Current Sociology PhD Students

Fanni Farago

Fanni Farago

Fanni Farago

Sociology: sociology of education, immigration, life course transitions, emotions, health, applied sociology, and mixed-methods research

I am a fifth-year PhD student in Sociology at George Mason University. I came to Mason after obtaining my M.A. in Sociology from the University of Houston. I currently work for AARP as a PhD Research Intern for their Advocacy, Community, and Engagement team within the Policy Research International department. 

Since I began the program in August 2019, I've worked on a range of quantitative and qualitative research projects in my capacity as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute for Immigration Research and the Center for Social Science Research. I am grateful to my bosses and peers for their support, humor, and for pushing me to become a better researcher. 

Right now, I am developing my dissertation proposal, which will be a qualitative investigation of how university administrators across the nation perceive and serve students from immigrant families. These students are a quickly growing and distinct population of college students in U.S. higher ed, whose college experiences nonetheless remain under investigated. One of my key objectives is to produce knowledge that will inform university administrators’ decision-making and implementation of targeted services and student supports for this diverse student population. 

On a personal note, I'm a 1.5 generation Hungarian-American immigrant and a corgi lover. I have an older adults corgi who's 13 years old. I have all sorts of corgi merchandise to match him, like mugs, customized shirts, etc. #lovealltheway [I've clearly internalized some capitalist norms of loving my furry baby.]

Current Research

Since Fall 2019, I have been working on the MAT Utilization Survey, a national survey project that centers on how problem-solving courts use Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for participants with opioid use disorder (OUD). I work in collaboration with Drs. James WitteFaye Taxman, Thomas Blue, Michael Gordon, along with Lindsay Smith, MA, GRA. We are co-authoring five related manuscripts, four of which have been published and one is under review.

I am also collaborating with Dr. Blake Silver and his Social Science Research Lab to conduct qualitative research on first generation students of immigrant backgrounds navigate their senior-year transition from college to the workforce. We are at the data analysis stage for this project. 

Last but not least, Dr. Silver and I are analyzing recently collected interview data on how immigrant students experience student-faculty interactions within higher education. We are co-authoring a book chapter together based on this project, which is soon to be published. 

Selected Publications

Farago, Fanni and Blake Silver. 2023. "Navigating the New University: How Students from Immigrant Families Experience Student-Faculty Interactions." Editors, Drs. T. Trolian and E. Park. Read here

Smith, Lindsay R., Fanni Farago, Thomas Blue, James C. Witte, Michael S. Gordon & Faye S. Taxman. 2023. "Viewing Then Doing?: Problem-Solving Court Coordinators’ Perceptions of Medications for Opioid Use Disorders from a Nationally Representative Survey in the United States." Substance Use & Misuse 

Farago, Fanni, Lindsay Smith, Violette Cloud, Michael Gordon, and Faye Taxman. (2023). "Pilot Study: An Exploration of Medication Assisted-Treatment (MAT) for Indigenous Americans Within Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts." Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology
 
Smith, Lindsay, Fanni Farago, James Witte, Thomas R. Blue, Michael Gordon, and Faye Taxman. (2022). "Pandemic Procedures: Adapting Problem-Solving Court (PSC) Operations and Treatment Protocols During COVID-19." Journal of Drug Issues. 
 
Farago, Fanni, Thomas R. Blue, Lindsay R. Smith, James Witte, Michael Gordon, and Faye S. Taxman. 2022. "Medication-Assisted Treatment in Problem-solving Courts: A National Survey of State and Local Court Coordinators." Journal of Drug Issues. 
 
Silver, Blake, Freddy Lopez, Fanni Farago, and Tharuna Kalaivanan. 2021. "Focused, Exploratory, or Vigilant: Reproduction, Mobility, and the Self-Narratives of Second-Generation Immigrant Youth." Qualitative Sociology
 
Flores Morales, Josefina, and Fanni Farago. 2021. ""Of course we need to help the undocumented immigrants!": Twitter discourse on the (un)deservingness of undocumented immigrants in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic." Sociological Perspectives' special issue on The Coronavirus (COVID-19) & Society. 

 

Expanded Publication List

Farago, Fanni and Joanne Binette. 2024. "Where We Live as We Age: Fostering Aging in Place Through Information & Communication." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here

Farago, Fanni. December 2023. "Aging Unequally: Health Disparities Among Older Adults in the District of Columbia." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here

Farago, Fanni and Joanne Binette. 2023. "Where We Live as We Age: A Healthy Community is a Successful Community." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni and Joanne Binette. 2023. "Where We Live as We Age: Older Adults' Wants and Needs for Employment." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni and Joanne Binette. 2023. "Where We Live as We Age: The Importance of Inclusive & Accessible Public Places." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni and Joanne Binette. 2023. "Where We Live as We Age: Older Adults' Need for Social Connection and Inclusion." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Binette, Joanne, and Fanni Farago. 2023. "Where We Live as We Age: Home is at the Heart of Older Adults' Well-Being." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni, and Vicky Levy. August 2023. "Gaming Research: Grandparents' Board Gaming Perceptions and Habits." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni, Aisha Bonner Cozad, Kate Bridges, Cassandra Cantave, and Vicky Levy. 2023. "Vital Voices Research Methodology Report." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Binette, Joanne and Fanni Farago. 2023. "Where We Live as We Age: Older Adults Current & Future Transportation Needs." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni. October 2022. "The 2022 Nobel Laureates: International Collaboration & Groundbreaking Knowledge Production." Research report for the Institute for Immigration Research. Read here.

Cantave, Cassandra and Fanni Farago. October 2022. "2022 Veterans in America Infographics." Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here

Cozad, Aisha Bonner, and Fanni Farago. September 2022. "Access and Affordability: A Snapshot of Residents' Transportation Needs. Washington, DC: AARP Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni. August 2022. "Bridging the Gap: From Grad School to Becoming an Evaluator." American Evaluation Association AEA 365. Read here.

Murray, Kantahyanee, and Fanni Farago. January 2022. “Engaging the WE Community with a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Antiracism.” American Evaluation Association AEA 365. Read here.

Farago, Fanni, and Michele Waslin. Fall 2021. "Five of the 2021 Nobel Laureates from the United States are Foreign Born." Research report for the Institute for Immigration Research. Read here.

Farago, Fanni, and Michele Waslin. Summer 2021. "Continuing to Lead Through Creativity and Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Immigrant Scientists and Information Technology Workers." Research report for the Institute for Immigration Research. Read here. 

Farago, Fanni, and Michele Waslin. 2020. "Leading Through Creativity and Innovation: The 2020 Nobel Laureates, MacArthur and Schmidt Science Fellows, and Immigrant Scientists in Search of a COVID-19 Vaccine." Research report for the Institute for Immigration Research. Read here.

 

 

Grants and Fellowships

2023-2024 Doctoral Research Scholars Grant ($19,698)

2023 NASPA Access Scholarship ($150)

August 2019-May 2023 Mason PhD Funding Package: Tuition Grant & Graduate Research Assistantship 

Fall 2016-Spring 2018 University of Houston Master's Funding Package: Tuition Grant & Teaching Assistantship

Education

Ph.D. in Sociology, George Mason University (in progress) (2019-May 2025, expected)

M.A. in Sociology, University of Houston (2018)

B.A. in European & Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin (2013)

 

Recent Presentations

Spring 2023

"2019-2021 Vital Voices Research with Diverse Communities: Designing a National and 53 State Survey Study." Fanni Farago, Aisha Bonner Cozad, Cassandra Cantave, and Brian Meekins. Poster presented at the 78th AAPOR Annual Conference. 

"College Seniors from Immigrant Families: New Research and Implications for Practice." Blake Silver, Fanni Farago, Tharuna Kalaivanan, Maia Punksungka, and Kellie Wilkerson. Presented at the 2023 NASPA Annual Conference. 

Fall 2022

"Improving Graduate Student Engagement: A Needs Assessment of a Student-Run Organization." Wilkerson, Kellie, Fanni Farago, and Tharuna Kalaivanan. Presented at Eval22: Reshaping Evaluation Together hosted by the American Evaluation Association.

"The Pandemic Experiences of 50+ Older Adults With and Without a Disability." Farago, Fanni, Aisha Bonner Cozad. Presented at The Gerontological Society of America's 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting. 

"Supporting High-Impact Learning: Student-Faculty Interactions and the Experiences of Students from Immigrant Families." Farago, Fanni and Blake Silver. Presented at the 2022 Annual Mid-South Sociological Association's conference. 

Spring 2022

"Sociological Perspectives on Student-Faculty Interactions: Understanding the Experiences of Second-Generation Immigrant Students." Farago, Fanni and Blake Silver. Presented at the 93rd Annual Pacific Sociological Association 2022 Conference.

Fall 2021

"How WE Engages Emerging Evaluators to Support their Professional Development." Farago, Fanni, Beeta Tahmassebi, Betsey Kaeberle, and Maryfrances Porter. Presented at Eval21 Reimagined: A Virtual Experience hosted by the American Evaluation Association.

"Designing an Interview Guide Workshop." Kalaivanan, Tharuna, and Fanni Farago. Presented at the 7th Annual Mason Public Sociology Conference on behalf of the Social Science Research Lab. 

"Mapping the Needs of International Students: Designing a Mini Survey Study." Presented at the 2021 Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology (AACS) conference. 

Spring 2021

"Democratizing Northern Virginia (DemNOVA)." Wilkerson, Kellie and Fanni Farago. Presented at the 2021 Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference. 

Fall 2020

"Inequality in the Senior Year: Second-Generation Immigrants’ Narratives of the Transition Out of College." Silver, Blake, Fanni Farago, and Tharuna Kalaivanan. Presented at the 46th Annual Mid-South Sociological Association's conference.

"Helping to Heal: Current Trends in Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Utilization Across Problem-Solving Courts." Presented at the 46th Annual Mid-South Sociological Association's conference.

"Variants of Discrimination: How do they Impact Immigrant Students' Academic Performance?." Paper accepted to the American Sociological Association's Refereed Roundtable on Immigration and Educational Inequality. Meeting canceled due to COVID-19. 

"Perceptions & Attitudes of Problem-Solving Court Coordinators on the Utilization of Medications for Opioid Use Disorders." Presenters: Lindsay Smith and Fanni Farago. Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology. Meeting canceled due to COVID-19.

Spring 2020

"Shaping Student Outcomes: The Relevance of Perceived Peer and Institutional Discrimination for 2nd Generation Minority Adolescents.” Presented at the Eastern Sociological Society's Annual Meeting. 

In the Media

2020 New Professional Scholarship Recipient from the Washington Evaluators 

2018 Graduate Student Paper Award Recipient from the University of Houston's Sociology Department