Graduate Dissertations

One-Size-Fits-All? Examining the Varied Forms and Effects of ParentingYi Lan, M.A. Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut  Committee Dr. Simon Cheng, Chair Dr. Jeremy Pais Dr. Mary Fischer Dr. Ryan Talbert Dr. Christin Munsch  Wednesday, October 1st, 2025 | 1:30pm EDT  Abstract This dissertation seeks to broaden the discussion of parenting by examining diverse parental practices and determining whether a single form of parenting is universally effective across contexts. Drawing on nationally representative datasets, I develop three empirical chapters to address this question. The first chapter uses the Child Development Supplement (CDS I–III, 1997–2007) of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to compile and compare parenting strategies across different social groups. This chapter investigates whether parenting preferences vary by social background and contributes to the sociology of education by expanding current theories through more nuanced categorizations of parenting, moving beyond the current dominant focus on investment and involvement. The second chapter turns to the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) to explore how combinations of parenting practices shape students' decisions to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors in college. It examines which combinations of parenting strategies best explain variations in STEM choices across social groups. Building on this analysis, the third chapter further investigates how parenting strategies interact with parents' educational and occupational backgrounds. It investigates whether parents' capacities moderate the effects of different parenting approaches on children's STEM major choices. Taken together, this dissertation intends to provide a more comprehensive examination of parenting by moving beyond current categorizations and highlighting its complex, context-dependent effects. The findings aim to enrich sociological theory by addressing gaps in parenting perspectives beyond investment and involvement, offering insights into how parenting contributes to inequalities in children's outcomes, suggesting ways to better support children from disadvantaged groups, and contributing to the development of future survey instruments aimed at capturing the complexity of parenting.

Distributing Equity: An Analysis of Existing Food Hub Distribution Models in Connecticut A dissertation for the Geography PhD program.

Abstract The current media landscape enables individuals to seek out content in distinct ways, including newspapers, social media, and websites. When consuming said content, these individuals may be exposed to persuasive messaging, which seeks to change or reinforce their attitudes on a given topic. Furthermore, their evaluation of candidates, issues, and ideology may be affected as well as their knowledge and participation. Therefore, with Information Processing Theory and Media Dependency Theory as theoretical frameworks, this study sought to understand how reliance on 27 media sources affected individuals during the 2024 presidential election. Participants were recruited through Prolific, completed a Qualtrics-hosted online survey, and randomly assigned to one of two experimental treatments involving tweets from Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. Source reliance revolved around bias and length with the reliance on left- and right-leaning media affecting participation but none impacting knowledge. Issue importance and voting were predicted by right leaning and short-form media, while three tweets from Kamala Harris led to greater agreement. This study's findings further our understanding of how digital and traditional media affect the actions and thinking of voters. The behaviors, feelings, and thoughts of voters as well as theoretical implications are discussed, while areas for future research are provided.

Dissertation title: "Context is Everything: Advancing Earthquake Social Vulnerability Models Through Identifying Local and Hazard-Specific Drivers." Doctoral field of study: Geography. Department: Geography, Sustainability, Community and Urban Studies (GSCU).

The doctoral dissertation oral defense of Miu Tsuji, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry (Physical Chemistry) at the University of Connecticut, will be held on December 1, 2025. The dissertation, "Chiral Bridge Effects on Radical Pair Lifetimes in D–χ–A Systems", examines how incorporating chiral BINOL bridges into donor–bridge–acceptor molecules influences electron transfer and spin dynamics. The study demonstrates the formation of long-lived radical pairs at room temperature and provides valuable insight into the role of chirality in regulating radical pair recombination and its potential connection to Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS). This research contributes to a deeper understanding of electron transfer in chiral molecular systems and highlights potential applications in spintronics and quantum information science. Faculty, students, and members of the UConn community are welcome to attend.

The doctoral dissertation oral defense of Miu Tsuji, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry (Physical Chemistry) at the University of Connecticut, will be held on December 1, 2025. The dissertation, "Chiral Bridge Effects on Radical Pair Lifetimes in D–χ–A Systems", examines how incorporating chiral BINOL bridges into donor–bridge–acceptor molecules influences electron transfer and spin dynamics. The study demonstrates the formation of long-lived radical pairs at room temperature and provides valuable insight into the role of chirality in regulating radical pair recombination and its potential connection to Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS). This research contributes to a deeper understanding of electron transfer in chiral molecular systems and highlights potential applications in spintronics and quantum information science. Faculty, students, and members of the UConn community are welcome to attend.