Emma Vetter

Emma Vetter

Emma Vetter

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Sociology: Sociology of Everyday Life; Digital Nomads; Social Media; Early Adulthood; Health Disparities; Housing; Popular Culture

Emma Vetter is a sociology doctoral candidate and Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Social Science Research (CSSR) in the Education & Health Research Hub. She served as the President of the Public Sociology Association (PSA) for graduate students during the 2022-2023 academic year. Her research interests include digital nomads and their connections social networks, social media, housing, and early adulthood.

Emma earned her BA in Sociology and Communication Studies, with a minor in Family Studies, from Grove City College. After working as an event planner in the Pittsburgh area, she moved to DC and completed an MA in Sociology Research & Practice at American University. While at AU, Emma was featured as a Graduate Student Changemaker and researched social determinants of health for the Immigration Lab, focusing on homelessness, diabetes, and BMI. Her research on health disparities between housed, marginally housed, and homeless populations in El Paso, Texas was published in the Journal of Migration and Health in 2020.

Selected Publications

Cione, Carina, Emma Vetter, Deziree Jackson, Sarah McCarthy, and Ernesto Castañeda. 2023. “The Implications of Health Disparities: A COVID-19 Risk Assessment of the Hispanic Community in El Paso.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20(975):1–20. 10.3390/ijerph2004010001.
 

Castañeda, Ernesto, Blaine Smith, and Emma Vetter. 2020. “Hispanic health disparities and housing: Comparing measured and self-reported health metrics among housed and homeless Latin individuals.” Journal of Migration and Health. 1-2:1-8. 10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100008.

Education

PhD in Sociology, George Mason University (In Progress)

MA in Sociology Research & Practice, American University (2021)

BA in Sociology and Communication Studies, Grove City College (2017)

Recent Presentations

“This is Home for the Night: An Institutional Analysis of Van Life.” MiniConference: Digital Society. Eastern Sociological Society Conference. March 2, 2024. Washington, D.C.

"Towards Nomadic Typology: A Conceptual Analysis of Traditional and Neo-Nomadic Communities." Panel Presentation. Eastern Sociological Society. With Maxwell Rollins. February 24, 2023. Baltimore, MD. 

"Modern Hoboes: A Sociological Approach to the Increase in Van Life amongst Millennials." Roundtable Presentation and Table Presider. American Sociological Association. August 7, 2022. Los Angeles, CA. 

"Housing as Health Care: An Analysis of Homelessness in El Paso, Texas." Roundtable Presentation. American Sociological Association. With Sarah McCarthy and Deziree Jackson. August 9, 2021. Virtual.

In the Media

Housman, Patty. 2021. “Meet 10 Star Grad Student #Changemakers.” American University. (https://www.american.edu/cas/news/meet-10-star-grad-student-changemakers.cfm).