Vicki Abt

Isleen Vicki Abt (December 9, 1942 – February 1, 2026) was an American sociologist. She was a professor of sociology and American studies at Pennsylvania State University's Abington College. Her research primarily explored commercial gambling and talk shows, and their impacts on American society; Abt was a critic of both institutions.

Life and career Abt was born on December 9, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised in Franklin Square, New York. Her father was the president of a metal-castings foundry and her mother was the office manager and bookkeeper. She graduated from H. Frank Carey High School and in 1963 received a BA in social science from Hofstra University. She received a master's from Penn State, and her PhD from Temple University. By 1994, Abt was a professor at Penn State, and continuing to study and comment on the negative effects of gambling. In 1997, she published the book Coming After Oprah: Cultural Fallout in the Age of the TV Talk Show with Leonard Mustazza.

Personal life and death Abt was from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Abt died from respiratory failure at a hospital in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, on February 1, 2026, at the age of 83.

Publications Books

Articles