Recently Completed Dissertations
2024
Nash, Madeline, "Examining the Politics of Recognition in Native AmericanIdentity and Mental Health in Parts of the Great Lakes Region: A Semi-Decolonized, Mixed Methods Approach." Committee: Stephen Gasteyer (chair), Ning Hsieh, Zhenmei Zhang and Heather Howard (Anthropology)
Bur, Alaina, "Community-Based Environmental Governance in West Pokot County, Kenya." Committee:Jennifer Carrera (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Maria Isabel Espinoza and Robert Richardson (Community Sustainability)
Russ, Megan, "Acquiescence at Sexual Debute and Sexual Function in Older Adults." Committee: Zhenmei Zhang (co-chair), Ning Hsieh (co-chair), stef shuster, Robyn Bluhm (Philosophy/LBC)
2023
Shingne, Marie Carmen, "Mechanisms of Denial: What is Water In/Security in the United States." Committee:Jennifer Carrera (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Steve Gold and Laura Reese (Urban and Regional Planning/Political Science)
Mirzoyan, Inna, "The Diaspora Evolves: Young Armenians Forging Identities in Yerevan and Glendale." Committee: Steve Gold (chair), stef shuster, Xuefei Ren, Andrea Louie (Anthropology) and Ani Sarkissian (Political Science).
Wenhau Zoey Lai, ""Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental and Cognitive Health Among Older Adults: The Roles of Stress Exposure and Social Relationships." Committee: Ning Hsieh (Chair), Hui Liu, Zhenmei Zhang, Isabel Ayala and Richard Lucas (Psychology Department).
Angélica Ruvalcaba, "Systemic Issues Can’t Be Fixed Overnight: How Latina Undergraduate Students Engage in Activism and Critical Hope." Committee: Isabel Ayala (chair), Steve Gold, Some Chaudhuri and Leslie Gonzales (Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Learning)
Nathan Poirier, “Analysis of Social Actions in the Space of In Vitro Meat and Alternative Animal Products.” Committee: Tom Dietz (chair), Linda Kalof, Wynne Wright, Phil Howard (Community Sustainability)
Anna Wilcoxson, “Coping in Crisis: Restaurant Workers’ Attempts at Dignity Maintenance Amid COVID-19 Layoffs." Committee: Isabel Ayala (chair), Brendan Mullan, Ray Jussaume, and Maite Tapia.
Mark Suchyta “Social and Environmental Influences on Subjective Well-being” Committee: Tom Dietz (Chair), Linda Kalof, Aaron McCright and Richard Lucas (PSY).
2022
Brittany Tucker: “Sociological Due Process: Exploring Systemic Biases in the Michigan Family Juvenile Court” Committe: Brendan Mullan (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Steven Gold, Melanie Jacobs (MSU College of Law; Dean).
Kayleigh Ward: "Assessing Disaster Management Effects on Recovery Outcomes in Rural Post-disaster Japan." Committee: Raymound Jussaume (chair), Aaron McCright, Stephen Gasteyer, Lucero Radonic, Robert Richardson.
2021
Jihan Mohammed: "Sectarian Discrimination in Post-2003 Iraq: An Empirical Study on Iraqui Arab Sunnies and Iraqi Arab Shiites." Committee:Clifford Broman (chair), Steven Gold, Hui Liu, Nazita Lajevardi (Department of Political Science).
Jennifer Lai. “Power and the Environment in Type 2 Diabetes Science.” Committee: Sandra Marquart-Pyatt (co-chair), stef shuster (co-chair), Hui Liu, Sean Valles.
Yan Zhang. "Parenthood and Parents' Cognitive Health in the United States." Committee: Hui Liu (chair), Zhenmei Zhang, Ning Hsieh, William Chopik (Psychology).
Christian Ramirez. "¡PALENQUE!: Cross Cultural Exchange Among Indigenous and African Peoples in 17th Century Veracruz, Mexico." Committee: Brendan Mullan (chair), Isabel M. Ayala, Steven Gold, Eric Juenke (Political Science/Chicano/Latino Studies).
2020
Nicole Lehpamer. "Relationships That Matter: Marriage and the Role of Non-Marital Network Ties in Providing Health Benefiting Support Among Those in Old Age." Committee: Daniel Menchik (chair), Hui Liu, Zhenmei Zhang, Ken Frank, Clifford Broman.
Jessica Rizzolo. "Stigma and Commodification in Wildlife Consumption and Crime." Committee:
2019
Hui Qian. "Race, Ethnicity, and Traditional Food Markets: Toward a Multidimensional Food Security." Committee: Sandy Marquart-Pyatt (chair), Steven Gold, Stephanie Nawyn and Philip Howard (CSUS).
Melissa Wright. "Mentorship Matters: The Role of Mentorship in Social Capital Building and Student Achievement Outcomes."
Kelly Maginot. "Paperless Citizens: Perceptions and Practices of Citizenship among Salvadoran Retomados."
Stephen Vrla. "Including Nonhumans in Deliberative Democracy Through Multispecies Communicative Democracy and Democratic Education."
Samuel Mindes. "Emigrant America: Estimating and Envisaging Expatriation to Canada and Mexico."
Seung-Won Choi. "Grandparenting and Health in Later Life: Evidence from the United States, South Korea, and China." Committee: Zhenmei Zhang (chair), Cliff Broman, Hui Liu and Amanda Woodward (Social Work).
2018
Shika Bista. "Perceived discrimination and psychological distress: The moderating and mediating role of social context among Asian Americans." Committee: Clifford Broman (chair), Isabel Ayala, Steven Gold, Isis Settles.
Matthew Houser. "Nitrogen Fertilizer Management in the Context of the Midwestern Corn Agro-Ecological System: An Environmental Sociological Analysis." Committee: Sandy Marquart-Pyatt (chair), Aaron McCright, Diana Stuart (Northern Arizona University), Scott Swinton, Wynne Wright.
Riva Denny. "A Cross Scale Examination of How Knowledge and Physical Environment Influence the Use of Best Management Practices in US Commudity Agriculture." Committee: Sandy Marquart-Pyatt (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Aaron McCright, Philip Robertson, Diana Stuart (Northern Arizona University).
Shannon Shen. "Make a Little Love? Chronic Disease and Sexuality among Older Adults." Committee: Hui Liu (chair), Clifford Broman, Daniel Menchik, Zhenmei Zhang.
2017
Summer Allen. "Morals, Values, and Environmental Behavior." Committee: Aaron McCright (chair), Thomas Dietz, Sandy Marquart-Pyatt, Kelly Millenbah.
Cameron Herman. "A Safe Haven or a Revolving Door?: Exploring Urban Youths' Perceptions of a Municipal Recreation Center in Atlanta, Georgia." Committee: Carl Taylor (chair), Terry Flennaugh, Stephen Gasteyer, Xuefei Ren.
Jasmine Cooper. "Post-Trump Intersections and "Post-Racial" Reflections: Black Women, Racism, Sexism, and Classism in the U.S." Committee: Steven Gold (chair), Rashida Harrison, Ruben Martinez, Xuefei Ren.
Erica Giorda. "Local Food in Perspective: Place, Time, Authenticity, and the Relocalization of the Food System." Committee: Craig Harris (chair), Lawrence Busch, Stephen Gasteyer, Philip Howard.
I-Chien Chen. "Gender Inequality in College Enrollment and STEM major in U.S. 1980-2013: A Family Resource Perspective." Committee: Barbara Schneider (chair), Kenneth Frank, Steven Gold, Hui Liu.
Jennifer Elizabeth Wray. "Governance, Commodification, and Urban Development: Metropolitan Detroit Residential Associations as a Vehicle for Governance Commodification." Committee: Brendan Mullan (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Ray Jussaume, Igor Vojnovic.
Cameron Whitley. "Unintentional Sentinels: Humans, Animals and Energy Development." Committee: Thomas Dietz (chair), Lida Kalof, Aaron McCright, Adam Zwickle.
Katherine Dentzman. "Exploring the Relationship between Farmers' Place Attachment, Frames, and Ideology: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Herbicide Resistant Weed Management." Committee: Ray Jussaume (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Karen Renner, Wynne Wright.
Crystal Eddins. "African Diaspora Collective Action: Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution." Committee: Aaron McCright (chair), Anthony Chambers, Steven Gold, Brendan Mullan.
Jason Palmer. "The Workforce Development System and Individuals with Barriers to Employment: Toward a Strategy for Successful Implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in West Michigan." Committee: Brendan Mullan (chair), Steven Gold, Ray Jussaume, Mey Keykendall.
2016
Jeffrey Oliver. "Politics, Capitalism and Immigrant Threat Narrative in Online Media." Committee: Steven Gold (chair), Ruben Martinez, Xuefei Ren, Lindon Robison.
Svetla Dimitrova. "Neoliberalism and International Development Volunteering in a Post-Socialist Context: The Contradictory Utopia of Peace Corps/Bulgaria (1991-2013)." Committee: Brendan Mullan (chair), Lawrence Busch, Norman Graham, Xuefei Ren.
Yan-Liang Yu. "Marital Biography and Chronic Disease Progression in Mid-and Late Life." Committee: Zhenmei Zhang (chair), Clifford Broman, Siddharth Chandra, Hui Liu.
Dana Chalupa. "Exploring the Racial and Ethnic Identities and assimilation of South Americans." Committee: Isabel Ayala (chair), Sheila Contreras, Steven Gold, Hui Liu
Kimberly Underwood. "Marginalization at the Margins of Life: Perceptions of "Unhealthy" Children Before Birth." Committee: Ray Jussaume (chair), Linda Hunt, Hui Liu, April Williams.
Angela Nurse. "Race and Dress: How Racial Identity and Stratification Impact Body Modification and Supplementation Among Collegiate Women." Committee: Clifford Broman (chair), Steven Gold, Carl Taylor, Theresa Winge.
Rachel Butts. "Structural Determinants of Biracial Identification." Committee: Clifford Broman (chair), Stephen Gasteyer, Hui Liu, Zhenmei Zhang.
Moushumi Roy. "Immigrants' Assimilation and Outcomes of Health: A Multidimensional Analysis of Self-Assessed Health Among Asians and Paramedics of Asian Indian Origin in the U.S." Committee: Clifford Broman (chair), Isabel Ayala, Ann Reese, A Ten.
Bette Avila. "Importance of Motherhood and/or Social Stigma of Infertility: What's driving Infertility-Related Outcomes?" Committee: Stephanie Nawyn (chair), Rita Gallin, Hui Liu, I Bresnahan, Isabel Ayala.
John Girdwood. "The hand to mouth experience of homelessness in Michigan." Committee: Steven Gold (chair), Julia Miller, Carl Taylor, A Ten.
Cynthia Manns. "Minority Access to Healthcare The Social Contruction of Healthcare Disparities: Giving Voice to the Experiences of Women of Color." Committee: Clifford Broman (chair), Hamilton Dulebohn, Steven Gold, April Williams.