Amanda Konradi

Amanda Konradi earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology with a concentration in women's studies from the University of California - Santa Cruz in 1994. She taught at Ohio University until 2003, then moved to Baltimore in 2003 and held the Elizabeth J. Somers Fellowship in the Women's Leadership Program at George Washington University. Dr. Konradi began teaching at Loyola as a Visiting Associate Professor in 2004, was hired as a tenure track Assistant Professor in 2014, and received tenure and advance to Associate in 2018. She became department chair in January of 2023.

The focus of Dr. Konradi's current research is the physical and mental/emotional quality of life of individuals affected by two rare bone diseases: Fibrous Dysplasia (FD) and cherubism. Dr. Konradi has analyzed data from the FD/MAS Alliance Patient Registry to explore the quality of life of adults and children, inclusive of stigma. Dr. Konradi is presently collaborating with Dr. Andrea Burke, a craniofacial surgeon, to determine if surgical intervention results in a significantly different quality of life for craniofacial FD patients.

Dr. Konradi has an ongoing solo project titled "Coping with facial disfigurement among fibrous dysplasia and cherubism patients." This is a qualitative interview investigation that explores how individuals with craniofacial differences understand their conditions and negotiate living in a world that stigmatizes people who violate appearance norms. Dr. Konradi is interested in what particular strategies patients develop over time to respond to experienced or anticipated stigma as well as the implications of this for medicine. Dr. Konradi's research projects and new courses usually begin with a personal connection. This project is no different. Dr. Konradi has cherubism, she has siblings with the condition, and has an affected child (now adult). She is aware of the lack of resources for patients and their parents and seeks to complete work that will augment the kinds of studies conducted by medical investigators who focus primarily on the body.

Dr. Konradi has studied the involvement of rape survivors in the criminal prosecution of their assailants since the 1990's and has written about their reporting decisions, self-preparation for court events, emotion work, engagement with sentencing, involvement in plea bargains, and testimony in Taking the Stand: Rape Survivors and the Prosecution of Rapists (2007) and numerous articles. With Patricia DeBruin, RN, Dr. Konradi helped train Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and explored how their services can be incorporated into a campus health system and successfully marketed to college students. Dr. Konradi recently concluded studies about how college campuses process sexual assault. With Loyola students Emily Delaney and Alyssa Quenzel, Dr. Konradi analyzed campus definitions of sexual assault and adjudication procedures in 4-year residential colleges and universities in the state of Maryland. With Loyola student Angelica Puzio, she examined students' understanding of campus policies. Recently, she published a chapter on "Victims" in the Oxford Handbook on Prosecutors and Prosecution, written with her daughter Tirza, examining the scope of victim protections in law and practice.

Dr. Konradi loves to teach and helping others develop their skills has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. It started with swimming lessons and coaching synchronized swimming as a teen, shifted to academics in college when she tutored kids in the City of Chester, PA, and turned to teaching sociology and helping instructors become successful in the classroom in graduate school. Dr. Konradi has taught in the areas of symbolic interaction and social psychology, deviance and social control, criminal justice, law and the legal process, social problems and social policy, gender and sexuality studies, and research methods. She particularly enjoys teaching Social Research Methods and assisting students with independent projects, because she likes to see them build a sense of accomplishment as they master concepts and develop unique do-able projects.

Dr. Konradi has served on the editorial board of Gender & Society and Teaching Sociology, and reviews manuscripts/proposals for a variety of sociological, legal, and medical journals. Dr. Konradi has also served the FD/MAS Alliance (formerly Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation), which supports individuals diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia and McCune Albright syndrome as Secretary and Acting President on the Board of Directors from 2004 - June 2016. She was involved in membership, organization of conferences, expansion of the physician referral network, development of the website, and other activities. She continues to serve on the Steering Committee of the Patient Registry, providing input on protocols and developing questionnaires.

View Dr. Konradi's profiles on Google Scholar and Academia.edu to obtain copies of articles, or view her C.V.

Courses Taught

• SC 201 - Self and Society
• SC 210 - Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies
• SC 331 - Deviance and Social Control
• SC 342 - Social Research Methods
• SC 430 - Seminar: Gender and Justice
• SC 498 - Forensic Studies Experience

 

Places Dr. Konradi thinks students ought to discover in and around Baltimore:

The TORREY C. BROWN TRAIL is a "hiking - biking" rail-trail that runs through the upper reaches of Northern Baltimore County in Maryland linking to a trail in Pennsylvania that will take you to York. In the winter months you can also go cross country skiing.
CROMWELL VALLEY PARK is a stream valley park comprised of pasture, cultivated gardens, open fields, woods, hedgerows, orchards, and wooded piedmont hills within a short drive of campus. It's a great place to wander and picnic or study in a quiet meadow on a sunny day.
CENTERSTAGE offers great terrific theater at a price students can afford.
The BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA has a student discount program.
The AMERICAN VISIONARY ART MUSEUM is the national repository for the artworks created by self-taught artists and the building's architecture is an artistic creation unto itself. Be sure to visit the Rouse Building to find the various small and large kinetic sculptures and if you can, go watch the Kinetic Sculpture Race in May.
The REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM's mission is to be the premier experience and best resource for information and inspiration about the lives of African American Marylanders. The museum seeks to realize its mission by collecting, preserving, interpreting, documenting, and exhibiting the rich contributions of African American Marylanders from the state’s earliest history to the present and the future. The RFLM features some amazing traveling exhibits.

Websites Dr. Konradi recommends for students:

Loyola University Maryland GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES RESOURCES for starting points for research papers related to gender, sexuality, or women's studies.
The SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.  Founded by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr. in 1971, the SPLC is internationally known for tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups. Our innovative Teaching Tolerance program produces and distributes – free of charge – documentary films, books, lesson plans and other materials that promote tolerance and respect in our nation’s schools.  Education students MUST visit this site.
The AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU)  is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
NATIONAL LGBTQ TASKFORCE is an incredible resource on issues and research relevant to discrimination on the basis of sexuality. NLGBTQ issues maps and fact sheets are very useful.
LEGAL MOMENTUM: the Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund has an extremely useful legal knowledge center with information about current advocacy and litigation and a large publications database.
The NATIONAL SEXUAL VIOLENCE RESOURCE CENTER serves as the nation’s primary information and resource center regarding all aspects of sexual violence. The NSVRC publications collection is extensive and includes brochures, posters, articles, curriculum and academic studies to assist those working to prevent sexual violence and to improve resources, outreach, and response strategies.
The NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR RARE DISORDERS (NORD) is an advocacy group that serves the needs of a diverse population of individuals. This is an interesting place for students with a medical inclination to explore.