Madonna Harrington Meyer

• 2025 Fall
  • SOC/WGS 364/664 Aging and Society
• 2025 Spring
  • SOC 499 Honors Capstone Project
  • SOC 300 Selected Topics - U.S. Social Policy & Citizensh
  • SOC 102 Social Problems
  • HNR 360 Topics in the Social Sciences Honors - US Social Policy&Citizenship
• 2024 Fall
  • SOC/WGS 364/664 Aging and Society
• 2024 Summer
  • SOC/WGS 305 Sociology of Sex and Gender
• 2024 Spring
  • SOC 300 Selected Topics - U.S. Social Policy & Citizensh
  • SOC 102 Social Problems
  • HNR 360 Topics in the Social Sciences Honors - US Social Policy&Citizenship

Madonna Harrington Meyer is University Professor at Syracuse University.  She is professor of sociology at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence. She is senior research associate at the Center for Policy Research, faculty affiliate at the Aging Studies Institute, and faculty research affiliate at the Lerner Center. She specializes in aging, care work and grandparenting in the U.S.

She is co-author, with Colleen M. Heflin, of Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adult Food Insecurity (2025). She is author of a children’s book based on her research, Grandma’s Joy (2024). She is co-author, with Ynesse Abdul-Malak, of  Grandparenting Children with Disabilities (2020), and co-editor with Ynesse Abdul-Malak of Grandparenting in the United States (2016). 

She is co-editor with Elizabeth Daniele of Gerontology: Changes, Challenges, and Solutions (2016), and author of Grandmothers at Work: Juggling Families and Jobs (2014), winner of the Gerontological Society of America’s Kalish Book Award. She is co-author with Pamela Herd of Market Friendly or Family Friendly? The State and Gender Inequality in Old Age (2007), which also won the Gerontological Society of America’s Kalish Book Award. She is editor of Care Work: Gender, Labor, and the Welfare State (2000). 

Harrington Meyer has published numerous scholarly articles; her work appears in leading journals including American Sociological Review, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Gender & Society, and Social Problems. She has received research grants from numerous organizations including The Russell Sage Foundation, The Retirement Research Consortium, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Borchard Foundation, and the American Sociological Association.

Her research has been reported in the media including New York Times, NPR, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Business Insider, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, and LA Times. 

In 2016 she was named winner of the American Sociological Association (ASA) Section on Aging and the Life Course (SALC) Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar Award.

"Hunger SNAPs: Food Insecurity among Older Adults", Sponsored by Russell Sage Foundation.

"HIV/AIDS and Older Adults City Council Initiative", Sponsored by AIDS Community Research Initiative of Am.

"Changing Demographics, Stagnant Social Policies", Sponsored by American Sociological Association.

"Impact Of Medicaid Equalization Policies On Nursing Home", Sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

• Books
  • Heflin, C. M., Harrington Meyer, M., Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adult Food Insecurity. Russell Sage Foundation, 2025.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Grandma's Joy. Palmetto Publisher, 2024.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., Grandparenting Children with Disabilities. Springer Publications, 2020.
  • Gerontology: Changes, Challenges, and Solutions. Harrington Meyer, M., Daniele, E. A. (eds.) Praeger Publishing, 2016.
  • Grandparenting in the United States. Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y. (eds.) Baywood Press, 2016.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Grandmothers at Work: Juggling Families and Jobs. NYU Press, 2014.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Herd, P., Market Friendly or Family Friendly? The State and Gender Inequality in Old Age. Russell Sage Foundation, 2007.
  • Care Work: Gender, Labor, and the Welfare State. Harrington Meyer, M. (ed.) Routledge Press, 2000.
• Journal Articles
  • Heflin, C. M., Harrington Meyer, M., "Strengthening SNAP’s Ability to Address Old Age Food Insecurity." Contexts, 2025.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., "Policy Challenges for Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren with Disabilities." Journal of Elder Policy, 2020.
  • Abdul-Malak, Y., Harrington Meyer, M., "Physical Health Impacts of Grandparenting Children with Disabilities." Lerner Center and Center for Aging and Policy Studies. Syracuse University, 2020.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Grandmothers at Work during Coronavirus." Lerner Center. Syracuse University, 2020.
  • Herd, P., Favreault, M., Harrington Meyer, M. and Smeeding, T. M., "A Targeted Minimum Benefit Plan: A New Proposal to Reduce Poverty Among Older Social Security Recipients." RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 2018.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Emerging Issues for Older Couples: Protection of Income, Right to Intimacy, and End-of-Life Decisions." Generations, 2007.
  • Himes, C. L., Harrington Meyer, M., "Gender and Race Differences in the Impact of Obesity on Work and Economic Security in Later Life in the U.S." Hallymn International Journal of Aging, 2007.
• Book Chapters
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Kandic, A., "How Social Policies affect Grandparent Care Work." In Life Course Implications of US Public Policies. Wilmoth, J. M., London, A. S. (eds.) Routlege, 2021.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Stevens, J. D., "Changes in Medicaid for People with Disabilities." In Medicaid: Enrollment, Eligibility, and Key Issues. Lanford, D. (ed.) Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2020.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Kandic, A., "Grandparenting in the US." In Innovation in Aging. igx023, 2017.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "'Introduction to Volume I: Social and Life Course Issues,' Pp. ix-xv, and 'Introduction to Volume II: Health and Well-Being,' Pp. ix-xiv,." In Gerontology: Changes, Challenges, and Solutions. Harrington Meyer, M., Daniele, E. (eds.) Praeger Publishing, 2016.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Grandmothers’ Financial Contributions and the Impact on Grandmothers." In Grandparenting in the United States. Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y. (eds.) Baywood Press, 2016.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., "Grandparenting in the United States." In Grandparenting in the United States. Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y. (eds.) Baywood Press, 2016.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., "Single-Headed Family Economic Vulnerability and Reliance on Social Programs in Aging Policies and New “American Families." Angel, J., Settersten, R. (eds.) Public Policy and Aging Report, 2015.
• Book Reviews
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Book Review of Deborah Carr's Golden Years? Social Inequality in Later Life." In Sociological Forum. , 2020.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Book Review: A Different Shade of Gray: Midlife and Beyond in the Inner City by Katherine S. Newman." American Journal of Sociology, 2004.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Book Review: Making Gray Gold: Narratives of Nursing Home Care, by Timothy Diamond." Contemporary Sociology, 1994.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Book Review: Old Age and the Search for Security: An American Social History, by Carole Haber and Brian Gratton." Contemporary Sociology, 1994.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Book Review: A Generation of Change: America’s Older Population, by Jacob S. Siegel." In The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. , 1993.
• Encyclopedia Entries
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Pagan, M., "Social Security." In The Sage Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. Bornstein, M. H. (ed.) SAGE Publications Inc., 2018.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., "Social Security Policy." In Oxford Encyclopedia of American Political, Policy, and Legal History. VanderMeer, P., Critchlow, D. (eds.) Oxford University Press, 2012.
• Policy Briefs
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Heflin, C. M., "Budget Tradeoffs Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults." In Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. , 2025.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Heflin, C. M., "Community-Based Food Program Limits in Reducing Older Adult Food Insecurity." In Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. , 2025.
  • Heflin, C. M., Harrington Meyer, M., "How is Food Insecurity Measured in the United States and What Share of Older Adults are Food Insecure?." In Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. , 2025.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Heflin, C. M., "Nonfinancial Factors Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults." In Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. , 2025.
  • Heflin, C. M., Harrington Meyer, M., Policy Recommendations to Reduce Old Age Food Insecurity in the United States. Center for Policy Research Syracuse University, 2025.
  • Heflin, C. M., Harrington Meyer, M., "The Limits of SNAP in Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity." In Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. , 2025.
  • Harrington Meyer, M., Delapaz, A., "Why is Food Insecurity High among U.S. Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren?." In Food Insecurity in Old Age. Center for Policy Research Syracuse University, 2024.
• Technical Report
  • Herd, P., Smeeding, T. and Harrington Meyer, M., A Targeted Minimum Benefit Plan (MBP) A New Proposal to Reduce Poverty among the Elderly. , 2009.

Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, "How Living Arrangements Shape Grandparent Food Insecurity" (September, 2026)

Harrington Meyer, M., Scott, W. J., American Sociological Association, "Seven Ways Low-Income Older Adults Struggle with Food Pantries" (August, 2026)

Harrington Meyer, M., Delapaz, A., American Sociological Association, "‘I’m Going to Make Sure the Kids Eat Even If I Don’t:’ Low-Income Grandparenting and Food Insecurity" (August, 2026)

Harrington Meyer, M., Delapaz, A., Working Family Research Network, "How Food Insecurity Reshapes Patterns of Grandparenting" (June 18, 2026 - June 20, 2026)

AFHVS/ASFS, "Making Food Pantries More Responsive to Older Adults" (June 7, 2026 - June 10, 2026)

Harrington Meyer, M., Delapaz, A., Reimagining the Economics of Late Life Institutions, Systems, and Investments Conference, NYU, "The Cost of Care: Food Insecurity and Economic Hardships among Low-Income Grandparents in the U.S." (May 1, 2026)

Florida State University, "It’s Time to Address Food Insecurity among Older Adult" (February 13, 2026)

Women and Public Policy Program, Kennedy School, Harvard University, "Grandparenting and Food Insecurity in the US" (November 10, 2025)

Harrington Meyer, M., Scott, W. J., Aging and Social Change, Linkoping University, "Joy and Hardship: Older Adults using Food Pantries in the US" (October 22, 2025 - October 24, 2025)

Proseminar, Sociology, Syracuse University, "Comprehensive Exams and Proposal Writing" (October, 2025)

Harrington Meyer, M., Heflin, C. M., Center for Policy Research, Syracuse University, "What’s at Stake for Older Adult Food Insecurity?" (October, 2025)

Russell Sage Book Workshop, "Surviving and Striving by Autumn Green and Amanda Freeman" (March, 2025)

Harrington Meyer, M., Delapaz, A., Aging and Social Change, University of Galway, "Grandparenting and Food Insecurity in the US" (September, 2024)

American Sociological Association, "Invisible Civic Engagement: the Case of Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren" (August, 2024)

Eastern Sociological Society, "The Complexities of Food Insecurity in Old Age" (March, 2024)

Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., Global Congress of Gender and Sexuality Studies, "A Qualitative Look at Work and Retirement Patterns for Grandmothers" (2024)

Syracuse University, "Comprehensive Exams and Proposal Writing" (2024)

Harrington Meyer, M., Delapaz, A., Aging and Social Change, University of Galway, Ireland, "Grandparenting and Food Security in the US" (2024)

American Sociological Association, "Invisible Civic Engagement" (2024)

Aging and Social Change, University of Galway Ireland, "Response to Keynote Speaker" (2024)

Eastern Sociologial Society, "The Complexities of Food Insecurity and Old Age" (2024)

University of Gothenburg, "Assessing US Old Age Food Insecurity" (November, 2023)

Future Professoriate, "Comprehensive Exams and Dissertations" (November, 2023)

Professional Development Seminar, Sociology, Syracuse University, "Developing a Research Agenda" (November, 2023)

SPA HUST, Syracuse University, "Conducting In-Depth Interviews: The Case of Grandparenting Children with Disabilities" (August, 2023)

ARC 2023 5th World Congress on Aging and Rejuvenation, "Measuring US old age food insecurity" (July, 2023)

Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., Panel of Gender, Family Histories and Late-Life Economic Well- Being, Gerontological Society of America, "How Marital Status Shapes Grandparenting Children with Disabilities" (November, 2021)

Dynamics of Accumulated Inequalities for Seniors in Employment (DAISIE), Karlstad University, Sweden, "Grandparenting Children with Disabilities: Impact on Work and Retirement" (May 25, 2021 - May 26, 2021)

Harrington Meyer, M., Abdul-Malak, Y., Dynamics of Accumulated Inequalities for Seniors in Employment (DAISIE), Karlstad University, "Financial Impacts of Caring for Grandchildren with Disabilities" (May 25, 2021)

Wellness and Aging seminar at SUNY, "Grandmothers at Work" (April 20, 2021)

Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence, Syracuse University (2007 - 2010)