Griff Tester

Background

I am a Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. I earned my B.A. in Communications from the University of Akron and my M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from The Ohio State University.  

Teaching

SOC 101: Social Problems

SOC 107: Principles of Sociology

SOC 200: Introduction to the Major 

SOC 325: Aging

SOC 327: Health & Society

SOC 358: Sociology of Sexuality

SOC 362: Social Movements

SOC 363: Methods of Social Research

SOC 365: Minoritized Groups

SOC 460: Community Structure & Organization

WGSS 250: Introduction to Queer Studies

Research

My research agenda is framed by two, overlapping interests: (1) the support networks and health of gender and sexual minorities in later life; and (2) the social dimensions of HIV-prevention. Key questions guiding my aging-related work are: How do gender and sexual minoritized older adults define and create health-protective supportive ties? How do their early life experiences shape their supportive relationships in later life?  

Current Project 

TransRural Lives: A digital storytelling project exploring and celebrating the lives of transgender older adults who live in or have strong ties to rural areas in the Pacific Northwest. Co-Directors: M. Eliatamby-O’Brien, Ph.D., and Griff Tester, Ph.D.

Project webstie: transrurallives.org

Selected Recent Publications

Eliatamby-O’Brien, and Griff Tester (forthcoming). TransRural Storytelling Pop-Ups as Sites of Community Knowledge Exchange. Journal of Research in Rural Education—for ‘Queering Rural Education,’ a joint special issue co-hosted by the Journal of Research in Rural Education (JRRE) and the Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education (JQTSiE).

Tester, Griff & Jill C. Hoxmeier. 2021. "A Life Course Perspective and the Qualitative Examination of Gay Men's PrEP Perceptions." Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services. 

Tester, Griff & Jill C. Hoxmeier. 2020. "PrEP, TasP and the Casual Sex Scripts Among Serodiscordant Gay Men." Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services 19(2): 124-139. 

Tester, Griff & Jennifer Rosen. 2019. "PrEP for HIV Prevention: Community Controversy and Generational Sexualities." In Mindy Stombler, Dawn M. Baunach, Wendy Simonds, Elroi J. Windsor, and Elisabeth O. Burgess (Eds), Sex Matters: The Sexuality & Society Reader. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Tester, Griff, Jill C. Hoxmeier, & Yogbir Singh. 2018. “Knowledge of and Attitudes about Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Primary Care Providers in Two Rural Washington State Counties.” Washington State Journal of Public Health Practice 10: 1-29.

Tester, Griff, Jill C. Hoxmeier, & Yogbir Singh. 2018. "Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Knowledge and Attitudes Among Yakima and Kittitas County Primary Care Providers." Technical Report for Community Health of Central Washington.

Hoxmeier, Jill C. & Griff Tester. 2018. "CWU Student Sexual Health Survey, Health Services Utilization." Technical Report for Central Washington University Student Medical and Counseling Clinic.

Tester, Griff. 2017. "And Then AIDS Came Along": A Life Course Turning Point and Sub-Cohorts of Older Gay Men." Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services 30(1): 33-48.  

Tester, Griff & Eric R. Wright. 2017. "Older Gay Men and Their Support Convoys." The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 72(3): 488-497. (Online first, May 2016) 

Van Dyke, Nella & Griff Tester. 2014. “Dangerous Climates: Factors Influencing Variation in Racist Hate Crimes on College Campuses.” Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 30:290-309.

Tester, Griff & Adia M. Harvey Wingfield. 2013. “Moving Past Picket Fences: The Meaning of Home for Public Housing Residents.” Sociological Forum 28(1):70-84.