Dr. Shannon Shen

Assistant Professor of Sociology
616.395.7964shen@hope.edu
Profile photo of Dr. Shannon Shen

Shannon Shen joined the Department of Sociology and Social Work in 2023. Prior to coming to Hope, Shannon taught sociology at Texas A&M University-San Antonio for five years. Shannon’s research focuses on two population groups: college students and older adults. Shannon is the lead investigator on a multi-institutional research project that examines how first-year students’ social, behavioral, cognitive, and biophysical factors interact to impact their academic success, with a focus on Mexican American students.

Shannon’s work on older adults primarily explores how sexuality is associated with health. In this area, Shannon has investigated the relationship between sexuality and cognitive impairment risk over time, identified connections between sexuality and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and examined gender differences in how marital quality is associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Shannon's current research focuses on how sexual activity and sexual quality are related to diabetes among older adults.

Shannon also teaches in the Global Health and Women’s and Gender Studies programs.

Areas of Expertise

  • Health and Medicine
  • Aging and the Life Course
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Marriage and Family
  • Quantitative Methods

Education

  • B.A., Sociology and Political Science, 鶹Ƶ, 2011
  • M.A., Sociology, Michigan State University, 2015
  • Ph.D., Sociology, Michigan State University, 2018

Grants & Honors

  • “Sexuality as a Social Determinant of Health: Sexual Activity, Sexual Quality and Diabetes” 鶹Ƶ Global Health Faculty-Student Summer Collaborative Research Project, $10,000, 2024
  • “Student Health and Success Initiative (SHASI).” Meadows Foundation. $77,000, 2021-2023
  • National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) Fellow, National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, 2021-2023
  • Quantitative Reasoning Faculty Research & Teaching Fellow, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, 2020-2022

Selected Publications

  • “” Shen, Shannon, and Hui Liu, Journal of Sex Research 60(9):1345-1355, 2023 
  • “,” Shen, Shannon, and Hui Liu, The Gerontologist 63(2):297-307, 2023
  • “,” Liu, Hui, Shannon Shen, and Megan Penzkofer, Archives of Sexual Behavior 51:1591-1605, 2022 
  • “” Shen, Shannon, and Hui Liu, Clinical Gerontologist. 44(3):259-272, 2021
  • “,” Shen, Shannon, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 45(8):706-720, 2019
  • “,” Liu, Hui, Shannon Shen, and Ning Hsieh, The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 74(2):298-308, 2019
Profile photo of Dr. Shannon Shen
Dr. Shannon Shen

Phone Number616.395.7964

Van Zoeren Hall Room 258 41 Graves Place Holland, MI 49423
Van Zoeren Hall Room 258 41 Graves Place Holland MI 49423