Graduate Students

In the Department of Sociology of Case Western Reserve University, students are able to pursue graduate education in an environment in which both faculty and fellow students share interest in the sociology of aging and the life course, and in medical sociology. Our department provides unique opportunities for early professional socialization and meaningful hands-on involvement in research projects. Students are viewed as junior colleagues, collaborating with faculty members and conducting independent research. Please feel free to ask questions you may have about any of us, our research areas, our program, or CWRU.

Katherine Abbott Dawn Aliberti Tanetta Andersson Alexandra Bohne Gracie Boswell Chris Burant Melissa Cappaert Karie Feldman Gregory Graham Andrew Hund JoAnna Kelly Jennifer Kraly Carolyn Lechner

Loren Lovegreen Lisa Martin Heather Menne Adam Perzynski Judith Reardon Paulette Sage Michael Schaefer Casey Schroeder Gul Seckin Samantha Sterns Joshua Terchek Noah Webster Amy Wisniewski

Education
B.A. Sociology and Psychology, minor in Women's Studies, Case Western Reserve University (1999)

Research Interests
Areas of interest include social inequality; intersections of race, class, and gender; poverty; urban health & education; life course studies; women's health--menopause & hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the use of equine estrogens for HRT (e.g., premarin/prempro/premphase drugs); sociology of sport; animals & society; mental health, depression, & suicide; qualitative & life course methodology.

Employment
CWRU Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Graduate Research Assistant, The Grandmother Study

Personal interests/achievements
Recipient of 2002 United States Eventing Association (USEA) Worth the Trust Adult Amateur Scholarship. Designed to assist amateur and young adult horse riders achieve their goals in the equestrian discipline of Eventing, this national scholarship awards funds towards rider's coaching expenses and was awarded at the annual national meeting (see url: www.eventingusa.com 2002 awards).
Recipient of 1999 CWRU Student Leadership Awards Patricia B. Kilpatrick Award for Service to Others & CWRU Student Community Service Award.
CWRU Women's Track & Field current record holder (half mile & mile relay), 1999.

Publications
Settersten, R. A., Jr., & Andersson, T. E. (2002). Moving and still: Neighborhood effects, human development, and the life course. In R. A. Settersten, Jr. & T. Owens (Eds.), Advances in life-course research: New frontiers in socialization (pp. 197-227). London: Elsevier Science, Ltd.

Education
B.A. Sociology/History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Case Western Reserve University (2000)

Research Interests
The interaction between technology and society, cognition and aging, elderly drivers

Research Experience
Alexandra is a Research Assistant for the Elderly Care Research Center and Dr. Settersten

Personal Interests
Computer graphics, digital photography, and music

Education
M.A. Sociology, Case Western Reserve University
M.Ed., Kent State University (1978)

Research Interests
Currently working on her dissertation prospectus which will compare two multidimensional mediators of stress, spirituality and religiosity, and investigate the sociological implications for a holistic interpretation of health in an older (65+) population of both African Americans and Caucasians.

Research Experience
Gracie has worked at the department's Elderly Care Research Center as both a field research coordinator on the "Cleveland Health Maintenance Study" and as a graduate assistant on the Florida Retirement Study. In addition, she was a research assistant to Dr. Rick Settersten, on his "History and the Life Course" project as well as an assistant on the NIMH funded project, "Aging Together," at Myers Research Institute and Bradley University, under Dr. Rachel Pruchno, PI. Currently, Gracie is assisting the Olivet Health and Education Institute on background research for a conference on "African American Health and Spirituality."

Education
M.A. Communication, Cleveland State University (1993)
B.A., Cleveland State University

Research Interests
Stress, Coping, and Psychological well-being in later life; The role of optimism as a factor in health outcomes; Statistical modeling

Research Experience
Chris is a Research Associate and Statistician in the Case Western Reserve University Medical School Department of General Internal Medicine.

Education
B.A. Communication, Cleveland State University (1988)
Licensed cephalometrist (Radiographer, specializing in cranial x-rays and analysis)

Research Interests
Developing a scale of quality of care in a long-term care setting; Quality of fit between a resident and the constellation of long-term care options; Sleep research and the aged; Public policy and the aged.

Research Experience
In addition to his part-time graduate studies, Greg is currently employed full time as a Research Assistant for Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, & CWRU Department of Pediatrics, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Research. He consults with the Department of Orthodontics regarding SES aspects of their research.

Personal Interest
Enjoys music, film, cooking, golf, and billiards.

Education
M.A. Sociology, Humboldt State University (2000)
B.A. Sociology, University of Alaska Anchorage (1998)
B.A. History, University of Alaska Anchorage (1998)

Research Interests
Social epidemiology, Alaskan Native groups, Circumpolar peoples health issues/disparity, social-history of illness, health/medical factors related to toxic plants and industrial chemicals, disasters, astronauts health, and space medicine.

Research Experience
Andrew is presently a Research Assistant for Dr. Eleanor Stoller and Dr. Susan Hinze. Previously, Andrew worked at the Cancer Survivors Research Project and on the Holocaust study for the Research Elderly Care Research Center.

Personal Interests
Photography, experimental 8mm filming, and Alaska.

Education
M.A. Sociology, Case Western Reserve University (1997)

Research Interests
Currently working on her dissertation "Determinants of Advanced Directives among the Elderly."

Research Experience
JoAnna is a Research Assistant with the Elderly Care Research Center and Florida Health Maintenance Study.

Education
M.A. Communication, Cleveland State University (1998)

Research Interests
Stress and Coping; Death and Dying; Bereavement

Research Experience
Jennifer is a Research Assistant for Dr. Eva Kahana and the Elderly Care Research Center's Cleveland Health Maintenance Project, as well as for Dr. Susan Hinze.

Education
M.A. Sociology, Case Western Reserve University (1998)
B.A. Sociology, Baldwin-Wallace College (1996)

Research Interests
Person-environment fit in Alzheimer's Disease patients and late stage dementia; The effects of architectural components of long term care facilities on the well-being of dementia patients

Research Experience
Loren currently works as a Project Coordinator for Center for Adolescent Heath, MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She has worked with Drs. Eva Kahana and Kyle Kercher in a study that examined buffers of disability cascade among the old-old. In addition, she has collaborated with Dr. Rick Settersten on a journal article that investigated the salience of age and education in the life course.

Education
A.B. Psychology/French, Ripon College (1999)
M.G.S. Gerontology, Miami University (2001)

Research Interests
The experience of dementia, minority aging, and research methods.

Research Experience
Heather is a Research Assistant for the Elderly Care Research Center.

Education
M.A. Sociology, University of Toledo (1999)
B.A. Anthropology, University of Toledo (1998)

Research Interests
Ethnography and narrative research; the conceptualization and operationalization of "quality of life"; research methods, particularly multilevel longitudinal data analysis, ; the relationship between liver disease, alcohol, and stigma; the Internet as a medium for emancipatory social exchange.

Research Experience
Adam is a full-time research assistant on the NIH funded project "Alcohol Reduction in Medical Illnesses: HCV as Prototype." He works under the supervision of Dr. Eleanor Stoller and in conjuction with Dr. Neal Dawson at Metrohealth Medical Center. He is currently working on preparing presentations for the upcoming conference of the Association of Internet Researchers.

Personal Interest
Admits to being an eclectic music lover, Internet junkie, and outdoor enthusiast.

Education
B.A. Sociology, Bloomsburg University (1996)

Research Interests
Stigmatization of people with sexually transmitted diseases (especially genital herpes); Deviancy

Research Experience Judy has worked with Richard Settersten on a project that examines how social policy can be restructured to better accommodate the life course. She has also worked on a study with Dr. Eleanor Stoller from the Sociology Department and Dr. Marsha Pyle from the CWRU School of Dentistry that examines people's attitudes towards oral hygiene. Presently, Judy works as a Research Assistant for both the Cancer Survivors Research Project and Dr. Eva Kahana.

Personal Interest
Proud Mom of three college students; Hard-Core Browns Fan

Education
M.A. Sociology, Cleveland State University (1999)
B.S. Education, University of Akron
Certificate in Paralegal Studies, Lakeland Community College

Research Interests
Medical sociology; Aging and the Life Course

Research Experience
Paulette is a Senior Research Assistant and field interviewer for the Cancer Survivors Research Project. Prior to starting graduate work, Paulette worked in market research for over 20 years, including some time as a private contractor in marketing research with several health care providers, such as the Cleveland Clinic, Humility of Mary, and Sisters of St. Francis Health System.

Personal Interest
Golfing, canoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, and spending time with family and friends.

Education
M.A. Sociology, Case Western Reserve University (1998)
B.A. Sociology, Tufts University (1996)

Research Interests
Quality improvement in health care; Physician practice behavior; Physician satisfaction; Health care systems; Health and social policy

Research Experience
I work at Medstat as an Analyst in our Chronic Care and Disability research group. I defended my dissertation prospectus "Examining the Quality of the Physician-Organization Relationship: Physician Autonomy and Satisfaction in the Managed Care Era." I am now collecting data for the dissertation.

Personal Interest
Cleveland native; Enjoys fly fishing and traveling.

Education
Casey graduated summa cum laude and received her B.A. in Sociology in May 2002 from Maryville University in St. Louis

Research Interests
I am interested in researching the social and legal implications of homophobic attitudes on gay and lesbian people as individuals and as parents. Also, I am interested in examining gender bias in social research on homosexual populations.

Research Experience
My research experience includes work with Brian Gran on the Charitable Choice Policy as well as comparing the U.S. child welfare system with international child welfare systems. Also, I have worked with Rick Settersten on a variety of life course research.

Personal Interests
' My favorite bands are The Beatles, Modest Mouse and Radiohead; my favorite movie is The Royal Tennenbaums. I love running and dancing. Also, I love to wear feather boas.

Education
M.S.G. Gerontology, University of Southern California (1998)
B.A. Counseling Psychology, Bosphorus University, Istanbul, Turkey (1994)

Research Interests
Medical sociology; Cognitive aging; Social support and health in the elderly; The influence of race and ethnicity in health access

Research Experience
Gul is a Research Assistant for the Florida Health Maintenance Study.

Education
B.A. Communication Disorders/Gerontological Studeies, Case Western Reserve University (2000)

Research Interests
Long-term care and social support of older adults, and role of life events in shaping personality, coping, and life position.

Research Experience
Samatha is a research fellow with the Cancer Research Survivors Project.

Personal Interest
Technology, Mac computers, cell phone junkie, swing dancing, and outdoor photography.

Education
B.A. Sociology, LeMoyne College (2000)

Research Interests
Medical Sociology, Maternal and Child health, disparities in Health Outcomes.

Research Experience
Noah is a Research Assistant for the Elderly Care Research Center and Dr. Stoller.

Education
M.A. Sociology, Case Western Reserve University (2001)
B.A. Sociology, Baldwin-Wallace College (1997)

Research Interests
The medicalization of aging.

Research Experience
Amy has worked on the interconnected projects of the Florida and Cleveland Health Maintenance Studies. Under the supervision of Drs. Eva Kahana and Kyle Kercher, she has done a review of psychometric properties of measures used in this research. Amy is currently a Research Assistant with the ECRC and the Florida study.