{{short description|American sociologist}} {{Infobox academic | name = Debra Umberson | image = | image_size = 230px | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = | occupation = | education =BA, MSW, University of Arkansas at Little Rock <br> MA, PhD, sociology, 1985, Vanderbilt University | thesis_title =Parenthood and social integration: implications for psychological well-being and risk-taking behaviors | thesis_year =1985 | known_for = | spouse = | children = | awards = | website = | workplaces = University of Texas at Austin }} '''Debra J. Umberson''' is an American sociologist. She is a professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin and director of the Population Research Center.
==Early life and education== Umberson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and MSW at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and her Master's degree and PhD from Vanderbilt University.<ref name = "journal">{{cite web |title=University of Texas Sociologist Named to Head Prestigious Journal |url=https://www.wiareport.com/2011/03/university-of-texas-sociologist-named-to-head-prestigious-journal/ |website=wiareport.com |access-date=January 7, 2021 |date=March 25, 2011}}</ref>
==Career== Upon receiving her PhD, Umberson accepted a faculty appointment in sociology at the University of Texas at Austin in 1985.<ref>{{cite web |title=Debra Umberson |url=https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1317-3934 |website=orcid.org |publisher=ORCID |access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref> Within four years as an assistant professor, she received tenure and promotion to associate professor and in another four years was promoted to Full Professor.<ref name = "Hughes">{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Michael |title=Debra Umberson to Edit the Journal of Health and Social Behavior |url=https://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/savvy/footnotes/mayjun10/jhsb_050610.html |website=asanet.org |publisher=American Sociological Association |access-date=January 7, 2021 |date=2011}}</ref> While serving in this role, Umberson chaired the Department of Sociology at the University of Texas from 2000 to 2006<ref name = "investigatorawards">{{cite web |title=Debra Umberson Ph.D., M.S.W. |url=http://investigatorawards.org/investigators/debra-umberson.html |website=investigatorawards.org |publisher=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> and published her first book ''Death of a Parent: Transition to a New Adult Identity'' in 2003 through the Cambridge University Press.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Parker |first1=Marcie |title=Book Review Umberson, Debra. DEATH OF A PARENT: TRANSITION TO A NEW ADULT IDENTITY |journal=Journal of Comparative Family Studies |date=Summer 2006 |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=487–490 |doi=10.3138/jcfs.37.3.487 |url=https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/jcfs.37.3.487 |access-date=January 7, 2020|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Following the books publication, she was appointed Editor of the ''Journal of Health and Social Behavior''<ref name = "Hughes"/> and awarded the Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar Award from the ASA Section on Aging and the Life Course.<ref>{{cite web |title=Debra Umberson Wins ASA Distinguished Scholar Award |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/prc/news/debra-umberson-wins-asa-distinguished-scholar-award-2 |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=September 2, 2015}}</ref> In the same year, Umberson led a study finding a correlation between childhood stress and weight gain in older women.<ref>{{cite web |title=Academic Study Links Childhood Stress and Obesity in Women |url=https://www.wiareport.com/2015/09/academic-study-links-childhood-stress-and-obesity-in-women/ |website=wiareport.com |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=September 16, 2015}}</ref>
In recognition of Umberson's "substantial contributions in theory and/or research to the sociology of mental health," she was the recipient of the Leonard Pearlin Award from the American Sociological Association Sociology of Mental Health Section.<ref>{{cite web |title=Debra Umberson Wins ASA Pearlin Award |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/sociology/news/debra-umberson-wins-asa-pearlin-award |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=February 29, 2016}}</ref> By January 2019, she was appointed the co-director of the Texas Aging and Longevity Center to study baby boomers.<ref>{{cite web |title=UT Austin Launches Texas Aging & Longevity Center |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/public-affairs/news/ut-austin-launches-texas-aging-longevity-center |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=January 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rice |first1=Laura |last2=Hart |first2=Alexandra |date=January 28, 2019 |title=UT-Austin's New Center Wants Baby Boomers To Age In A Healthier, Happier Way |url=http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/ut-austins-new-center-wants-baby-boomers-to-age-in-a-healthier-happier-way/ |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=texasstandard.org}}</ref> She was also elected chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America.<ref>{{cite web |title=TALC Co-Director Dr. Debra Umberson elected chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/talc/news/talc-co-director-dr-debra-umberson-elected-chair-of-behavioral-and-social-sciences-section-of-the-gerontological-society-of-america |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=July 16, 2019}}</ref> During the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, Umberson was the recipient of the 2020 Leo G. Reeder Award from the ASA Medical Sociology section for "displaying an extended trajectory of productivity that has contributed to theory and research in medical sociology, along with teaching, mentoring, and service to the medical sociology community."<ref>{{cite web |title=Debra Umberson - Recipient of the 2020 Leo G. Reeder Award |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/prc/news/debra-umberson-recipient-of-the-2020-leo-g-reeder-award |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> She also received the 2020 Distinguished Career Award from the Family Section of the American Sociological Association.<ref>{{cite web |title=Debra Umberson receives ASA 2020 Distinguished Career Award |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/sociology/news/debra-umberson-receives-asa-2020-distinguished-career-award |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>
==Selected publications== *''Death of a Parent: Transition to a New Adult Identity'' (2003)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Umberson |first=Debra |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/death-of-a-parent/DB336C0F812AF3E6C1D2C4BA04A2F94F |title=Death of a Parent: Transition to a New Adult Identity |date=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-81338-9 |location=Cambridge |doi=10.1017/cbo9780511500046}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Google Scholar id | BAwtdQIAAAAJ }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Umberson, Debra}} Category:Living people Category:American sociologists Category:American women sociologists Category:American academic journal editors Category:University of Texas at Austin faculty Category:Vanderbilt University alumni Category:University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)