Nikki DiGregorio

Biography

Dr. DiGregorio joined the Department of Family Studies and Community Development in 2023 and received a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Delaware in 2014. Prior to joining the faculty at Towson University, Dr. DiGregorio taught at the university level in southeast rural Georgia for nine years.

Dr. DiGregorio’s scholarly, teaching and service areas are inextricably linked by a common thread: the desire to examine and deconstruct aspects of the social world that reify oppression as experienced by underrepresented populations. Dr. DiGregorio’s primary line of research explores how underrepresented individuals, families and communities navigate social structures and their influences on various aspects of health (e.g., sexual health and behavioral health). More specifically, Dr. DiGregorio engages in interdisciplinary work around gender, sexualities, social policy and family services programming. Dr. DiGregorio dovetails this research with scholarships that systematically explore teaching and learning to leverage this understanding to improve access to resources and services for historically underrepresented groups and to reduce bias and discriminatory policies. Dr. DiGregorio’s pedagogy is rooted in the belief that we are always learning and views the classroom as a place with a potential for transformative experiences within and beyond its walls. As such, Dr. DiGregorio's research, teaching and service inform one another and prioritize supporting communities on and off campus.

Selected Publications

DiGregorio, N., Rich, A., & Evans, L. (in press). Connecting the past and the future with culminating experiences in the social sciences. In M. Strawser & R. Yaure (Eds.), Interdisciplinary Approaches to Culminating Student Experiences. Vernon Press.

DiGregorio, N., & Maurer, T. M. (2023). Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes Toward Marriage Equality: Changes in an Introductory Family Science Course. Family Science Review, 27(3). http://doi.org/10.26536/ZCTL3235

Shannon-Baker, P. & DiGregorio, N. (2022). Beyond expanding an acronym: Strategies for supporting LGBTQ+ people in schools. In: Dhakal, S., Cameron, R., & Burgess, J. (Eds.), A Field Guide to Managing Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in Organisations. Edward Elgar Publishing.

DiGregorio, N. & *Selph, J. (2022). Small town politics, stigma, and services: Understanding the unique needs of rural families post-reunification. Journal of Social Service Research, 460-471. https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2022.2087825

DiGregorio, N. (2022). Language Use and the Social Affordances of Marriage: An Exploration of the Experiences of Cisgender Gay Men. In A. Hoy (Eds), The Social Science of Same-Sex Marriage: LGBTQ People and Their Relationships in the Era of Marriage Equality (pp. 255-270). Routledge.

DiGregorio, N., & Liston, D. (2022). Enhancing student self-reflection in college-level diversity courses. College Teaching, 70(1), 98-104. doi: 10.1080/87567555.1901068

Gregg, K., Dove, M., & DiGregorio, N. (2021). Instructional scaffolding in internships:Supporting future professionals in Family Science. Syllabus, 10(2), 1-14. https://www.syllabusjournal.org/syllabus/article/view/271

Rich, A., DiGregorio, N., Strassle, C. (2020). Trauma informed systems in the context of intellectual and developmental disability services: Perceptions of service providers. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 25(4), 603-618. doi: 10.1177/1744629520918086

DiGregorio, N. (2019). Same-sex marriage and the language appropriation practices of gay men.  Submitted to the Journal of Homosexuality, 2, 40-65. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2019.1701335

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. https://www.familyscienceassociation.org/journal

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