Dr. Melissa D. Day joined the faculty in the sociology department at UNH in 2019. Prior, she earned a bachelor's in sociology and women, gender, and sexuality studies at Central Connecticut State University, a Master's in sociology at Illinois State University, and a Ph.D. in sociology here at UNH. Her research theorizes peoples’ experiences as they navigate and reconcile conflicts in their identities and social roles - especially those at the intersection of gender, family, work, and health. Her current book project investigates the implications of the difficulties stepmothers face as they become part of complex stepfamily dynamics. Her other research examines how public-school sex education teachers navigate curriculum restrictions in their daily work, and how breastfeeding duration among low-income mothers is impacted by their access to paid family leave and return to the labor force. Her research on gender differences in depression outcomes for aging spousal caregivers who also work for pay is published in the Journal of Marriage and Family. She also has published work in the journal Teaching Sociology and through UNH's Carsey School of Public Policy. She is a contributing author to Stepmom Magazine and an award-winning teacher.
