Skip to main content
    Kent State University logo
    • Apply
    • Visit
    • Give Now
    • FlashLine Login
    • Calendars
    • Phone Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Search
    Healthy Communities Research Institute
    Menu Search
    • About
    • People
      Close
      • People Overview
      • Leadership/Administration
      • Faculty and Staff by College/Department
      • Faculty and Staff by Research Area
      • Fellow Program
      • Steering Committee
      • Student Members
      • Affiliate Members
    • Join HCRI
    • Funded Projects
    • Initiatives
    • Events
    • Featured Research
    • News
      Close
      • News Overview
      • Newsletters
    • FlashLine Login
    • Calendars
    • Phone Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Search
    • Apply
    • Visit
    • Give Now
    Live Chat
    Headshot of Dr. Samantha Nousak

    Samantha Nousak

    Health Policy and Management
    Postdoctoral research scholar
    Contact Information
    Email:
    snousak@kent.edu
    Phone:
    330-672-6516

    Biography

    Dr. Samantha Nousak broadly researches how the economy impacts health outcomes and definitions, ranging from disability to wellness. She recently served as the coordinator and a guest editor of a special edition of Sociation focusing on the intersections of disability and the Covid-19 pandemic, and she provides many talks on disability across the Kent State campus. Her current projects include extending Fundamental Cause Theory to positive and mental health outcomes, advocating for increased disability representation in academia, and working on numerous community wellness, mental health, and substance use grants in the Center for Public Policy and Health.

    In her spare time, Samantha enjoys writing fiction, playing her various instruments, and making jam.

    Education

    B.A. in Sociology (Minor: Psychology), 2018
    M.A. in Sociology, 2020
    Ph.D. in Sociology (Concentration: Social Psychology), 2023

    Publications

    • Nousak, Samantha. 2024. "Extending Fundamental Cause Theory to Holistic Health." Sociology of Health and Illness 47(1): e13875.
    • Laurene, Kimberly R., Samantha Nousak, Kayla H. Marker, Abdulwasiu Ibrahim, and Deric R. Kenne. 2024. “Awareness. Interaction. Direction. (A.I.D.): Evaluation of a novel mental health awareness training.” Advances in Mental Health 22(3):365-378.
    • Nousak, Samantha, Leanne Barry, and Susan Fisk. 2024. “Deepening Learning and Addressing Inequalities: A Psycho-Social Approach to Improving Statistical Literacy Throughout Sociology Curricula.” Teaching Sociology 52(3):276-287.
    • Nousak, Samantha. 2022. “Introduction: Covid-19, Disability, & the Sociological Imagination.” Sociation 21(1).
    • Nousak, Samantha and Marni Brown. 2022. “Disability & Covid-19: Sociation Special Edition Conversations.” Podcast accompanying Sociation 21(1).
    • Nousak, Samantha. 2018. Attitudes towards births outside of marriage: 1988 & 2012. (Family Profiles, FP-18-13). Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. doi: 10.25035/ncfmr/fp-18-13

    Awards/Achievements

    • Lewis-Benson Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher Award
    • Mary Ann Stephens and John R. Graham Award for Excellence in Graduate Research
    • James T. Laing Scholarship in Sociology

    Documents

    PDF icon 2025.04.09 Nousak_Samantha CV.pdf

    News Stories

    Reclaiming Ruralisms (Nousak and Harvey 2023), Filling and Expanding your “Dealing With It” Cup (Nousak and Afzal 2020),
    Healthy Communities Research Institute

    Street Address

    122 Cartwright Hall
    Kent, OH 44242


    Mailing Address

    800 E. Summit St.
    Kent, OH 44242

    Contact Us

    330-672-3321 hcri@kent.edu
    Contact Us
    • 330-672-3000
    • info@kent.edu

    HCRI Facebook
    HCRI Twitter
    HCRI Instagram
    • facebook
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • linkedin
    • TikTok
    • X
    • snapchat
    • ...
    Information
    • Accessibility
    • Annual Security Reports
    • For Our Alumni
    • For the Media
    • Health Services
    • Jobs & Employment
    • Privacy Statement
    • HEERF CARES/CRRSAA/ARP Act Reporting and Disclosure
    • Website Feedback
    Kent State University logo
    © 2025 Kent State University All rights reserved.