Haowei Wang

• 2024 Spring
  • SOC 318 Introduction to Research
  • SOC 400 Selected Topics - Global Perspectives on Populat
• 2023 Fall
  • SOC 513 Statistics for Social Science

Haowei Wang is an assistant professor in the Maxwell School's Sociology Department. She received a Ph.D. in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 2020 and was trained as a postdoc scholar at the Population Research Institute at the Pennsylvania State University. 

Wang seeks to understand social determinants of healthy aging from a global perspective. In doing so, she is engaged in three areas of research: (1) to explore how demographic changes and social policies impact physical and mental health of aging populations, (2) to examine population aging and food insecurity in a global setting, and (3) to test how changing family dynamics influence well-being and caregiving in later life.

In addition, Wang currently has over 10 first-author articles published in highly regarded journals as well as a strong pipeline of projects in progress.

"Dean’s Office Student Success (DOSS) Travel Grant", Sponsored by University of Massachusetts Boston McCormack Graduate School.

"Scholarly Support Fund", Sponsored by University of Massachusetts Boston Graduate Employee Organization.

"Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship", Sponsored by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

• Journal Articles
  • Oyeyemi, D., Lin, I. F., Wang, H., Gan, D., Brown, M. J., Freedman, V. A. and Manning, M., "Change in assistance networks of Black and White older adults during COVID-19." In Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. , 2023.
  • Wang, H., El-Abbadi, N., "Food Insecurity, Race and Ethnicity, and Cognitive Function Among United States Older Adults." The Journal of Nutrition, 2023.
  • Xu, S., Wang, H., Song, Q. and Burr, J. A., "Sensory impairment and depressive symptoms among older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic." In Journal of Aging & Mental Health. , 2023.
  • Brown, M. J., Wang, H., Lin, I. F., Gan, D., Oyeyemi, D., Manning, M. and Freedman, V. A., "COVID-19 related changes in assistance networks for older adults with and without dementia." The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2023.
  • Smith-Greenaway, E., Verdery, A. M., Wang, H. and Bauldry, S., 1 in 8 U.S. deaths from 2020 to 2021 came from COVID-19 – leaving millions of relatives reeling from distinctly difficult grief. , 2022.
  • Wang, H., Han, S. ., Kim, K. and Burr, J. A., "Adult children's achievements and ageing parents' depressive symptoms in China." Ageing and Society, 2022.
  • Song, Q., Wang, H. and Burr, J. A., "Depressive Symptoms Among Rural "Left-Behind" Older Adults: A Test of the High Outmigration Penalty Hypothesis." Cong, Z. (ed.) The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2022.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A. and Fingerman, K. L., "Financial problems in established adulthood: Implications for psychological well-being and relationship quality with parents." Journal of Adult Development, 2022.
  • Newmyer, L., Verdery, A. M., Wang, H. and Margolis, R., "Population aging, demographic metabolism, and the rising tide of late middle age to older adult loneliness around the world." Population and Development Review, 2022.
  • Wang, H., Smith-Greenaway, E., Bauldry, S., Margolis, R. and Verdery, A. M., "Mourning in a pandemic: The differential impact of widowhood on mental health during COVID-19." The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2022.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A., Birditt, K. S. and Fingerman, K. L., "Adult children's daily experience with parental advice: The importance of life problems and relationship quality." The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2021.
  • Wang, H., Verdery, A. M., Margolis, R. and Smith-Greenaway, E., "Bereavement from COVID-19, gender, and reports of depression among older adults in Europe." The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2021.
  • Wang, H., Stokes, J. E. and Burr, J. A., "Depression and inflammation after the 2003 SARS epidemic among Chinese older adults." The Gerontologist, 2021.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A. and Wu, B., "Longitudinal associations between parent child relationship quality and insomnia for aging parents: The mediating role of depressive symptoms." Social Science & Medicine, 2020.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A., Birditt, K. S. and Fingerman, K. ., "Middle-aged adults' daily sleep and worries about aging parents and adult children." Journal of Family Psychology, 2020.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Birditt, K. S., Zarit, S. H. and Fingerman, K. ., "Middle-aged children's coping strategies with tensions with aging parents." International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 2020.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A. and Wu, B., "Parent-child relationships and aging parents' sleep quality: A comparison of one-child and multiple-children families in China." Journal of Aging and Health, 2020.
  • Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. and Wu, B., "Psychological Pathways Linking Parent-Child Relationships to Subjective and Objective Sleep Among Older Adults." The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2020.
  • Wang, H., Stokes, J. E., "Trajectories of rural-urban disparities in biological risks for cardiovascular disease among Chinese middle-aged and older adults." Health & Place, 2020.
• Book Chapter
  • Wang, H., Han, S., Xu, P., Mutchler, J. E., Du, P. and Burr, J. A., "Family, friendship, and loneliness among older Chinese adults: Urban-Rural Comparisons." In Aging Families in Chinese Society. Silverstein, M. D. (ed.) Routledge, 2021.
• Magazine/Trade Publication
  • Newmyer, L., Verdery, A. M., Wang, H. and Margolis, R., "Older adult loneliness on the rise around the world." N-IUSSP, 2023.

76th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Integrating Animal Model, Human Subjects, and Social Systems in Nutrition and Aging Research" (November, 2023)

2023 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "Food Insecurity and Cognitive Health Among U.S. Older Adults" (April, 2023)

Wang, H., Smith-Greenaway, E., Bauldry, S., Margolis, R., Verdery, A., 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "COVID-19 Widowhood or Pandemic Widowhood: Examining the Differential Implications for Mental Health" (November, 2022)

Wang, H., Margolis, R., Verdery, A. M., 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Left Out to Dry: Unmet Needs and Risk of Depression" (November, 2022)

Wang, H., Margolis, R., Verdery, A. M., NHATS/NSOC Dementia Care Conference, "A Difference-in-Difference Analysis of Unmet Needs and Health Conditions Among U.S. Older Adults: The Impact of COVID-19" (May, 2022)

Oyeyemi, . M., Lin, I. F., Wang, H., Gan, D., Brown, M. J., Freedman, V. A., Manning, M., American Geriatric Society (AGS) 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting, "Change in Late-Life Assistance Networks for Black and White Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic" (May, 2022)

Xu, S., Wang, H., Song, Q., Burr, J. A., 2022 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "Sensory Impairment, Social Contact, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (May, 2022)

Wang, H., Smith-Greenaway, E., Bauldry, S., Margolis, R., Verdery, A. M., 2022 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "A Difference-in-Difference Analysis of COVID-19 Widowhood and Mental Health" (April, 2022)

Yang, M. S., Wang, H., Choi, Y. K., 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Barriers that Contribute to Digital Divide among Older Community Dwelling Adults in Later Life" (November, 2021)

Wang, H., Verdery, A. M., Margolis, R., Smith-Greenaway, E., 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Crossnational Analysis of Bereavement from COVID-19 and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults in Europe" (November, 2021)

Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A., Fingerman, K. L., 2021 National Council of Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference, "Financial Problems in Established Adulthood: Implications for Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Quality With Parents" (November, 2021)

Yang, M. S., Wang, H., Choi, Y. ., 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "The Association Between the Use of Digital Health Management Tools and Subjective Well-being among Older Adults" (November, 2021)

Yang, M. S., Wang, H., Choi, Y. K., 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo, "The Association Between Technology Use and Chronic Health Conditions among Older Adults" (October, 2021)

Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, "Sibling Availability and Adult Subjective Well-Being: The Demographic Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy" (September, 2021)

Wang, H., Verdery, A. M., Margolis, R., 2021 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "The Smaller The Better? Emerging Family Structure and The Well-Being among Chinese Adults" (May, 2021)

Chunga, R. E., Jansen, T., Lee, C. M., Wang, S., Wang, H., Silverstein, N., Porell, F., Dugan, E., 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Cognitive Health in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island: Findings from the Healthy Aging Data Reports" (November, 2020)

Rataj, A. C., Silverstein, N., Lee, C. M., Wang, H., Chunga, R. E., Jansen, T., Wang, S., Dugan, E., 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Disparities in Community Immunization Rates in New England: Findings from the Healthy Aging Data Reports" (November, 2020)

Jansen, T., Chunga, R. E., Lee, C. M., Wang, S., Wang, H., Porell, F., Silverstein, N., Dugan, E., 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Mental Health Issues in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island: Findings from the Healthy Aging Data Reports" (November, 2020)

Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, . A., Wu, B., 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Psychological Pathways Linking Parent-Child Relationships to Subjective and Objective Sleep Among Older Adults" (November, 2020)

Workshop on Individual and Societal Consequences of Widowhood in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Sciences Po and the Observatoire Sociologique du Changement, "Mourning in a pandemic: The differential impact of widowhood on mental health during COVID-19" (June, 2020)

Song, Q., Wang, H., 2020 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "How Community Matters: Depressive Symptoms of Older Adults in the Context of High Labor Migration" (April, 2020)

Wang, H., Stokes, J. E., Burr, . A., 2020 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "Living Alone and Cardiovascular Disease Risks: A Rural-Urban Comparison of Older Adults in China" (April, 2020)

Stokes, J. E., Wang, H., 2020 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "Perceived Physical Limitations, Biological Health, and Depressive Symptoms: A Dyadic Analysis of Older Couples in China" (April, 2020)

Chunga, R. E., Wang, H., Carr, D., 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Are Family Relationships a Protective Resource among Adults with Functional Impairment" (November, 2019)

Xu, S., Wang, H., Connelly, C., 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Hearing Impairment, Depression, and The Role of Social Activity Among Chinese Older adults" (November, 2019)

Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, J. A., Wu, B., 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Parent-Child Relationships and Sleep Quality among Chinese Aging Parents" (November, 2019)

Wang, H., Stokes, J. E., 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), "Rural-Urban Disparity in Biomarker Risks for Cardiovascular Disease among Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults" (November, 2019)

Wang, S., Dugan, E., Porell, F., Silverstein, N., Lee, C., Wang, H., 8th Chinese Congress on Gerontology and Health Industry (CCGI), "Healthy Aging Data Reports and Its Application to Empirical Research" (September, 2019)

Wang, H., Kim, K., Burr, A. J., Wu, B., 31st Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), "Bidirectional Associations between Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Sleep for Aging Parents: Depression as a Mediator" (May, 2019)

Lim, Z., Wang, H., 2019 Aging in America (AiA) conference, "A Friendship Tale on Expectation of Future Nursing Home Use among U.S. Older Adults" (April, 2019)

Wang, H., Han, S., Kim, K., Burr, J. A., 2019 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting, "Adult children’s Successes and Problems for Aging Parents’ Well-Being: A Comparison of One-child Families and Multiple-children Families in China" (April, 2019)

University of Massachusetts Boston Department Gerontology Book Award (Best Graduate Dissertation) (May, 2020)

University of Massachusetts Boston McCormack Graduate School Department of Gerontology Service Award (2018 - 2019)

31st Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Student Research Award (May 31, 2019)

Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Behavioral and Social Science (BSS) section Travel Award for 2018 GSA annual conference (November, 2018)

Gerontological Society of America Social Research Policy and Practice (SRPP) section Travel Award for 21st International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) (July, 2017)