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Nikki DiGregorio

Program: Ph.D. Human Development & Family Studies

Year of Completion: 2014

Dissertation Title: Same-sex marriage policies and lesbian family life

Advisor: Dr. Bahira Sherif Trask

Nikki DiGregorio

Current Position

Associate Professor of Child and Family Development at Georgia Southern University

Current Research

Dr. DiGregorio is currently conducting research exploring language appropriation practices among gender and sexual minorities as it pertains to marriage.


Recent Publications

DiGregorio, N. (forthcoming). Same-sex marriage and the language appropriation practices of gay men. Submitted to the Journal of Homosexuality.

DiGregorio, N. (2018). Same-sex marriage and language appropriation practices of lesbian women. Journal of Homosexuality, 66(9), 1-21. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2018.1500777

DiGregorio, N. (2018). Effective teaching of objectification and sexualization. Family Science Review, 22(4), 23-37.

DiGregorio, N. & Liston, D. (2018). Experiencing technical difficulties: Teacher self-efficacy and instructional technology. In C. Hodges, Springer book, “Self-efficacy in Instructional Technology Contexts.”

DiGregorio, N. (2016). Same-sex marriage policies and lesbian family life. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 13, 58-72. doi: 10.1007/s13178-015-0211-z


Recent Awards/Funding

After receiving her doctorate from UD, Dr. DiGregorio was presented the School of Human Ecology Scholarship Award (2016) and the School of Human Ecology Teaching Award (2017). Additionally, she has received two internal grants at GSU, the Faculty Service Award and the Faculty Development Award.


Why did you choose to pursue your graduate degree at CEHD? What was it about the university/school that drew you here?

“I chose UD’s HDFS program because of the breadth of expertise available to me among the faculty. I remember very clearly the moment I knew that UD was the right fit for me: Dr. Bahira Sherif Trask was explaining some of the opportunities available to graduate students in the program, and I knew I wanted to be in a program that was going to afford me research and teaching experience. I have never regretted that decision. UD has been very influential in shaping who I am as a professional, and also who I am as a person.”


Can you share on positive memory that has stuck with you since you left UD?

“My dissertation research was centered around same-sex marriage during a tumultuous period socio-politically. I was nominated for and won the UD Dissertation Fellowship Award, for which I am still very grateful, that enabled me to support myself while conducting my research for an entire academic year. This afforded me the resources and time necessary to conduct a qualitative study that garnered data from participants in varying parts of the United States. Without the financial and educational support of the Award, my research sample would have been limited by a number of factors, including geographic location. As a result, I was able to publish this study (and the follow-up study is in press).”


Updated on December 6, 2019