Education
- BA: Sociology, minor in Legal Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- MA: Criminal Justice, University Massachusetts Lowell
- Graduate Certificate: Survey Research, University of Connecticut
Biosketch
Marla is the mother of two adult sons on the autism spectrum. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in legal studies in 1994 and her master’s in criminal justice in 2000, both from UMass Lowell. While her boys were growing up, she worked as a field interviewer for two research studies. The first involved interviewing participants for a long-term study conducted through the Families and Autism Research Lab at Sargent College, Boston University. The study was funded through the National Institute on Aging and looked at the effects that caring for adults with autism had on family members and caregivers. The second study, conducted by the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin, involved research examining the relationship between Down Syndrome and Dementia.
Marla also interviewed participants for an opioid treatment program evaluation in 2020 and received her graduate certificate in Survey Research from the University of Connecticut in 2021.