Rate My Professor Adam Shapiro

Adam Shapiro is Professor of Sociology at California State University, San Marcos, a position he has held since 2016. He also serves as Director of the Accelerated Online BA in Sociology Program. From 2011 to 2016, Shapiro was the Founding Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences (CHABSS) at CSUSM. Additionally, he directed University Relations and Research at the CSU Institute for Palliative Care from 2016 to 2018. Prior to joining CSUSM, he progressed from assistant to full professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of North Florida from 1997 to 2011. Earlier, he was Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Mary Washington College from 1996 to 1997. Shapiro earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996, M.A. in Sociology from the same institution in 1993, and B.A. in Sociology with honors from the University of Florida in 1990, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.

Shapiro's academic interests encompass adult development and aging, family sociology, health and long-term care, and social policy. He was elected Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America in 2018. Among his key publications are 'Social Well-Being in the United States: A Descriptive Epidemiology' (2004, with C.L.M. Keyes, cited 657 times), 'Marital Status and Social Well-Being: Are the Married Always Better Off?' (2008, with C.L.M. Keyes, cited 422 times), 'Domestic Violence, Personal Control, and Gender' (1998, with D. Umberson, K. Anderson, and J. Glick, cited 272 times), 'Rethinking Marital Status: Partnership History and Intergenerational Relationships in American Families' (2012), and 'Patterns of Giving to Family and Giving to Others in Midlife' (2020, with A.E. Barnett and T.M. Cooney). These works have appeared in prestigious outlets such as Journal of Marriage and Family, Social Indicators Research, The Gerontologist, and Journal of Family Issues. Shapiro has been Associate Editor of the Journal of Family Issues since 1998. At CSUSM, he chaired the Faculty Grants Committee from 2016 to 2019, served on the College Hiring and Academic Planning Committee from 2018 to 2020, and held other leadership roles including University Athletic Council member and search committee chairs.