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.
Education
B.A., Sociology, John Carroll University
Research Interests
Successful aging; technology use among older adults; end of life issues; social
security and policy
Employment
Research Assistant for Dr. Eva Kahana at the Elderly Care Research Center
Personal interests/achievements
Play music, karaoke, going to concerts, hiking, IHOP
Education
A.A.B., Applied Business, Lakeland Community College
B.A and M.A., Sociology, Cleveland State University
Research Interests
Medical sociology (including sociology of disability); aging; sociology of the
family; human rights and criminology
Employment
I am currently enjoying being an adjunct faculty member at several local colleges
and universities.
Personal interests/achievements
Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award, 2006 (Tri-C Eastern Campus)
Publications
Hinze, Susan W. and Aliberti, Dawn (2005) "The Feminization of Poverty: A Global
Perspective." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by George
Ritzer.
Gran, Brian and Aliberti, Dawn (2003) "The office of the children's ombudsperson: children's rights and social-policy innovation" Volume 31, Issue 2, June 2003, Pages 89-106.
Education
Ph.D. Candidate, MA, 2005, Case Western Reserve University
B.A., Sociology and Psychology, minor in Women's Studies, Case Western Reserve
University, 1999
Research Interests
Social stratification; race, gender, class, and ethnic inequalities; women's
health (e.g., menopause & use of equine estrogens in hormone replacement
therapy); third world & transnational feminims; sociology of the body; mental
health, depression, suicide bereavement; qualitative methodology & visual
sociology; sociology of sport; animals and society; service learning &
applied sociology
Employment
Graduate Student Instructor
Dissertation Title
"Disenfranchised grief"?: An exploratory study of suicide loss in
friendship dyads
Personal interests/achievements
Horses, horses, horses!
Recipient of the 2002 United States Eventing Association (USEA) Worth the Trust
Adult Amateur Scholarship (national equestrian scholarship)
Recipient of the 1999 CWRU Student Leadership Award
Patricia B. Kilpatrick Award for Service to Others & CWRU Student Community
Service Award
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
M.GS., Master of Gerontological Studies,
Miami University, 2010
M.Sc., Statistics, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 2004
B.Sc., Statistics, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 2002
Research Interests
Medical Sociology; Social Epidemiology; Research Methods; Demography; Aging
(Socio-economic determinants of health and its pathways, Life course perspective,
Longitudinal data analysis, Survival analysis/ hazard modeling, Life table
calculation, Missing Data Imputation, Interface of Frequentist and Bayesian
methods).
Employment
Research Assistant: Dr. Jessica
Kelly-Moore
Research Assistant: Dr. David Warner
Graduate Assistant: Dr. Suzanne Kunkel (2008-2010)
Graduate Assistant/ Managing Deputy Editor of Teaching Sociology: Dr. Glenn
Muschert (2008-2010)
Research Intern: The Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford, UK
(2009)
Bio-Statistician: Nepalgunj Medical College, Nepal (2007-2008)
Personal interests/achievements
I like to listen to soft music which I use as a tool to relieve my stress. I am
sports lover but am not familiar with American sports. Sometimes, I spend my
leisure time watching comedy movies. I also spend my leisure time browsing world
news. My main personal interest is on reading books and articles related to
spirituality and philosophy. I love contemplating on meaning of life, especially
the later life.
Education
M.S., Family and Consumer Sciences, Eastern Illinois University
B.S., Home Economics, Western Illinois University
Research Interests
My research interests are comprised of examining adulthood and aging among men,
elderly caregiving, and stress and coping using a sociocultural contextual
perspective.
Employment
I am currently working as research assistant for Department Chair, Dr. Dale
Dannefer, and Dr. Gary Deimling at the Cancer Survivors Research Project.
Personal interests/achievements
My personal interests include spending time with family and friends, movies,
reading books and watching documentaries on African American issues, music,
playing Scrabble, bead jewelry making (currently, at a basic level),
powerwalking, and traveling.
Education
B.S., Applied Health Sciences & Gerontology, Bowling Green State University
M.A., Human Development & Family Studies (Gerontology), Kent State University
Research Interests
Gerontology, medical sociology, bioethics, end-of-life issues, and research methods
Employment
R.A. for Dr. Eva Kahana-Elderly Care Research Center
Publications
In progress
Education
B.A., Sociology, Cleveland State University
M.A., Sociology, Cleveland State University
Research Interests
Gender; sexuality; inequality in health care and education; issues of race and
social class
Employment
R.A. for Brian Gran, working on the Children's Right Index
R.A. for Sue Hinze, work includes a qualitative look at married physicians and
the gaming phenomena among college students.
Also recently employed by:
Cuyahoga Community College: Adjunct Sociology Faculty Case Western Bioethics
Dept: R.A. under P.I., Laura Siminoff, on a study on tissue donation.
Personal interests/achievements
Personal interests include working with the NE Ohio chapter of GLSEN-- Gay,
Lesbian and Straight Education Network, which works to ensure safe schools for
everyone by promoting awareness and offering training on dealing with
discrimination relating to sexuality and gender indentity issues in Ohio
schools.
Crowning achievement would be the fact that I have seen Madonna live in
concert over 30 times in 3 countries and 2 continents. Avid Madonna fan (some say
fanatic) for over 20 years.
Publications
In progess
Education
Masters of Urban Planning, Design and Development
Concentration: Housing and Neighborhood Development
Cleveland State University
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies
Concentration: Early Childhood Education, Minor: History
Norfolk State University
Research Interests
Public Policy, Education, Children, African American Culture & Mental Health
Employment
R.A. for Dr. Jessica Kelley-Moore and Dr. Susan Hinze
Personal interests/achievements
Chess, traveling, family and community
Men with a Mission Club, PHARAOH News Magazine, Health Issue, 2003
Unsung Community Hero, Cleveland Life Magazine, 1999
40/40 Club Kaleidoscope Magazine, 1999
Cleveland State University, the Levin College of Urban Affairs, Wallace G. Teare Prize, 1998
Publications
Goler, Timothy, McShepard and Batson (2008) How Anti-Educational Messages in the Media, at Home, & on the Street Hold Back African-American Youth, PolicyBridge Report
Goler, Timothy, McShepard and Batson (2008) Untapped Potential: African-American Males in Northeast Ohio, PolicyBridge Report
Education
B.A., Communication, Cleveland State University
M.A, Sociology, Case Western Reserve University
Research Interests
Research methodology as applied to nursing research and the social sciences;
Gerontology; healthcare disparities; 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; public policy and the aged
Employment
Currently a Lecturer in Research Methodologies in the School of Nursing at Case
Western Reserve University
Personal interests/achievements
Travel & cooking
Publications
Siminoff, L., Graham, G., Gordon, N. (January 2005) Breast Cancer and Patient Care: Demographic Differences. Oral presentation at American PsychoOncology Society annual meeting.
Siminoff, L., Graham, G., Gordon, N. (2006) Cancer Communication Patterns and the Influence of Patient Characteristics: Disparities in Information-giving and Affective Behaviors. Patient Education and Counseling. Patient Educ Couns, 62(3):355-60.
Zhang, X., Hans, M., Graham, G., Kircher, H.L., and Redline, S. (2007) Correlations Between Cephalometric and Facial Photographic Measurements of Craniofacial Form. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Vol. 131, No.1:67-71.
Siminoff, L., Mercer M.B., Graham G., Burant, C. (2007) The Reasons Families Donate Organs for Transplantation: Implications for Policy and Practice; The Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care , 62:4.
Faculty Webpage
http://fpb.case.edu/Faculty/Graham.shtm
Education
M.P.A., University of Akron, 2005
B.A., Sociology, University of Akron, 1998
Research Interests
Medical sociology; life course
Employment
Research assistant to Eva Kahana at the Elderly Care Research
Center
Education
B.A. Psychology, Indiana University, 2005
M.A. Sociological Practice, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne,
2009
Research Interest
Mental Health; Criminology; Family and Gender
Employment
Research and Teaching Assistant for Dr. David Warner and Dr. Susan Hinze
Interests
Reading, music, movies, spending time with friends and
family
Education
B.A., Human Development, Hellenic College/Holy Cross
M.A., Applied Sociology, U. Mass
Research Interests
Aging, andCancer; Life-course andsocial integration;
Randomized interventions; Prevention and evaluation research; Longitudinal,
multi-leveland latent variable modeling;Analysis across
systems.
Employment
Research Biostatistician, Medicine,
CWRU
Educational Evaluator, GRECC, VA Medical Center
Publications
George Kypriotakis. (1999).Time Interval and Offense Escalation: Statistical
Analysis Using Survival Data. Paper presentedat the
AnnualConference of the American Society of Criminology in Toronto,
Canada.
George Kipriotakis. (2001). Criminal Histories and Recidivism Rates for Different
Offence Transitions and for Two Types of Offenders. The Discourse of
Sociological Practice. Vol. 4, no. 1.
Michelle Puchowicz, George Kypriotakis, Bruce H. Cohen, Sumit Parikh, Douglas
S. Kerr and Charles L. Hoppel. (2006). Age-related changes in human
skeletal muscle mitochondrial energy metabolism. Mitochondrion. Vol 6, Issue
5.
Deimling, G. T., Kypriotakis, G., Bowman, K. F., Arendt, J. A. (2007).
Trajectories in Functioning and psychosocial outcomes among older, adult,
long-term cancer survivors. TheGerontologist, 47 (Special Issue 1), p. 605.
Bowman, K. B., Arendt, J. A., Deimling, G. T, Kypriotakis, G, Rose, J. H. (2007)
Health care utilization of older, longer cancer survivors. The Gerontologist, 47
(Special Issue 1), p. 605.
George Kypriotakis, Edwin Vazquez, Edward Lesnefsky, Charles Hoppel.
Oxidative Phosphorylation Provides a Valuable Tool for Identifying
the Aging Mitochondrial Phenotype. Presentation at the 12th Congress of the
International Association of Biochemical Gerontology (2007).
G. Deimling, Bowman, K.B., Kypriotakis, G .Cancer and Aging: The Quality of Life
of Long-term Survivors. Presented at the Society for Behavioral Medicine, March
2007.
Deimling, G.T., Arendt, J.A., Bowman, K.B., Kypriotakis, G. (2008) The Relative
Impact ofCancer-related and Age-related actors on the Psycho-social Quality of
Life of Older Adult, Long-term Survivors. Psycho-Oncology Vol 17.
Deimling, G. T., Arendt, J. A., Kypriotakis, G., Bowman, K. F. (in review).
Predictors of health and functioning of older adult, long-term cancer survivors.
Journal of Aging and Health.
Michelle Puchowicz, George Kypriotakis, Bruce H. Cohen, Sumit Parikh, Douglas S. Kerr and Charles L. Hoppel. (2006). Developmental changes in human skeletal muscle mitochondria. (Working paper).
Education
M.A. Sociology, Cleveland
State University, 2002
B.A. Sociology, Cleveland State University, 2000
Research Interest
Medical Sociology; anti-aging
therapies; medicine and consumerism; end of life decision making; research
methods
Employment
2010-Present
Project Manager, Personalized Genomic Medicine Project
Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
2006-2010
Anti-Aging Project Coordinator,
Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
2002-2006
University Memory and Aging Center, Caregiving Research Program Manager, Case
Western Reserve University/University Hospitals
Recent Publications
McGowan, M., Fishman, J. and
Lambrix, M. (2010). Personal genomics and individual identities: motivations and
moral imperatives of early users. New Genetics and Society, 29 (3) 261 - 290.
Settersten, R. A., Jr., Fishman, J. R., Lambrix, M. A., Flatt, M. A., &
Binstock, R. H. (2009). “The salience of language in probing public
attitudes about life extension”. The American Journal of
Bioethics, 9 (12), 81–82.
McGowan, Michelle L. and Marcie A. Lambrix. (2009). “Are Social Networkers
and Genome Testers One in the Same?: The Limitations of Public Opinion Research
for Guiding Clinical Practice”.The American Journal of
Bioethics,9 (6-7), 21-23.
Fishman, Jennifer R., Robert H. Binstock and Marcie A. Lambrix. (2008)
“Anti-Aging Science: The Emergence, Maintenance, and Enhancement of a
Discipline”Journal of Aging Studies22:
295-303.abstract
Kathleen A. Smyth, Julia H. Rose, McKee J. McClendon, and Marcie A. Lambrix (2007). “Relationships Among Caregivers' Demographic Characteristics, Social Support Ratings, and Expectations of Computer-Mediated Support Groups.”Journal of Applied Gerontology,26: 58 - 77.
Awards
Recipeint of 2011 Brocher Foundation Visiting Researchers Scholarship
Education
B.A., Sociology, The University of Memphis, 2005
M.A., Applied Sociology, Old Dominion University, 2007
Research Interests
Medical Sociology; environmental factors and health disparities; life course;
race/class/gender issues for poor and working class families
Employment
I am currently working as a Research Assistant for Dr. Jessica
Kelley-Moore. The project I am helping with is
entitled,Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the
Life Span (HANDLS).The study focuses on the need to understand
health disparities in one’s overall longevity by looking at differences in
rates and risks for pathological conditions associated with aging.
The study hopes to decipher the relationship between race,
socioeconomic status, and health outcomes, and it has definitely led me into
research that I want to pursue. I also enjoy studying certain areas of
Gerontology (i.e. Caregiving for Alzheimer’s patients).
Personal interests/achievements
I love to travel, spend time with family and friends, read great books,
experience new things, and most importantly, spend significant amounts of time
laughing.
The greatest achievements I can think of thus far: being accepted into CaseJ, earning a Masters Degree from ODU, being awarded Ms. University of Memphis in college, watchingThe Sound of Musicthousands of times, and most importantly, maintaining pleasant relationships with God, family, and friends.
Education
M.S., Applied Sociology, Clemson University, 2008
B.A., Advertising, Fudan University, China, 2006
Research Interests
Physical and Mental Health, Aging and the Life Course, Research Methods
Employment
Research Assistant for Professors Jessica Kelly-Moore and Eva Kahana
Publications
Kelley-Moore, Jessica A. andJielu Lin. 2011. "Widening the View:
Capturing 'Unobserved' Heterogeneity in Studies of Age and the Life Course."
Forthcoming in Handbook of Sociology of Aging, edited by Richard G. Settersten,
Jr. and Jacqueline L. Angel. Springer.
Lin, Jielu, Martie P. Thompson and Nadine J. Kaslow. 2009." The Mediating Role of Social Support in the Community Environment--Psychological Distress Link Among Low-Income African American Women." Journal of Community Psychology 37(4):459-470.
Personal Webpage:http://filer.case.edu/jxl510/index.html
Education
B.A. Sociology, Morehouse
College, Atlanta Georgia, 2005M.A. Sociology, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland Ohio, 2008
Research Interests
Robert’s scholarly foci
includes: medical sociology; quantitative and qualitative methods; HIV/AIDS;
race, class, and gender inequalities; the concept of masculinities and
men’s health; and social and health policy.
Dissertation Title
“The Implications of HIV/AIDS Framing on Testing and Disclosure
Decision-Making among Macro and Micro Level Stakeholders” endeavors to
describe HIV testing decisions, reasons for testing, condom usage, testing
experiences, and some of the demographic, attitudinal and behavioral indicators
that help explain them.
Employment
As one of four Sociology students in the nation, Robert is a recipient and
currently funded by the American Sociological Association Minority Fellowship
Program. The MFP is funded primarily through a T-32 training grant provided by
the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), with recent co-funding by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This prestigious fellowship is renewable
for up to three years and provides stipend and travel allowances. You can view
more about the MFP 35 cohort by clicking:http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/julyaugust08/mfp.html.
Personal Interests/Achievements
In addition to receiving
the 2007 Ruth Barber Moon Award for Academic Excellence and Promise at Case
Western Reserve University, Robert’s article on HIV disclosure and the
stress paradigm titled: “When Secrets Hurt: HIV Disclosure and the Stress
Paradigm”is currently part of the edited volume Let’s
Talk About Black Sexualities: Sex and Power in America, under review at Rutgers
University Press.
In the meantime, I admit it, I am a news junkie...for entertainment purposes only i.e., CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, FOX News, ABC, NY Times, Washington Post etc. In addition, I enjoy socializing with my fraternity brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. In the little spare time I do have, I take pleasure in southern style cooking or community involvement typically dealing with HIV/AIDS or mentoring in the local educational system.Last but not least, I truly benefit from spending time with my 9-month old German Shepherd, Stacey.
Education
B.A., Sociology, Columbia University
Research Interests
Life course; Marxist sociology; race/class/gender; criminology
Employment
Research Assistant to Dr. Brian Gran and Dr. Jessica Kelley-Moore
Personal Interests/Achievements
Finisher, New York City Triathlon, 2009
Honorable Mention, The Women's and Gender Studies Awards, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, Columbia University, 2010, 2011
Dean's Senior Thesis Research Grant, Columbia University, 2010
Education
M.A., Sociology, University of Toledo
B.S.W., Social Work, University of Toledo
Research Interests
Medical Sociology. I am particularly interested in medicalization, chronic
issues, disabilities, and mental health.
Employment
I am currently a research assistant working under Professors Gary Deimling and
Brian Gran. I was previously employed by Owens Community College as
an adjunct faculty member.
Personal Interests
I enjoy spending time with my family,
friends, horses and dog. I also like to spend time outside and
traveling.
Publications
Review of Mintz, Susannah B. (2007) Unruly Bodies: Life Writing by Women with
Disabilities, The University of North Carolina Press,Disability
and Society,Vol. 24. No. 4, p. 534-535.
Education
M.A. Sociology, Cleveland State University
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 interests/achievements
Golfing, canoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, and spending time with
family and friends.
Education
B.A., Sociology, Baldwin-Wallace College
Research Interests
The commodification/medicalization of the male body; gender differences in mental
health; social inequalities within the medical profession
Employment
Research Assistant for various faculty members at Case Western
Research Assistant for the VA Medical Center in Wade Park on the “Joint
Replacement Utilization Disparity: The Role Of Communication” study
Personal interests/achievements
I would like to study the Hispanic, in conjunction with African American and
white populations to study factors regarding patient-physician relationships that
perpetuate social inequalities. In my free time I like to golf and
fish the nearby rivers
Recent Publications
The NSA and privacy, in addition to the USPS and privacy encyclopedia entries
Education
B.A. in Sociology, Maryville University-St. Louis, 2002
M.A. in Sociology, Case Western Reserve University, 2005
Research Interests
Doctor-patient communication about STI prevention
Employment
Standardized Patient Trainer/Coordinator at the Mt. Sinai Skills and Simulation Center (MSSSC), which is part of CWRU School of Medicine
Personal interests/achievements
Women's rights, volunteer work at women's clinics, reading, and walking my
dogs
Recent Publications
Dannefer, D., and Miklowski, C. (2006). Developments in the life course. In (J.A.
Vincent, C. Phillipson, and M. Downs, Eds.).The Futures of Old Age, pp. 32-42.
Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA.
Schroeder, C., & Gran, B. (Feb 2005).Abortion, motherhood, and mental health:
Medicalizing reproduction in the United States and Britain. (Book Review).
Journal of Marriage and Family 67 (1): 263-265.
Education
M.A., Sociology, Case Western Reserve
University, 2008
B.S., Human Development and Family
Studies, Minor in Gerontology, Pennsylvania State University, 2005
Research Interest
I'm interested in aging and the life
course; institutional care, specifically, long-term care retirement communities
(including Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, and Alzheimer's Special Care Units);
globalization, particularly how its processes affect global health (e.g.
transnational migration of global care workers) and its role in redefining
what care is and how it is delivered among
vulnerable populations; I'm also interested in medical sociology, especially
health inequality and the social institutions and social policies that create and
sustain inequalities over the life course.
Employment
Research Assistant/Assistant Project
Coordinator
"Learning from Those Who Know," Nursing Home Project (Mentor: Dale Dannefer)
Personal Trainer/Senior Fitness Trainer
Alliance Rehab, Erie, PA
Personal interests/achievements
I enjoy traveling to visit family and friends, camping, hiking, and cycling. I
have a goal to try and learn a new sport and/or sport activity every year. This
past year I began cycling, yoga, and cardio kickboxing. My new goal for this
upcoming year is rock climbing and to do at least ONE cycling charity race. I am
a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and an annual subscriber/supporter of the Pittsburgh
Ballet. Music, sports/exercise, dance, and art are all ways that I enjoy my
"free" time and forms of relaxation.
Education
B.A., Gerontology, Miami University,
2006
M.GS., Masters of Gerontological Studies, Miami University,
2008
Research Interest
life course perspective, health
disparities, mental health, intergenerational programs/relationships, stigma
related to physical disabilities, and public policy (specifically involving the
older populations and welfare).
Employment
Research Assistant: Dr. Eva Kahana
(2008)
Research Assistant: Dr. Dale Dannefer (2008)
Graduate Assistant: Bill Cifferi and Matt Nelson (2007-2008)
Graduate Assistant: Dr. Jean Lynch (2007-2008)
Graduate Assistant: Dr. Bob Applebaum (2006-2007)
Graduate Assistant: Dr. Christopher Wellin (2006-2007)
Personal interests/achievements
Past President of Sigma Phi Omega. I am interested in animal
socialization, primarily in canines. I am also interested in
learning more about biology and psychology.
Joshua Terchek is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at Case Western Reserve University with focuses in research methods and medical sociology. He is currently working on his dissertation regarding the lived experiences of adults with Attention Deficit Disorder. Joshua's current research interests include the social construction of mental disorders, the effects of social inequality on health, and the use of other tobacco products young people. He has worked on several NIH and privately funded studies investigating successful aging, alcohol consumption in HCV patients, and adolescent risk behaviors. Joshua lives in Cleveland with his wife and dog.
Education
B.A., English, University of Dayton
Research Interests
Inequality in gender and education;
impact of mass media on medical field
Employment
Research Assistant for Professors Brian Gran
and Susan Hinze
Personal Interests
Pop culture enthusiast, specifically
primetime television
Education
B.A., Public Administration, Zhengzhou University, 2009
Research Interests
Aging; mental illness; family
Employment
Research Assistant for Dr. Eva Kahana at the Elderly Care Research
Center
Research Assistant for Dr. Dale Dannefer
Personal interests
Music, hiking, reading