Deborah Carr is a U.S. sociologist, academic, and author. She is the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor of Sociology and the inaugural director of the Center of Innovation in Social Science at Boston University.[1][2] In 2024, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[3][4][5]

Deborah Carr
Education
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Thesis The fulfillment of career goals over the life course and midlife mental health
Doctoral advisorRobert M. Hauser

Education

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Carr earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997,[6] where her dissertation focused on whether the fulfillment of occupational goals influences mental health at midlife.[7]

Career

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Academic positions

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Carr has held faculty positions at University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and Rutgers University, where she was acting director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy & Aging Research.[8] In September 2021, she was appointed as the inaugural director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science at Boston University.[2] In May 2024, she was awarded the title of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor by the Dean of the Boston University College of Arts & Sciences.[1]

Editorial positions

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In January 2023, she was appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.[9] Prior to this, she held the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences from 2015 to 2020.[10] Additionally, she has served as Deputy Editor for both Social Psychology Quarterly and the Journal of Marriage and Family, as well as Trends Editor for Contexts.[6]

Leadership in major surveys

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She has led several surveys, including her current role as the Principal Investigator of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79)[11] and co-investigator of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS).[8] Additionally, she served as the Principal Investigator of the New Jersey End of Life Study and Wisconsin Study of Families and Loss (WISTFL), a follow up to Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.[6] She has also chaired the Board of Overseers of the General Social Survey.[8]

Research

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Carr is a life course sociologist who specializes in utilizing survey data and quantitative methods to investigate social factors affecting health and well-being in later life.[12] Her research focuses on four key areas: the effects of family-related stressors, such as divorce and widowhood, on health and well-being in older adulthood,[13][14] the social, psychological, and interpersonal consequences of the stigma associated with obesity,[15] the impact of global warming on the health and well-being of the elderly,[16] and issues related to death, dying, and bereavement.[17] Her work has been funded by National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and RRF Foundation on Aging, among other organizations.[12]

Recognition

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References

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  1. ^ a b c CAS Names Inaugural A&S Term Distinguished Professors. BU Arts & Sciences. May 3, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b New Center for Innovation in Social Science aims to foster creativity through collaboration. BU Arts and Sciences Magazine. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  3. ^ a b New Academy Members Elected in 2024. American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Carr and Schmidt elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. BU Arts & Sciences. April 24, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Most, Doug. 2024. "American Academy of Arts & Sciences Welcomes Five BU Members." Bostonia: Boston University's Alumni Magazine, April 26. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Deborah Carr. Council on Contemporary Families. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Carr, Deborah Suzanne. 1997. The Fulfillment of Career Goals Over the Life Course and Midlife Mental Health. PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Prof. Deborah Carr. GSA Connect. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Idler, Ellen. Deborah Carr Appointed Editor of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Footnotes (A Magazine of the American Sociological Association), Vol. 50, Issue 3. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  10. ^ Deborah Carr. The Conversation. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  11. ^ NLSY User-Initiated Questions. National Longitudinal Surveys (A Program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Deborah Suzanne Carr. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Span, Paula. 2022. "Who Will Care for ‘Kinless’ Seniors? The New Old Age." The New York Times, December 3. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Goodman, Brenda. 2023. "After a Lifetime Together, Surviving Spouses Can Be Vulnerable in Grief." CNN Health, November 27. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  15. ^ Vilakazi, Lindiwe. 2024. "Examining the Stigma and Barriers Behind Ozempic for Overweight, Obese Patients." Washington Informer, August 21. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  16. ^ Span, Paula. 2023. "Still Dreaming of Retirement in the Sun Belt? The New Old Age." The New York Times, August 5. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  17. ^ Krisch, Joshua A. 2023. "What the Loss of a Child Does to Parents, Psychologically and Biologically." Fatherly, May 19. (Originally published January 28, 2019). Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  18. ^ Previous Award Winners: SALC Mentoring Award. ASA Section on Aging & the Life Course. American Sociological Association. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  19. ^ The Section on Aging and the Life Course’s Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar Award. Aging and the Life Course Award Recipient History. American Sociological Association. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  20. ^ Kelley, Jessica A. 2020. "Review of Golden Years? Social Inequality in Later Life, by Deborah S. Carr." The American Journal of Sociology 125(4):1143-1145. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  21. ^ The Gerontological Society of America Congratulates 2020 Awardees. Gerontological Society of America. May 26, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Searchable link to current members. Sociological Research Association. April 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.