You can access dissertation texts on Scholarworks.
In Order of Defense
| Order | First Name | Last Name | Dissertation Title | Defense Date | Chair |
| 1 | Amy | Leventhal Stern | A Multidimensional Assessment of Caregiving Outcomes | 03/28/1995 | Francis G. Caro |
| 2 | Carol | Reis Starr | College in the Later Years: The Effects of Formal Education on the Career Trajectory of Older Women | 10/18/1995 | Francis G. Caro |
| 3 | Barbara | Roberge | Improved Targeting of Long Term Care Discharges During Hospitalization | 03/28/1996 | Frank Porell |
| 4 | Ajith | Silva | Specialization of Nursing Home Care and Outcomes: Does Specialization Make A Difference? | 04/10/1996 | Frank Porell |
| 5 | Marianne | Matzo LaPorte | Registered Nurses’ Attitudes Toward and Practic s of Assisted Suicide and Patint-Requested Euthanasia | 04/12/1996 | Francis G. Caro |
| 6 | Suzanne | Herzberg | The Nursing Home As A Set of Micro-Environments | 11/08/1996 | Robert S. Weiss |
| 7 | R. Turner | Goins | Health-Related Quality of Life: Does Rurality Matter? | 01/24/1997 | Francis G. Caro |
| 8 | Cynthia | Gruman | An Analysis of Case Management Programs and Practices: Correlates of Organizational Strength | 04/11/1997 | Francis G. Caro |
| 9 | Marianne | Lyons Delorey | The Relative Influence of Work and Family on The Life Purpose of Older Japanese Women | 04/16/1997 | Scott A. Bass |
| 10 | Kamal | Hijjazi | Factors Contributing to Variations in Medicare Home Health Agency Serivces Utilization Among Aged Medicare Beneficiaries | 12/11/1997 | Frank Porell |
| 11 | Karl | Kaffenberger | Nursing Home Ownership and Public Policy: An Historical Analysis | 03/05/1998 | Francis G. Caro |
| 12 | Priyanthi | Silva | Gender Identity Styles of Young, Middle-Aged, and Old Women | 04/13/1998 | Barbara F. Turner |
| 13 | Barbara | Kager | Factors That Affect Hiring: A Study of Age Discrimination and Hiring | 07/15/1998 | Francis G. Caro |
| 14 | Nirzka | Labault Cabeza | Implications of Gender and Racial Matching of Patients and Providers Upon Utilization of Health Care Services | 01/27/1999 | Francis G. Caro |
| 15 | Helen | Miltiades | Filial Expression Across Geographic Boundaries: Asian Indian Immigrants to the United States and Their Non-Immigrant Parents | 03/09/1999 | Francis G. Caro |
| 16 | Kathy | Fabiszewski | Choices and Tradeoffs in Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease: Balancing Survival, Health, Comfort, and Cost | 04/02/1999 | Francis G. Caro |
| 17 | Terri | Salmons Tobin | Wandering, Getting Lost and Alzheimer’s Disease | 04/13/1999 | Francis G. Caro |
| 18 | Bei | Wu | Supplementing Informal Care of Frail Elders with Formal Services: A Comparison of White, Hispanic and Asian Non-Spouse Caregivers | 03/22/2000 | Francis G. Caro |
| 19 | Kirsten | Corazzini | Community-Residing, Frail Elders: How Case Managers Allocate Scarce Home Care Resources to the Elderly in Massachusetts | 04/12/2000 | Francis G. Caro |
| 20 | Connie | Tai | The Hospital Choice of Aged Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: The Influence of Patient Attributes, Hospital Attributes, and Spatial Access | 04/14/2000 | Frank Porell |
| 21 | Vanessa | Calderon-Rosado | Patterns of Exchange of Support between Frail Elders and their Caregivers: A Comparison of European Americans, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans | 04/20/2000 | Barbara F. Turner |
| 22 | Mary | Carter Whelan | Factors of and Variations in Hospitalization Rates Among Elderly Nursing Home Residents: Searching for Indicators of Appropriate Levels of Acute Care | 06/14/2000 | Frank Porell |
| 23 | Yongjin | Son | The Effects of Stressful Life Events on Health Service Use and Illness Behavior: Do Moderating Factors Make A Difference? | 09/22/2000 | Frank Porell |
| 24 | Charlotte | Fritz Brindley | Diffusion of Low-Tech Equipment As A Component of Case Mangers’ Roles | 02/23/2001 | Francis G. Caro |
| 25 | Kathy | Stocker | The Personal Experience of Coping with Brain Disease: A Neglected Area of Research | 03/21/2001 | Barbara F. Turner |
| 26 | Christopher | Rockett | Community Supports for Older Adults with Mental Retardation and Their Families | 04/11/2001 | Francis G. Caro |
| 27 | Dena | Schulman-Green | The Education and Experience of Physicians Providing Psychosocial and Spiritual Aspects of Palliative Care | 12/20/2001 | Francis G. Caro |
| 28 | Jennifer | Higgins | Analysis of Gambling Activities As A Programmmatic Option in Senior Centers | 10/18/2002 | Francis G. Caro |
| 29 | Margaret | Hart | Factors Predicting the Type of Assistance Used for Specific Activities of Daily Living by Community Dwelling Elderly | 04/03/2003 | Frank Porell |
| 30 | Antonia (Kathy) | Coppin | Aging in Developing Countries: Health Status and Disability Among Older Women in Latin America, A Comparison Study | 09/16/2003 | Frank Porell |
| 31 | Dongsoo | Lee | The Quality of Physician Care and Changes in Health Among Aged Medicare Beneficiaries with Chronic Conditions | 09/25/2003 | Frank Porell |
| 32 | James | Bulot | Healthcare Information for Older Adults via the World Wide Web | 11/13/2003 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 33 | Richard | McConaghy | Mortality,. Mobility and Refinancing as Factors in HECM Reverse Mortgage Payoffs | 12/17/2003 | Yung-Ping Chen |
| 34 | Laney | Bruner-Canhoto | Environmental Strategies Among People Growing Older with Multiple Sclerosis: Experiences, Implications and Lessons | 02/17/2004 | Francis G. Caro |
| 35 | Donna | Sullivan | Aging in the workplace: An ethnography of middle-aged and older waitresses | 03/08/2004 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 36 | Puangpen | Chanprasert | Transitions of Functional Disabilities in the U.S. Elderly with Diabetes Mellitus | 05/24/2004 | Frank Porell |
| 37 | Lona | Choi-Allum | Meeting the Needs of Relative Caregivers: A Comparison of State Subsidized Guardianship Programs | 03/24/2005 | Ellen A. Bruce |
| 38 | Jennifer | Pilcher Warren | The Aging Baby Boom Cohort: Predictors of Condom Use of Disease Prevention | 05/19/2005 | Jan Mutchler |
| 39 | May | Aydin Jawad | Normative Stressors and Psychological Well-Being in the Context of a Post-War Envirnoment | 09/09/2005 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 40 | Michelle | Washko | Volunteering & Aging Adults: An Exploration of Behavioral Determinants & Their Effects on Volunteer Commitment | 09/23/2005 | Jan Mutchler |
| 41 | Lindsey | Baker | Bridging the Gaps: The Effects of Level of Care, Participation in Multiple Roles, Grandchild Characteristics and Parental Involvement on Depressive Symptoms among Grandparents Raising Grandchildren | 04/07/2006 | Jan Mutchler |
| 42 | Jenai | Grigg Murtha | Social Predictors of Driving Cessation Among Older Adults: Understanding the Driving Continuum | 09/08/2006 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 43 | Regi | Robnett | The Correlates of Cognitive and Metacognitive Stability and Change in the 1st Waves of the the Health and Retirement Study (1992- 2000) | 02/07/2007 | Frank Porell |
| 44 | Yaw | Amoako-Addo | Old-Age Pension Benefits in Norway, A Study of Differences in Pension Benefits between Disabled and Non-Disabled Old-Age Pensioners | 03/12/2007 | Francis G. Caro |
| 45 | Jennifer | Sullivan Moorhead | Understanding Variation in Personal Assistance Use: The Impact of State Attributes Affecting Provision of Home and Community Based Services | 03/15/2007 | Francis G. Caro |
| 46 | Claire | Safran Norton | Relationship of Home Environment to Residential Transitions Among Elders | 08/29/2007 | Jan Mutchler |
| 47 | Kelly | Fitzgerald | Evaluation of the Preparedness of Massachusetts Nursing Homes to Respond to Catastrophic Natural or Human Made Disasters | 01/23/2008 | Francis G. Caro |
| 48 | Archana | Prakash | Tax Work-Off Program: A Unique Approach to Balance the social and financial Needs of Senior Homeowners and Local Governments of Massachusetts | 06/12/2008 | Francis G. Caro |
| 49 | Heather | Connors | Autonomy vs. Protection: A Comparison of Geriatric Physicians, Protective Service Case Managers and Elder Law Attorneys. | 08/04/2008 | Ellen A. Bruce |
| 50 | Kerstin | Emerson Gerst | Supplemental Security Income Use by Older Immigrants from Latin America: Impact of Federal and State Policy | 08/18/2008 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 51 | Kathy | Wilson | Newly Hired Certified Nursing Assistants: Assimilation Into the Nursing Home Workforce and Organizational Culture | 10/16/2008 | Francis G. Caro |
| 52 | Natalie | Leland Wiatrowski | The Relationship Between Fall Severity and Residential Adjustment, Functional Status, and Future Falls Among Community Living Older Adults | 01/16/2009 | Frank Porell |
| 53 | Allan | Morgan | Job Transition, Bridge Work and Their Effects on Health | 03/20/2009 | Jan Mutchler |
| 54 | Larry | Cahalin | Health Behaviors of Older Persons With and Without Heart Disease | 08/24/2009 | Francis G. Caro |
| 55 | Susan | Berger | Leisure participation experiences among older adults with low vision | 11/23/2009 | Jan Mutchler |
| 56 | Eilon | Caspi | Preventing Agitative Behaviors and Encouraging Positive Emotions Among Elders With Memory-Loss Who Live in An Assisted Living Residence | 01/06/2010 | Francis G. Caro |
| 57 | Hsaio-Yin | Chung | The Effects of Childbearing Patterns on the Timing of Retirement | 11/15/2010 | Maximiliane Szinovacz |
| 58 | Andrea | Tull | Analysis of Retirement Risk within Massachusetts State Agencies and Use of Post-Retirement Contracting As A Workforce Planning Tool | 03/16/2011 | Ellen A. Bruce |
| 59 | Kimberly | Stoeckel Sauder | The Role of Home Environments in Residential Adjustment Decision Making in Later Life | 09/21/2011 | Frank Porell |
| 60 | Seungah (Hannah) | Lee | Disability Status and Living Arrangements among Asian Older Adults in the United States | 04/13/2012 | Jan Mutchler |
| 61 | Kimberly | Johnson | Volunteering among surviving spouses: The impact of volunteer activity on the health of the recently widowed | 08/16/2012 | Jan Mutchler |
| 62 | Jiyoung | Lyu | The Impact of Childhood SES on Decline in Cognition among Older Adults | 12/13/2013 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 63 | Cathy | Wong | Gender, Race, and Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Education on Depression in Later Life: The Mediating Roles of Mastery and Stress | 01/22/2014 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 64 | Judith | Poey | The Social Environment, APOE e4, and Dementia: The Social Environment as a Moderating Factor Among Individuals Genetically Predisposed to Develop Dementia | 02/28/2014 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 65 | Deborah | Gray | Patterns of Dissaving Among US Elders | 03/21/2014 | Ellen A. Bruce |
| 66 | Caitlin | Coyle | The Effects of Loneliness and Social Isolation on Hypertension in Later Life: Including the Risk, Diagnosis and Management of the Chronic Condition | 03/28/2014 | Jan Mutchler |
| 67 | Kristen | Porter | Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Aging with HIV/AIDS | 02/26/2015 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 68 | Tamara | Harden | Service Utilization Among People With Cognitive Impairment: Does Living Alone Make A Difference? | 07/01/2015 | Jan Mutchler |
| 69 | Lauren | Palmer Martin | Marital History and Retirement Security: An Empirical Analysis of the Work, Family, and Gender Relationship | 11/06/2015 | Maximiliane Szinovacz |
| 70 | Judith | Conahan | Negotiation Experiences of Agency and Independent Home Care Aides of Chronically Ill Older Adults |
12/09/2015 | Francis G. Caro |
| 71 | Elizabeth | Chen | Letting Go: The Influence of Clinicians and Proxy Decision-Makers on Preferences for Life-Sustaining Treatments | 12/16/2015 | Jan Mutchler |
| 72 | Kelli | Barton | The Impact of Social Network and Neighborhood Characteristics on the Driving Status of Older Adults:The Moderating Role of Gender | 03/25/2016 | Elizabeth Dugan |
| 73 | Yao Chi | Shih | Living Alone and Subsequent Living Arrangement Transitions among Older Americans | 04/06/2016 | Frank Porell |
| 74 | Elizabeth | Johns | LIFE-COURSE INFORMAL CARE AND RETIREMENT PREPARATION: IS THERE A MEASURABLE CARE PENALTY? |
04/08/2016 | Jan Mutchler |
| 75 | Hyo Jung | Lee | Social Relationships and All-Cause Mortality in Late Life |
07/18/2016 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 76 | Emily | Gadbois | Understanding How State Policy Influences Driving Status in Older Adults |
11/07/2016 | Elizabeth Dugan |
| 77 | Lien | Quach | Social Determinants of Falls: The Role of Social Support and Depression among Community-Dwelling Older Adults |
11/09/2016 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 78 | Emma | Quach | Multiple Roles in Later Years: Family-Work Enhancement and Conflict and Their Effects on Psychological Well-Being |
12/07/2016 | Kathrin Boerner |
| 79 | Chae Man Jay | Lee | Understanding the Role of Driver, Vehicle, Environment, and Policy Factors in Crash Injury Severity Among Older Adults in the United States | 03/16/2017 | Elizabeth Dugan |
| 80 | Kristen | Anderson | Cognition and Driving Status in Older Adults | 03/14/2017 | Elizabeth Dugan |
| 81 | Mai See | Yang | The Impacts of Life Events on Depression in Later Life in Older Hmong Immigrants | 03/27/2017 | Jan Mutchler |
| 82 | Abigail | Butt | Geographic Mobility and Place Attachment in Later Life |
03/31/2017 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 83 | Ping | Xu | Intergenerational Financial Exchange and Cognitive Well-being among Older Adults in China | 04/13/2017 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 84 | Bruce | Haimowitz | Trajectories of Retirement in Later Life: a group-Based Modeling Approach | 06/16/2017 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 85 | Shuangshuang | Wang | Grandchild Care and Marital Quality in Later Life | 03/19/2018 | Jan Mutchler |
| 86 | Jane | Tavares | Social Relationships and Obesity in Later Life | 04/03/2018 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 87 | Ian | Livingstone | Examining the Effects of Professional Non-Nursing Staffing on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes |
04/06/2018 | Jennifer Hefele |
| 88 | Lorilei | Richardson | Driving and Expectation to Age in Place for Older Adults Along the Urbanicity Continuum | 11/30/2018 | Jan Mutchler |
| 89 | Patricia | Oh | Developing Age-Friendly Communities: Evidence From Multiple Case Studies |
02/22/2019 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 90 | SaeHwang | Han | Health Consequences of Retirement among Married Couples |
04/19/2019 | Jeffrey A. Burr |
| 91 | Brittany | Gaines | The Role of the Environmental Context in Advance Care Planning among Older Adults |
08/20/2019 | Kathrin Boerner |
| 92 | Bon | Kim | Sense of Control and Frailty among Older Adults | 01/31/2020 | Elizabeth Dugan |
| 93 | Andrea | Daddato | The Influence of Medicare Insurance Type – Traditional Fee-for-Service v. Medicare Advantage- on Rehospitalizations for Patients with Heart Failure in Skilled Nursing Facilities | 03/31/2020 | Edward Miller |
| 94 | Danielle | Waldron | Aging with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Analysis of Physical Activity Engagment | 03/31/2020 | Elizabeth Dugan |
| 95 | Hayley | Gleason | The Effect of Job Demands on Job Satisfaction and Intent to Stay Among Massachusetts Home Health and Supportive Home Care Aides | 03/31/2020 | Edward Miller |
| 96 | Yijung | Kim | Family Ties and Subjective Aging in Later Life | 04/02/2020 | Kathrin Boerner |
| 97 | Haowei | Wang | Intergenerational Relationships and Sleep in Aging Families | 04/03/2020 | Kyungmin Kim |
| 98 | Frances | Hawes | Occupational stress and job satisfaction of long term care workers: The impact of the social working environment. | 07/15/2020 | Pamela Nadash |
| 99 | Xiao (Joyce) | Wang | Care Specialization and Financial Performance in Urban Nursing Homes | 01/11/2021 | Jeffrey Burr |
| 100 | Krystal | Kittle | Healthcare of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Middle-Aged and Older Adults: The Role of Minority Stress, Sociodemographic Characteristics and Social Resources | 3/19/2021 | Kathrin Boerner |
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