OSU-BGSU Graduate Student Conference
Friday, November 13, 2026
Bowling Green State University
(IPR will be providing transportation from campus to BGSU)
The conference is held annually and is organized by Bowling Green State University's Center for Family and Demographic Research (CFDR) and Ohio State University's Institute for Population Research (IPR), working together as the Ohio Population Consortium. It provides an opportunity for graduate students to present their research and engage in academic discussions with other students and faculty in a low-stakes setting.
Graduate students from all disciplines are invited to submit work at all stages of development for oral presentations or roundtable workshops. Faculty, graduate students, and postdocs from Ohio State University and Bowling Green State University are welcome to attend.
Check back closer to the date for additional details and conference agenda.
The deadline to submit papers is past, but you can still register to attend!
Conference Schedule
Friday, November 13, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
| Time | Session / Event | Details & Presentations |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30am - 10:00am | Check-In & Registration | Bowen-Thompson Student Union - Room 308 |
| 10:00am - 10:10am | WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS | Dr. Susan L. Brown, Director of the Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University Dr. Ellen Schendel, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Bowling Green State University |
| 10:10am - 11:15am | SESSION 1: IMMIGRATION | Session Chair: Austin McWhorter, Bowling Green State University Being Seen as a Troublemaker: Informal Reputational Labeling and School Fighting Among Immigrant Youth Navigating Oceans and Cornfields: Marshallese Liminal Legality in Ohio Immigration Policy Climate, Parental Citizenship, and Food Assistance Among U.S.-Born Hispanic Children Gendered Destinations: How Family Networks Shape Where Central American Migrants Go |
| 11:15am - 11:25am | BREAK | |
| 11:25am - 12:30pm | SESSION 2: SEXUAL AND GENDER IDENTITIES | Session Chair: Isabel Pereira de Almeida, Bowling Green State University A Thematic Analysis of Diversified Need Fulfillment in Polyamorous Relationships Family Acceptance and Parenthood: A Focus on Different-Gender and Same-Gender Couples Functional Health among Sexually Diverse Older Adults: The Role of Social Ties Sexual Orientation Discordance and Loneliness |
| 12:30pm - 1:30pm | LUNCH | |
| 1:30pm - 2:30pm | ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS (All sessions run concurrently) TABLE 1: UNION INSTABILITY | Roundtable Chair: Hannah Smith, Bowling Green State University The Impacts of Self-Rated Health on Union Formation and Dissolution Until Health Do Us Part: How Health Shocks Impact Marriage Stability in Later Life Unstable Partnerships and Fertility Expectations Across Adulthood: Evidence from the NLSY97 |
| TABLE 2: SEXUAL AND GENDER IDENTITIES | Roundtable Chair: Olivia Morrison, Bowling Green State University Dividing the Housework: The Role of Relative Education Among Same- and Different-Gender Couples The Role of Sex and Sexual Identity in the Association of Tobacco Use and C-Reactive Protein Levels | |
| TABLE 3: YOUTH, FAMILY SYSTEMS, AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS | Roundtable Chair: Andrea Constant, The Ohio State University The Impact of Response to DEI Policy Changes: Belonging and Counterspaces among Racial Minority Students Stress and Stigma, Family Structure Changes, and Daily Activities: Mechanisms Towards Negative Educational Outcomes Following Paternal Incarceration Parental Imbalance: An Analysis of Justice-Involved Youths' Substance Use Patterns by Parental Warmth | |
| 2:30pm - 2:40pm | BREAK | |
| 2:40pm - 3:30pm | SESSION 3: WEALTH AND WELL-BEING ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE | Session Chair: Mayanna Weed, Bowling Green State University Private Wealth, Public Protection: How Welfare States Shape the Consequences of Asset Inequality in Later Life Competing Adverse Childhood and Protective Childhood Experiences on Early Midlife Health and Well-Being Financing Family Obligations: Parental Student Debt and Mother-Adult Child Relationships |
| 3:30pm | CLOSING REMARKS | Dr. Sarah Hayford, Director of the Institute for Population Research, The Ohio State University |
Session Chairs
Session chairs will be assigned to each session, including roundtables, based on their research expertise. They will run their sessions by:
- Keeping time
- Introducing each scholar
- Facilitating discussion
Please fill out the survey to sign up as a session chair.
Conference Contacts
If you have questions, please contact this year's student organizers:
Gabrielle Juteau
Rachael Ioele
Matt Untalan
Paper Submission, Deadline: Friday, October 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST
Details on What, When and How to Submit Papers
We encourage paper submissions on population-related topics from graduate students in all departments and disciplines. If you have a thesis or a paper in progress, please consider submitting it. This conference is an excellent opportunity to practice your public speaking skills and develop your work by exchanging ideas and perspectives with both BGSU and Ohio State students and faculty.
The conference has two session types: oral presentation and roundtables.
Roundtables consist of short, informal presentations with a one-page handout, followed by Q&A and group discussion. These sessions are particularly beneficial for smaller projects or projects at early stages of development.
For both an oral session and a roundtable, students should either submit:
- An extended abstract: 3-4 pages that include an abstract, literature review, methods, and preliminary findings (preliminary findings required only for oral sessions) or
- A full paper
Please email your paper/abstract to Gabrielle Juteau with the subject line “BGSU/OSU Conference Submission” and the type of submission in the body of the email.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 2, by 11:59 p.m. EST.
Participants will be notified if their paper is accepted by October 16 and what section and time they will be presenting by October 23.
We look forward to your submissions and to seeing everyone in Bowling Green, OH on Friday November 13, 2026!