• Ph.D.      University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
• M.S.        College of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
• M.P.H.     School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
• B.S.N.     Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University

Professional Positions

• Coordinator of  Research Programs, Center for Prevention Research and
  Development, University of Illinois 2006-2009

• Lecturer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2003-2006

• Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2002-2003

• Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Chicago 2001

• Research Assistant, Health Research & Policy Centers, University of Illinois at Chicago 2000-2002

Scholarly Activities

Presentations

• 2008 Engaging Youth in Local Alcohol Policy Change.  S.P. Hays & L.M. Searing.  Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center Leadership Conference.  Nashville, TN, August.

• 2007 Beyond Postcards and Petitions:  Engaging Youth for Positive Change (poster). S.P. Hays, L.M. Searing, & C.M. Hanson. National Conference on Tobacco or Health. Minneapolis, October.

• 2007 SmokeFree Laws in Illinois: Community Types and Political Advocacy Models (poster). S.P. Hays & L.M. Searing. National Conference on Tobacco or Health.  Minneapolis, October.

• 2002 Community Landscape Asset Mapping: An innovative approach to community-level needs assessment. L.M. Issel & L. M. Searing. American Evaluation Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, November.

• 2001 Comfort talking with parents and self-efficacy in safer sex behaviors. L.M. Searing & S. Levy. Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association. Atlanta, GA. October.

Grants and Research

• 2008-present    Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevention Project (Illinois Department of Human Services).

• 2007-present    Illinois Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (Illinois Department of Human Services).

• 2006-2008    Engaging Youth for Positive Change (Safe and Drug Free Schools)

• 2006-2007    Illinois Clean Indoor Air Project (Illinois Depart of Public Health).

Professional Organizations

• Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing, 1994-present