I am a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology and Demography at The Pennsylvania State University. My primary research focus is LGBT sociology and demography.
My research investigates how sexual orientation, gender, and intersecting identities shape socioeconomic inequality across the labor market, psychosocial well-being, couple dynamics, and life course processes. Grounded in theories of social stratification and minority stress, I draw on both nationally representative datasets and original survey data. My methodological approach is primarily quantitative, incorporating multilevel modeling, decomposition techniques, structural equation modeling, propensity score matching, and more. My work spans three areas: (1) occupational stratification and labor market inequality among sexual minorities, particularly in STEM and public-sector contexts; (2) identity-related and perceptual mechanisms of inequality, including mental health and workplace experiences; and (3) family and demographic behaviors, such as housework outsourcing, assortative mating, and the role of relationship formation channels in shaping couple-level outcomes.
My works have been published in Social Science Research, Socius, and RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences.
My latest CV can be found below.
Department of Sociology and Criminology
The Pennsylvania State University
601 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: jpp5931@psu.edu