Population Studies and Demography
Understanding People, Places, and the Future.
What is Demography?
Demography, the study of population change, helps us answer some of the most important questions about the future of our communities, our nation, and our world.
At Ohio State, the Department of Sociology’s Population Studies program is ranked among the top 10 in the United States, leading the way in research on birth, death, migration, family life, and population health, helping us understand the past and prepare for the future.
Our faculty teach and conduct research on social processes related to population dynamics. We ask questions like:
- Why are birth rates falling?
- How can we improve infant mortality rates?
- Where are new immigrants moving and are they contributing to their communities?
- What are the impacts of the opioid epidemic on life expectancy?
Through cutting-edge data science, community partnerships, and global collaborations, we illuminate patterns and guide policies for a healthier, more equitable future.
A Global Leader in Population Research
The Department of Sociology is home to the Institute for Population Research (IPR), an interdisciplinary research hub directed by Dr. Sarah Hayford.
IPR brings together scholars across Ohio State to tackle pressing issues: fertility and family change, migration, health and mortality, and aging.
Under the leadership of Associate Director Dr. Kammi Schmeer, the IPR fosters collaboration across various fields, including public health, economics, geography, and medicine.
Faculty affiliated with IPR have earned major grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and many foundations — supporting research that improves lives locally, nationally, and globally.
Faculty Research Spotlight
Immigration and Migration:
Faculty in Ohio State’s demography program study the movement of people across borders and how migration shapes social opportunity and community well-being.
- Dr. Frank is internationally recognized for her research on the health and integration of Latino immigrants in the United States.
- Dr. Dahir studies the experiences of Black immigrants and their impact on neighborhood change in U.S. cities, including Columbus.
- Dr. Huang examines how race and ethnicity influence the immigrant experience.
- Drs. Hayford and Schmeer extend this work globally, investigating South-to-South migration in Africa and Latin America.
Population Health and Wellbeing:
Ohio State faculty investigate how inequality, environment, and policy impact health across diverse populations.
- Dr. Colen investigates how experiences of discrimination and racism impact physical and mental health.
- Dr. Agbai’s research aims to uncover the origins of the racial wealth gap and its consequences for inequality.
- Dr. Browning leads innovative, NIH-funded research that uses real-time data and biomarkers to examine the impact of stress and social environments on health.
- Dr. Schmeer’s work in the U.S. and Latin America connects family and community contexts to maternal and child health.
The Demography of Families:
Families lie at the center of population change.
- Dr. Reczek examines how gender and sexual identity influence family relationships, connecting personal experiences to broader population-level patterns in health and opportunity.
- Dr. Wen explores how gender inequality within households affects family formation over time.
- Dr. Knoester studies how parenting, particularly father involvement, shapes family relationships, child development, and parental wellbeing.
Fertility, Mortality, and Reproductive Health:
- Dr. Hayford examines family formation and reproductive decision-making, including how individuals plan for and access reproductive healthcare.
- Dr. Clark develops innovative tools and models to better understand life, death, and disease in diverse populations.
- His pioneering work on verbal autopsy uses interviews with families to determine causes of death in regions lacking medical records, enabling policymakers to better target health interventions.
Invest in Population Research
Demography sits at the heart of public decision-making. From understanding fertility decline and aging populations to addressing migration, mortality, and health disparities, population research provides the evidence societies need to plan for the future.
Your support helps advance discovery that informs health, policy, and social progress.