One of the distinctive advantages of doing sociology at Ohio State is the constellation of interdisciplinary research centers connected to the department.
Center for Aging Families (CAF)
Funded by an infrastructure grant from the National Institute on Aging, CAF supports research on what changing family patterns – less and later childbearing, less and later marriage, more divorce – mean for the health of older adults. It brings together faculty across disciplines at Ohio State, Bowling Green State University, and Purdue University, and is led by sociology faculty Rin Reczek and Sarah Hayford.
Criminal Justice Research Center (CJRC)
Directed by sociology professor Paul Bellair, CJRC provides unique capacity for primary data collection in criminal justice settings and is positioning itself as a national center on race, ethnicity, crime, and justice. Working groups span prisoner reentry, the opioid epidemic, gun violence, and policing.
Institute for Population Research (IPR)
Directed by sociology professor Sarah Hayford, IPR is an NICHD-funded center bridging behavioral and biomedical research. Its five core areas are family demography, sexual and reproductive health, health and mortality, adolescent development, and space and place. IPR provides seed grants, data services, travel support, and graduate student office space.
Mershon Center for International Security Studies
Sociology professor Laura Dugan holds the Ralph D. Mershon Professorship of Human Security, linking the department’s terrorism research to the university’s largest security studies center.
Sports and Society Initiative (SSI)
Sociology professor Chris Knoester serves as Research Chair. SSI brings together faculty from sociology, economics, communication, and sports medicine, partnering with Ohio State Athletics, the Ohio High School Athletic Association, and the Columbus Sports Commission.
Additional connections
The Center for Human Resource Research (CHRR), the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA), and Cross-National Studies (CONSIRT) each provide data, funding, and collaborative opportunities.