Dr. Gul Seckin

Associate Professor

University of North Texas

Department of Sociology

(323) 371-5912

Email: Gul.Seckin@unt.edu

Education

PhD, Case Western Reserve University, 2006

Major: Sociology
Dissertation: Virtual Network for Cancer Patients of the 21st Century Patient Empowerment, Psychological Well-Being and Trauma Transcendence
MS, University of Southern California, 1998

Major: Gerontology

Professional Positions

Assstant Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2014 - Present).

Professional Memberships

American Sociological Association. (January 1999 - Present).
Gerontological Society of America. (January 1998 - Present).

Development Activities

Seminar, Numerous Zoom Seminars by the Office of Contracts and Grant Administration, UNT. United States of America. (2020).
Seminar, NSF Grant Conference, NSF. United States of America. (2020 - 2020).
Seminar, Numerous Webinars, National Library of Medicine. United States of America. (2020 - 2020).
Workshop, 2-Day Grantsmanship Workshop led by the Atkinson Group sponsored by the Office of Contracts and Grant Administration, UNT. United States of America. (2020 - 2020).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

University of North Texas

AGER 4550 - Sociology of Aging, 2 courses.
SOCI 3120 - Sociology of Health and Illness, 11 courses.
SOCI 3220 - Quantitative Data Collection, 10 courses.
SOCI 4260 - Topics in Sociology, 1 course.
SOCI 4550 - Sociology of Aging, 13 courses.
SOCI 4600 - Internet and Society, 1 course.
SOCI 5200 - Research Methods and Design, 15 courses.
SOCI 5260 - Topics in Sociology, 2 courses.
SOCI 5410 - Medical Sociology, 3 courses.
SOCI 5900 - Special Problems, 2 courses.
SOCI 5950 - Master's Thesis, 6 courses.
SOCI 6200 - Seminar on Research Methods, 6 courses.
SOCI 6201 - Quantitative Research Methods and Design, 1 course.
SOCI 6302 - Advanced Statistics in Sociology, 1 course.
SOCI 6500 - Topics in Sociology, 4 courses.
SOCI 6603 - Medical Sociology, 2 courses.
SOCI 6900 - Special Problems, 7 courses.
SOCI 6940 - Individual Research, 1 course.
SOCI 6950 - Doctoral Dissertation, 17 courses.

Teaching at Other Institutions

University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Research Methods, Fall 2011.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Health and Illness, Summer 2010.

Directed Student Learning

Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (2024).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2024).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (May 2020).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (2020).
Master's Thesis Committee Chair, Sociology. (2020).
Master's Thesis Committee Chair, Sociology. (2020).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (2019).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (2019).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (2018).
Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Honors College. (August 2023 - December 2023).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2022 - 2023).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2022 - 2023).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2021 - 2023).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (December 2022 - January 2023).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2022 - 2022).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2022 - 2022).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2022 - 2022).
Master's Thesis Committee Member, Sociology. (2021 - 2022).
Master's Thesis Committee Member, Sociology. (2021 - 2022).
Master's Thesis Committee Member, Sociology. (2020 - 2022).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (August 2018 - 2022).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (2021 - 2021).
Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2021 - 2021).
Master's Thesis Committee Member, Sociology. (2020 - 2021).
Directed Individual/Independent Study, Sociology. (2020).
Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2020).
Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2020).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2020).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2020).
Dissertation Committee Co-Chair, Sociology. (August 2019 - 2020).
Master's Thesis Committee Chair, Sociology. (May 2019 - 2020).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (2019 - 2020).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (August 2018 - 2020).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (January 2018 - 2020).
Directed Individual/Independent Study, Sociology. (2019).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2019).
Master's Thesis Committee Member, Sociology. (2018 - 2019).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (September 2017 - 2019).
Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2018).
Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2018).
Doctoral Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2018).
Master's Comprehensive Exam Member or Grader, Sociology. (2018).
Dissertation Committee Member, Sociology. (January 2016 - May 2017).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (January 2015 - May 2017).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (January 2015 - May 2017).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (May 2016 - January 2017).
Dissertation Committee Chair, Sociology. (January 2015 - January 2017).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

Book Chapter

Seckin, G. (2024). Augmenting Inequality: Socio-Technical Transformation of Medicine and Challenges to Digital Health Citizenship (DHC) in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 142-162. US, Routledge.
Seckin, G., Hughes, S., Hudson, C., Laljer, D., Yeatts, D.E., Hale, T.M., Chou, S.Y., Cotten, S.R., Khilnani , A. (2018). Positive impacts of online health information seeking on health perceptions.. eHealth: Current evidence, promises, perils, and future directions, Studies in media and communications.. 15 205-240. Bingley, United Kingdom, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Seckin, G., Tettegah, S., Evie Garcia, Y.E. (2016). Digitized emotions in the pocket: Social computing and mobile mental health (mMH) applications.. Emotions, Technology, and Health. 41-61. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Academic Press, Elsevier.
Seckin, G. (2012). Cyber patients’ self-health care management. 1 722-734. Hershey, Pensylavania, IGI Global.
Kahana, E., Kahana, B., Kercher, k., Seckin, G., Stange, K. (2007). Changing health care experiences and perspectives of older adults: Comparisons of HMO and fee-for-service enrollees. Research in Sociology of Health Care.

Conference Proceeding

Seckin, G. (2014). Health information on the Web and Consumer Perspective on Health Professionals' Responses to information Exchange. Medicine 2.0 Proceedings of the World Congress on Social Media in Medicine, Health, and Biomedical Research. 3 e4.
Seckin, G. (2011). Health: Opportunities and challenges of technology-integrated health management.. Athens Institute for Education and Research..
Seckin, G. (2007). Psychological support using the internet: Who joins online cancer support groups and patterns of participation.

Encyclopedia Article

Seckin, G., Kahana, E., Yan, Z. (2015). Smart phone health application. The Encyclopedia of Mobile Phone Behavior. 2 898-905. Hershey, Pensylavania, IGI.
Seckin, G., Cockerham, W.C., Dingwall, R., . Quah, S.R. (2014). Online health information seeking and gender.. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society.. 1-3. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. . https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118410868.wbehibs176

Journal Article

Seckin, G., Hughes, S., Campbell, P., Lawson, M. (2021). In Internet We Trust: Intersectionality of Distrust and Patient Non-Adherence. Information, Communication, & Society. 24 (5) 751-771.
Seckin, G., Hughes, S. (2021). In Sickness and in Health: Patient-Reported Outcomes in a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Survey of Older Internet Users. Journal of Medical Internet Research Aging. 4 ((4):e16006)
Seckin, G. (2020). Expansion of Parson's sick role into cyberspace: Patient information consumerism and subjective health in a representative sample of U.S. internet users. Social Science & Medicine. 247 112733 (p. 1-10). https://doi.org.10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112733
Seckin, G., Hughes, S., Yeatts, D., Degreve, T. (2019). Digital Pathways to Positive Health Perceptions: Does Age Moderate the Relationship Between Medical Satisfaction and Positive Health Perceptions among Middle-Aged and Older Internet Users?. Innovation in Aging. 3 (1) 1-14. Gerontological Society of America.
Yeatts, D.E., Seckin, G., Shen, Y., Thompson, M.F., Auden, D., Cready, C.M. (2018). Burnout among Direct-Care Workers in Nursing Homes: Influences of Organizational, Work Place, Interpersonal and Personal Characteristics. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 27 (19-20) 3652-3665. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocn.14267
Seckin, G., Yeatts, D., Hughes, S., Hudson, C., Bell, V. (2016). Being an informed consumer of health information and assessment of electronic health literacy in a national sample of internet users.. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Yeatts, D., Shen, Y., Yeatts, P., Solakoglu, O., Seckin, G. (2016). Shared decision making in nursing homes: Factors associated with the empowerment of direct care workers. Journal of Aging and Health.
seckin, g. (2013). Using hierarchical multivariate analysis to examine interactions between alternative appraisals of cancer and virtual health support among older internet users: Predicting positive self-reappraisal after cancer.. Research on Aging. 35 (6) 686-707.
Seckin, G. (2013). Satisfaction with health status among cyber patients: Testing a mediation model of electronic coping support. Behaviour & Information Technology. 32 (1) 901-101.
Seckin, G. (2011). I am proud and hopeful: Age-based comparisons in reports of positive coping affect among online women living with cancer and perceived benefits of peer support on the Internet. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 29 (5) 573-591.
Seckin, G. (2011). Informational and decisional empowerment in online health support communities: initial psychometric validation of the Cyber Info-Decisional Empowerment Scale (CIDES) and preliminary data from administration of the scale, Supportive Care in Cancer,. 19 2057- 2061.
Seckin, G. (2010). Cyber patients surfing the medical web: Computer-mediated medical knowledge and perceived benefits. Computers in Human Behavior. 26 1694-1700..
Seckin, G. (2010). Patients as information managers: The Internet for successful self-health care and illness management. International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations. 10 (1) 99-116.
Seckin, G. (2010). Patients as information managers: The Internet for successful self-health care and illness management. Bentham Science Journal. 4 36-42.

Presentations Given

Oral Presentation

Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Techno-scientific Approach to Understanding Health, and Well-Being: What Does Age Tell Us About Digital Health Knowledge?, American Sociological Association, New York, United States of America. (2019 - 2019).
Cheun, J. (Presenter), Seckin, G. (Presenter), SSSA Annual Conference, How e-health literacy affects patient satisfaction with their doctors, Southwestern Social Science, Las Vegas, NV, (2016 - 2016).

Paper

Seckin, G. (Author), Hughes, S. (Author), Hudson, C. (Author), American Sociological Association, Health Information Consumerism and Adverse Health Outcomes, United States of America. (2020 - 2020).
Seckin, G. (Author), Hudson, C. (Author), Hughes, S. (Author), Campbell, P. (Author), Lawson, M. (Author), American Sociological Association, Understanding the Intersectionality of Digital Information, Medical Encounters, and Patien-Reported Outcomes: A.Gendered Approach, United States of America. (2020 - 2020).
Seckin, G. (Author), Campbell, P. (Author), Lawson, M. (Author), Gerontological Society of America, Digital Health Information as Friend or Foe, United States of America. (2020 - 2020).
Seckin, G. (Author), Lawson, M. (Author), Campbell, P. (Author), North Central Sociological Association, Distrust in Medical Expertise and Non-Adherence among Online Patients, United States of America. (2020 - 2020).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Degreve, T. (Presenter), Wyatt, J. (Presenter), Annual Meeting of The American Sociological Association, Internet, Medical Encounters, and Subjective Health: Moderating and Mediating Roles of Trust and Health Literacy., Philadelphia, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Wyatt, J. (Presenter), Degreve, T. (Presenter), 11th World Conference of Gerontechnology, e-Health Literacy, Trust, and Online Health Information Consumerism among Technogenerians: A Question of Empowerment., United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), World Congress on Social Media in Medicine, Health, and Biomedical Research, Health Informatics and Consumer Perspective on Health Care Professionals' Responses to Health Information Exchange, London, United Kingdom. (2013 - 2013).

Poster

Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, Health Literacy, Medical Non-Adherence, and Self-Reported Health Problems among Older Internet Users., Gerontological Society of America, Austin, United States of America. (2019 - 2019).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, Internet Use and Negative Health Perceptions: The Moderating Roles of Education and Health Literacy, Gerontological Society of America, Austin, United States of America. (2019 - 2019).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Yeatts, D. (Presenter), Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Does Age Moderate the Relationship between Medical Satisfaction and Health Perceptions among Older Internet Users?, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Hughes, S. (Presenter), Veselka-Bush, A. (Presenter), Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Medical Encounters, Health Perceptions and Rethinking Successful Aging in a World of Digital Health Information., United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Degreve, T. (Presenter), Jennifer, W. (Presenter), 11th World Conference of Gerontechnology, Digital Route to Successful Aging: Promoting Health through Information Technology, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Hughes, S. (Presenter), Annual Meeting of The Gerontological Society of America, New lens on health consumerism: e-health consumerism, e- health trust, and e-health literacy, New Orleans, LA, United States of America. (2016 - 2016).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), Hughes, S. (Presenter), Annual Meeting of The Gerontological Society of America, Testing structural equation models of successful aging in a sample of health web users., New Orleans, LA, United States of America. (2016 - 2016).
Cheun, J. (Presenter), Seckin, G. (Other), TXPHA Annual Conference, How Does electronic health-literacy affect patient-doctor communication, Galveston, TX, (2016 - 2016).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), The Gerontological Society of America, Exploring the association between older adults’ internet health information seeking behaviors and interactions with health professionals, Orlando, FL, United States of America. (2015 - 2015).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), The Gerontological Society of America, Age differences in perceived benefits of receiving psycho-oncological support on the Internet: Optimism and positive self-image, Washington, DC, United States of America. (2014 - 2014).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), The Gerontological Society of America, Digitally literate:Psychometric validation of electronic health literacy scale (e-HLS). The Gerontological Society of America. Washington, DC, Washington, DC, United States of America. (2014 - 2014).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), The Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association., Meaning of cancer and multi-dimensional examination of (positive) reframing in virtual appraisal support groups., San Francisco, CA, United States of America. (2014 - 2014).
Seckin, G. (Author & Presenter), International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer, Does it Matter whether It is Online or Offline? Testing Relative Significance of Alternative Sources of Supportive Relations in Cancer Care., Berlin, Germany. (2013 - 2013).

Media Contributions

Newspaper

"Fewer than 20 Miles Separate Dallas Communities with the Lowest and Highest Life Expectancy," Dallas Morning News. (December 19, 2021).
"Double the Struggle. Paralyzed Man’s Recovery Complicated by Medical Debt," PressReader. (November 27, 2021).
"North Texas Man who was Paralyzed on Camping Trip Struggles with Medical Bills in His Recovery," Dallas Morning News. (November 26, 2021).
"Incluso Con Seguro médico una emergencia puede acabar con una familia," Al Dia Dallas. (November 11, 2021).
"Menos de 20 millas separan a las comunidades de Dallas con menor y mayor esperanza de vida," Al Dia Dallas. (November 10, 2021).

Contracts, Grants, Sponsored Research

Contract

Seckin, G., "Health, Aging, Technology," sponsored by NIH, Federal, $8000 Funded. (2009 - 2010).

Fellowship

Seckin, G. (Principal), "Junior Faculty Grant by the Office of the Vice President," University of North Texas, $5000 Funded. (2015 - 2015).

Grant - Research

Seckin, G., "Faculty Success Summer Grant," University of North Texas, $2800 Funded. (2021 - 2021).
Seckin, G., "Health Literacy, Aging, and Technology," sponsored by Scholarly and Creative Activity Award by the Office of the Vice President for Research, University of North Texas, $5000 Funded. (2017 - 2017).
Seckin, G., "Development and Testing Efficacy of Patient Centered and Health Information and Communication Technology (PC-HICT) Integrated Medical Care Model: A Longitudinal Randomized Clinical Trail," sponsored by University of Maryland Baltimore County, Other, $20000 Funded. (2011 - 2012).

Service

University Service

Committee Member, Undergraduate. (2024 - Present).
Committee Member, PAC Merit Review Committee. (2019 - 2024).
Member, Women and Gender Equity Network. (April 2024 - September 2024).
Faculty Mentor, Honors College. (September 2023 - December 2023).
Committee Member, Reappointment, Tenure, Promotion Committee. (2021 - 2023).
Member, Center for Race and Ethnic Equity in Health and Society. (2020 - 2023).
Committee Chair, Ad Hoc Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Project Survey Design and Data Collection. (2021 - 2022).
Committee Member, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Strategic Planning Steering Committee Theme Channel: UNT as Tier 1 Research University. (2020 - December 2022).
Committee Member, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences-Strategic Planning Steering Committee (General). (2020 - December 2022).
Co-Chair, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences-Strategic Planning Steering Faculty Stakeholder Sub-Committee. (2020 - December 2022).
Committee Member, Ad Hoc Research Roadmap-Advanced Research Methods. (2021 - 2021).
Committee Member, Ad Hoc Research Roadmap-Health and Aging. (2021 - 2021).
Committee Member, Ad Hoc SOCI 3220 Methods Assessment Revision. (2020 - 2021).
Committee Member, Graduate Admission Committee. (August 2017 - 2020).
Committee Member, Ad Hoc Doctoral Concentrations Review Committee. (September 2018 - 2019).
Committee Member, Health and Aging Committee. (August 2014 - 2019).
Student Recruiter, UNT Graduate Fair. (2017 - 2017).
Member, Department Chair Search. (August 2016 - May 2017).
Discussant, UNT-TWU Federation Workshop. (October 2014 - October 2014).

Professional Service

Editor, Guest Editor, Frontiers in Public Health. (October 2023 - Present).
Editor, Journal Editor, Journal of Medical Internet Research Aging. (2023 - Present).
Reviewer, Journal Article, BMC Public Health. (2022 - Present).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Sociological Forum. (2022 - Present).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological and Social Sciences. (2021 - Present).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Health and Social Behavior. (2021 - Present).
Reviewer, Journal Article, The Gerontologist. (2020 - Present).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Aging and Health. (September 2018 - Present).
Reviewer, Textbook, Sage. (December 2024 - 2024).
Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Aging and Health. (July 2024).
Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, The Gerontologist. (April 2024 - May 2024).
Reviewer, Book, Routledge. (April 2024).
Reviewer, Conference Paper, Association of Internet Researchers. (2023 - 2023).
Reviewer, Conference Paper, Gerontological Society of America. (2023 - 2023).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. (2023 - 2023).
Reviewer, Book, Sage. (2023 - 2023).
Reviewer, Textbook, Sage Textbooks. (May 2023 - May 2023).
Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Academy of Medicine. (March 2023 - March 2023).
Reviewer, Book, DeGruyter Publishing. (February 2023 - February 2023).
Reviewer, Conference Paper, Gerontological Society of America. (2022 - 2022).
Reviewer, Journal Article, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. (2021 - 2021).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Applied Gerontology. (2021 - 2021).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Social Problems. (2021 - 2021).
Session Chair, American Sociological Association. (2020 - 2020).
Other (Session Organizer), American Sociological Association. (2020 - 2020).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Medical Internet Research. (July 2016 - 2018).
Program Organizer, Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association. Orlando, Florida. (October 2018 - October 2018).
Session Chair, Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association. Orlando, Florida. (October 2018 - October 2018).
Program Organizer, The International Sociological Association. Vienna, (July 2016 - July 2016).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Sociological Focus. (January 2015 - 2015).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Aging and Mental Health. (2014 - 2014).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. (2014 - 2014).
Reviewer, Journal Article, Research on Aging. (2014 - 2014).
Reviewer, Conference Paper, International Communication Association. (2013 - 2013).
Session Chair, The Annual International Conference on Health Economics, Management. Athens, (June 2010 - June 2010).
Session Chair, The World Congress of Psychology. Berlin, (July 2008 - July 2008).