Name: Sarah S. Salas Title: PhD Candidate Hometown: Houston, TX Educational background: BSA Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin Sarah’s journey into population sciences began as an undergraduate research assistant collecting survey and biospecimen data on Mexican-origin adolescents. “It was my first exposure to how research could take every day experiences and make them observable …
The Neighborhoods Study, a nationwide project led by CDHA affiliate Dr. Amy Kind has been awarded a $30.9 million NIH renewal grant to investigate how social and environmental factors influence Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As the largest study of its kind linking the social exposome with brain tissues, the research will evaluate how lifelong exposures, such …
Department of Sociology doctoral student Meiyi Li has been selected for the Institute on Aging’s (IOA) prestigious 2026 New Investigator Award. Li will present her award-winning research poster at the upcoming IOA Annual Colloquium. Li’s poster, titled “Parenting Children with Serious Health Conditions and Late-life Cognition: Life Course Associations and Gender Differences,” addresses a critical gap in …
Yue Qin has been selected as recipients of the 2026 American Sociological Association Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (ASA DDRIG). This highly competitive national award, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), recognizes doctoral students who demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing sociological knowledge. The grant will provide vital financial support to enhance the methodological quality …
Congratulations to Eunsil Oh on receiving the prestigious 2026 Best Conference Paper Award at the Work and Family Researchers Network conference! Her compelling paper, “Low Fertility Politics, Policy and Demography: The Korean Experience,” was recognized with the Suzan Lewis honoring for its innovation and distinct potential to move the field forward. This outstanding achievement highlights …
CDE is proud to share that Dr. Jessica Pac, Assistant Professor in the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, has been awarded the prestigious Vilas Associates Competition Award. This university-wide honor recognizes research of the highest quality and significance, providing support for both new and ongoing scholarly work. …
Lauri Luosta, PhD Candidate in Consumer Science Hometown: Helsinki, Finland Educational Background: BA in Political Science & Global Studies, Winona State University; Master of International Public Affairs, UW–Madison 1. How did you first connect to your field of research? My focus on child well-being comes from a desire to improve the lives of children. Since …
Dr. Esteban J. Quiñones is a development economist and demographer with research interests in rural development, migration, food security, agriculture, social protection, climate change, gender, and labor economics. Quiñones designs and implements experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations, along with observational assessments of social programs, agricultural interventions, and migration. He completed his PhD in the Department of …
Name: Jason Robey Title: PhD Candidate Hometown: Stewartville, Minnesota Educational background: B.A. Sociology of Law, Crime, and Deviance, University of Minnesota M.S. Sociology, University of Wisconsin–Madison What are your research interests? Current research projects? My research covers three primary areas: 1) incarceration and inequality, 2) criminal case processing and sentencing, and 3) adolescent delinquency. On …
Dr. Stephanie Koning is postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. A social epidemiologist and demographer, her primary interests are in biosocial determinants of maternal and child health; structural violence and social stress; and the health implications of migration and displacement. She has led or co-led multiple data collection projects using …