Research — Lily Casura, MSW

CITI Program · Completed 20-Jul-2026

Human Research: Social/Behavioral Research Course — Refresher Course Certification

CITI Program. Completion Date: 20-Jul-2026. Expiration Date: 20-Jul-2029.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health · 2026

"When the Golden Years Are Not So Golden: Aging Women Veterans, MST, PTSD and Homelessness"

Casura, L., & Harris, R. (June, 2026)

When the Golden Years Are Not So Golden — Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 2026

Book Chapters

Springer Nature · 2025

"Women Veterans, Poverty, and Homelessness"

Casura, L., & Harris, R. In Singelmann, J., & Poston, D. (Eds.), International Handbook of the Demography of Poverty and Inequality. Springer Nature.

International Handbook of the Demography of Poverty and Inequality cover

Oxford University Press · 2024

"On Doing Public Scholarship: A Dialogue"

Sáenz, R., & Casura, L. In Dolgon, C. (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Sociology for Social Justice. Oxford University Press.

The Oxford Handbook of Sociology for Social Justice cover

Routledge · 2013

"Healing Combat Trauma: The Website, the Vision, the Impact"

Casura, L. In Scurfield, R., & Platoni, K. (Eds.), Healing War Trauma: A Handbook of Creative Approaches. Routledge.

Healing War Trauma: A Handbook of Creative Approaches cover

Survey Research

University of Texas at San Antonio · 2017–present

Principal Investigator: "Internet Survey of Women Veterans re: Housing Instability post-Military Service"

IRB 15-189E. Faculty sponsor: Richard Harris, Ph.D. University of Texas at San Antonio.

This IRB-approved study has generated 50,000+ published words on women veterans and homelessness — and research findings that inspired a character on a popular crime drama.

Illustration of woman veteran with child

Commissioned illustration for the women veterans research

Illustrated map showing path from military service to housing stability

Commissioned "map out of homelessness" for women veterans

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District · 2021

Community-Based Domestic Violence Survey of San Antonio and Bexar County — Summary Report

Casura, L., & Harris, R. (August, 2021). San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

Community-wide survey on domestic violence before and during COVID-19, conducted with a team of UTSA researchers. Part of a grant-funded project totaling approximately $150K.

Map showing survey respondents by ZIP code across Bexar County

Survey respondents by ZIP code — showing geographic distribution of participants across Bexar County

City of San Antonio · 2018

Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment

Hernandez, M., & Casura, L. (August, 2018). City of San Antonio.

Community-wide survey of low-income individuals and service providers. A 300+ page report with supplemental Tableau visualizations and a partner excerpt — translated into multiple formats for multiple audiences.

Collage of key informants interviewed for the Community Needs Assessment

Key informants interviewed for the 2018 Community Needs Assessment

2018 Community Needs Assessment results graphic showing links to online resources

CNA results made available online in multiple formats, including Tableau visualizations

Independent · 2014

National Survey of Women Veterans on Homelessness after Military Service

Casura, L. (2014). Pilot study preceding IRB-approved research.

Training & Certifications

VA National Center for PTSD · May 2010

National Center for PTSD Training — Menlo Park, CA

Weeklong immersion in PTSD and MST research, led by VA researchers. Menlo Park, CA. Competitive appointment.

National Center for PTSD training, Menlo Park, CA — May 2010

Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington D.C.

Practitioner and Advanced Level Certifications in Mind-Body Medicine

Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington, D.C.

2017

Certificate of Continuing Professional Education — "Grounded Theory Methodologies for Social Justice Projects"

Taught by Kathy Charmaz, Ph.D. — the leading theorist in grounded theory methodology.

White Papers & Reports

N-IUSSP · 2020

"Frontline Workers in the U.S.: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender"

Casura, L., Lowe, R., Martinez, C., Serpas, S., Castellanos, V., & Singelmann, J. (September, 2020). N-IUSSP, International Union for the Scientific Study of Population.

Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women · 2019

"The Status of Women in San Antonio Report"

Sáenz, R., & Casura, L. (May, 2019). Brief · Full report

A locally influential civic report commissioned by the City of San Antonio — covering health, economic opportunities, political participation, and violence and safety. The violence and safety data in particular drew significant public attention.

The report found San Antonio disproportionately worse than Texas's other major cities on domestic violence and intimate partner homicide of women — a finding that prompted a Congressional Town Hall in San Antonio convened by Representatives Joaquín Castro and Lloyd Doggett, believed to be the first of its kind. In its wake, the City established a Commission on Domestic Violence, based at Metro Health, which remains active today. Casura followed up independently, pulling and analyzing 100,000 misdemeanor and felony domestic violence case records over the following summer and publishing two white papers (below) that circulated among local judges and surfaced a troubling pattern of repeat offenders. Separately, concerned about the importance of the topic and knowing Snyder personally, Casura purchased autographed copies of "No Visible Bruises" — a landmark book on domestic violence — for every San Antonio City Council member and Bexar County Commissioner, plus the Mayor and the County Judge, at her own expense and at a time she could ill afford it, in the hopes that engaging with Snyder's work would raise awareness and ultimately help victims and their families. During COVID-19, Metro Health approached her to design San Antonio's first community-wide survey on domestic violence. She assembled a team of UTSA researchers and drove the work, producing a 100+ page report to Metro Health.

Report cover

Violence and Safety section of the Status of Women report

Violence and safety findings

Bar chart showing rate of women killed by male intimate partners per 100,000 female population across Bexar, Travis, Dallas, and Harris counties, 2017

Figure 40 from the report — Bexar County's rate of intimate partner homicide of women stood well above the other major Texas counties. Source: Texas Council on Family Violence (2018).