Dr. Amy Wright

Assistant Professor

School of Social Work

Office

Rachel Cooper - RC 326

Office Hours

by appointment

Office Phone

(309) 438-0930office
phone

alwrig1@ilstu.eduemail

About
Education
Research

Biography

Amy L. Wright, Ph.D., is a tenure-track assistant professor within Illinois State University (ISU)’s School of Social Work, as well as an affiliated faculty member within ISU’s Women’s and Gender (WGS) Studies Program. She received her Masters of Social Work (MSW) in 2013 and her PhD in Social Work in 2018 from Louisiana State University (LSU). Her research areas of specialization include gender and sexuality issues, social and health disparities among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community, as well as romantic attachment and close relationships in adulthood. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), whose clinical practice experience includes several years as a medical social worker within an integrated behavioral healthcare setting. She also has several years of experience within crisis intervention/suicide prevention non-profit work.

Research Interests & Areas

LGBTQ social and health disparities, romantic attachment relationships, gender and sexuality issues

Ph D Social Work

Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA

MSW

Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA

Book, Chapter

Wilks, S. E., Bates, S. M., & Wright, A. L. (2015). Spirituality, coping, and psychological resilience among Alzheimer’s caregivers. In E. C. Roberts (Ed.), Spirituality: Global practices, societal attitudes, and affects on health (pp. 1-15). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Journal Article

Allen, P. D. & Wright, A. L. (2018). Remembering the forgotten flood. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 24 (2), 1-10

Wright, A. L. (2018). Relationship between obesity, childhood sexual abuse, and attitudes toward obesity in sexual-minority women. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 22, 226-242.

Maccio, E. M., DeRosa, S. M., Wilks, S. E., & Wright, A. L. (2014). Age differences in LGBT attitudes toward marriage equality. Advances in Social Work, 15, 428-442

Wilks, S. E., Geiger, J. R., Bates, S. M., & Wright, A. L. (2016). Reference accuracy among research articles published in Research on Social Work Practice. Research on Social Work Practice, 27, 813-817

Wright, A. L. (in press). Attachment Identity as a Predictor of Relationship Functioning among Heterosexual and Sexual-Minority Women. Journal of GLBT Family Studies. doi:10.1080/1550428X.2019.1633452

Manuscript

Wright, A. L. (2018). Partner gender as a predictor of relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, relationship commitment, and attachment identity among heterosexual and sexual-minority women. LSU Doctoral Dissertations . 4728

Presentations

Wright, A. L. (2019, May). Attachment identity as a predictor of relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and relationship commitment among heterosexual and sexual-minority women. Poster presented at the 7^th Annual LGBTQ Research Symposium, Champaign, IL.

Wright, A. L. (2018, April). Sexual orientation as a predictor of relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and attachment identity: A pilot study. Paper presented at the LSU School of Social Work Annual Conference, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

Wright, A. L. (2018, September). "Partner gender as a predictor of relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, relationship commitment, and attachment identity among heterosexual and sexual-minority women" . Presentation for ISU School of Social Work Department.

Wright, A. L. (2017, March). Relationship between childhood sexual abuse, obesity, and attitudes toward obesity in lesbians. Paper presented at the NASW-LA Annual Conference, Baton Rouge, LA.

Wright, A. L. (2017, May). Relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and attachment identity between heterosexual and sexual-minority females. Paper presented at the 5th Annual LGBTQ Research Symposium, Champaign, IL.

Wright, A. L., & Maccio, E. M. (2017, January). Relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and attachment identity between heterosexual and sexual-minority females. Poster presented at the Annual Program Meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research, New Orleans, LA.

Grants & Contracts

Sharing Hidden Identities: Attachment Identity as a Predictor of LGBTQ and Mental Health-Related Self-Disclosure Events among College Students in the Classroom.. Illinois State University's College of Arts and Sciences Pretenure Faculty Initative Grant. Illinois State University. (2020)

Attachment Identity and Partner Gender as Predictors of Relationship Satisfaction, Relationship Commitment, and Sexual Satisfaction among Women. ISU's College of Arts and Sciences' University Research Grant Program. Illinois State University. (2019)

Experiential Learning in Higher Education: Increasing Diversity Learning Outcomes in Undergraduate Social Work Students. Illinois State University Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Illinois State University. (2019)