Dr. Shoaf is an Associate Professor Emerita in the Department of Community Health Sciences in the UCLA School of Public Health. Her expertise is in the combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies for studying the social and health impacts of disasters. She has published numerous scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and professional publications, specifically in the areas of disasters and emergency public health. She is a member of numerous committees. Additionally, she participated in the National Research Council Committee on Disaster Research in the Social Sciences.