia.” Mobilization 23(3):307-28. doi:10.17813/1086-671X-23-3-307.
Bray, Laura A. 2017. “Media and ‘Undone Science’ in West Virginia’s Elk River Chemical Spill.” Environmental Sociology 3(4):359-69. doi: 10.1080/23251042.2017.1324241.
MANUSCRIPTS IN REVIEW & PREPARATION
Bray, Laura A. “Water Justice and the Symbolic Mobilization of Rurality in Natural Resource Conflicts.” Under review.
Vilá, Olivia, Laura A. Bray, Bethany B. Cutts, Gracie Hornsby, Angela Harris, Hannah Goins, Nathan McMenamin, Taleek Harlee, Angela Allen, Sallie McLean, Margaret Crites. “Shifting Terrains: Soils and Environmental Risk Perception Following Floods.” Under review.
Bray, Laura A. “Organizing Environmental Inequality: Indigenous Marginalization in Western Water Politics.” (in preparation)
Bray, Laura A. “A Critical Environmental Justice Approach to the Indigenous Water Crisis.” (in preparation)
RESEARCH GRANTS
Water Resources Research Institute ($120,000 requested), 2020. “Research to Resilience: Transformative Watershed Planning with Socially Vulnerable Communities.” PIs: Bethany Cutts and Angela Harris. (not funded)
North Carolina Sea Grant, Mini Grant ($10,000), 2020. “Planning nature-based flood mitigation strategies through participatory videos.” PI: Bethany Cutts.
Foundation for the Carolinas, Hurricane Florence Response Grant Program ($40,000), 2019. “Robeson County – 100 soil tests near flooded homes.” Cutts, Bethany (PI), Olivia Vila, Laura Bray, David Lowry, and Angela Harris.
Rural Sociological Society, Thesis and Dissertation Research Award. 2018. “Dividing the San Juan: Water Inequality in the Southwest.” $1,405.
Sociology Graduate Student Association, North Carolina State University. Dissertation Mini- grant. 2017. “Dividing the San Juan: Settler Colonialism, American Indians, and Water Rights in the Southwest.” $100.
AWARDS & HONORS
Graduate Student Mentor Award, Sociology Graduate Student Association, NC State University, 2020.
Lead Peer Mentoring Collaborative, NC State University ($1,000), 2017.
PRESENTATIONS
Invited presentations
2021
“Water Justice in the US,” Social Justice Ministry, Grace First Presbyterian Church, Weatherford, TX (April 13). Invited speaker.
2021
“Exploring the Sociocultural Life of the Banana,” Fairtrade Fortnight 2021, panel organized by the Sustainable Development Society, University of St. Andrews, Scotland (March 5). Invited panelist.
Conference participation
2020
“Racial Projects and Rural Environmental Injustice: Water Inequality on the Navajo Nation.” Laura Bray. Accepted for the Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society (August 6–9), Westminster, CO. [Meeting cancelled due to COVID-19]
2020
“Pesticide Exposure and Transnational Legal Mobilization of Farmworkers.” Laura Bray, Nicholas Membrez-Weiler, and Thomas Shriver. Accepted for the Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society (August 6 – 9), Westminster, CO. [Meeting cancelled due to COVID-19]
2019
“Environmental Justice and Disaster Recovery: The Role of Citizen Science and Fecal Indicator Bacteria.” Gracie Hornsby, Olivia Vilá, Laura Bray, Angela Harris, and Bethany Cutts. Presented at UNC Water and Health Conference (October 7–11), Chapel Hill, NC. Poster.
2019
“Agrochemical Exposure and Environmental (In)justice: Legal Repression of Latin American Banana Workers.” Laura Bray, Nicholas J. Membrez-Weiler, and Thomas E. Shriver. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (August 10–13), New York.
2019
“Environmental Risk and Recovery: Citizen Science in the Post-Disaster Context.” Olivia Vilá, Laura Bray, Bethany Cutts, Angela Harris, and Gracie Hornsby. Presented at the 44th Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop (July 14–17), Broomfield, CO.
2019
“Water Conflicts and Rural Environmental Justice.” Laura Bray. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (April 10–13), Atlanta, GA.
2019
“Elite Cultural Work and Discursive Obstruction of Human Rights Activism.” Thomas E. Shriver, Annika Wilcox, and Laura Bray. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (April 10–13), Atlanta, GA.
2019
“Repression and Dissent behind the Iron Curtain: Human Rights Activism in Romania.” Thomas E. Shriver, Adriana M. Szabo, and Laura Bray. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (April 10–13), Atlanta, GA.
2019
“Water Conflicts and Rural Environmental Justice.” Laura Bray. Presented at the Food and Environment Brownbag Series, NC State University (April 4), Raleigh, NC.
2019
“Post-Disaster Environmental Risk: Insight Gained from Citizen Science Participation.” Olivia Vilá, Bethany Cutts, Angela Harris, Laura Bray, and Gracie Hornsby. Presented at the RISING NC Exhibit (March 28), Raleigh, NC. Poster.
2019
“Citizen Science in the Post-Disaster Context.” Olivia Vilá, Bethany Cutts, Angela Harris, Laura Bray, and Gracie Hornsby. Presented at the Citizen Science Association Conference (March 13–17), Raleigh, NC.
2019
“Environmental Recovery: Citizen Science in the Post-Disaster Context.” Olivia Vilá, Bethany Cutts, Angela Harris, Laura Bray, and Gracie Hornsby. Presented at the 6th Latin American Student Association Research Symposium, NC State University (February 15), Raleigh, NC. Poster.
2019
“Agrochemical Exposure and Environmental (In)justice: Legal Repression of Latin American Banana Workers.” Laura Bray, Nicholas J. Membrez-Weiler, and Thomas E. Shriver. Presented at the Culture and Politics Workshop, University of North Carolina (February 15), Chapel Hill, NC.
2018
“Authoritarian Legitimacy and Elite Cohesion.” Laura Bray, Thomas E. Shriver, and Alison E. Adams. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (April 4–7), New Orleans, LA.
2017
“Discursive Obstruction and the Vilification of Grassroots Environmental Activists.” Alison E. Adams, Thomas E. Shriver, and Laura Bray. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (March 29–April 1), Greenville, SC.
2017
“Mobilizing Grievances in an Authoritarian Setting: Threat and Emotional Liberation in the 1953 Plzeň Uprising.” Laura Bray, Thomas E. Shriver, and Alison E. Adams. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (March 29–April 1), Greenville, SC.
2016
“Elite Framing and the Vilification of Dissent in Authoritarian Settings.” Thomas E. Shriver, Laura Bray, and Alison E. Adams. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (August 20–23), Seattle, WA.
2016
“Agrochemical Exposure Abroad: The Cultural Dynamics of Transnational Tort Litigation.” Laura Bray. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (April 13–16), Atlanta, GA.
2016
“State Official Frames and the Vilification of Dissent.” Thomas E. Shriver, Alison E. Adams, and Laura Bray. “Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (April 13–16), Atlanta, GA.
2015
“Media Risk Framing in the Elk River Chemical Spill.” Laura Bray. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (March 25-28), New Orleans, LA.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Project manager
2018-present
“Project to Build Resilience and Innovation through Diverse Group Engagement (BRIDGE): Long-Term Recovery from Hurricane Matthew.” Funded by NC Sea Grant, Foundation for the Carolinas, and Natural Hazards Center. PI: Bethany Cutts (Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management).
Research assistant
2014-2017
“Elite Framing of Social Movements.” Funded by the National Science Foundation. PI: Thomas Shriver (Sociology).
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor of Record
Technology in Society and Culture, Online (Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Summer 2019, Spring 2019 and Summer 2018)
Sociology of Agriculture and Rural Society (Spring 2018)
Current Social Problems (Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Fall 2018)
Current Social Problems, Online (Summer 2017)
Teaching Assistant
Theories of Social Structure (SOC 400), Spring 2014
Teaching Training
Accessibility in the Classroom, 6-week Online Course (Fall 2020)
Creating Anti-Racist Learning Environments Online, Workshop (Fall 2020)
Creating Interactive Content on Moodle, Workshop (Fall 2018)
Teaching Sociology Seminar, SOC 710 (Fall 2014)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
University & Department
Co-organizer, Environmental Justice & Health Working Group, 2019 – present
Co-organizer, University Workers COVID-19 Townhall, 2020
Hiring Committee, Hurricane Recovery Interview Specialists, 2018 – 2019
Lead Mentor, Lead Peer Mentoring Collaborative, 2017 – 2018
Cohort Representative, Graduate Student Advisory Board, 2016 – 2017
Climate Survey Committee, Sociology Graduate Student Association, 2015 – 2016
Treasurer, Sociology Graduate Student Association, 2015 – 2016
Cohort Representative, Graduate Student Advisory Board, 2014 – 2015
Finance Committee, Sociology Graduate Student Association, 2014 – 2015
Professional Meetings
Session Presider, “Environmental Change and Inequality,” American Sociological Society, 2019
Session Presider, “Media, Mobilization, and Repression,” Southern Sociological Society, 2019.
Session Presider, “Domestic and International Economic Development,” Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, 2016
Journal Article Reviewer
American Sociological Review, Environmental Sociology, International Sociology, Social Movement Studies, Social Forces, Social Problems, Sociological Perspectives
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Sociological Association
- Environmental Sociology Section
- Indigenous People and Native Nations
- Collective Behavior and Social Movements Section
Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences
Rural Sociological Society
Southern Sociological Society
