Seminars
Make suggestions for the 2026-27 seminar series! Submit your ideas for speakers, from Ohio State or elsewhere, using this short form. Feel free to nominate yourself or your collaborators! Suggestions received by May 22, 2026 will be most helpful.
Most Tuesdays, September – April
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Townshend Hall, room 038, 1885 Neil Ave Mall
Join the Institute for Population Research (IPR) for knowledge sharing and community of practice building over lunch. Held most Tuesdays from September through April, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m, our weekly seminars offer a dynamic space where information and ideas are shared and disciplines intersect. Scholars from across the country and from Ohio State present their research, inviting lively discussion and diverse perspectives from a multidisciplinary audience. These sessions offer a way to enhance your research, connect, learn, and be inspired.
Seminars take place in person in Townshend Hall, room 038, 1885 Neil Ave Mall, with live streaming available via Zoom. Information for each speaker's presentation will be available closer to their seminar date in the individual listings on our events page.
Register once to have access via Zoom to the full 2025-26 seminar series.
Ohio State faculty, research scientists, postdocs, and students can indicate their interest in meeting with external seminar speakers on our IPR seminar sign-up form. Indicate your preference for Monday dinner (faculty), Tuesday morning meeting (all), and Tuesday lunch (all). Tuesday slots after lunch may occasionally be available. Off-campus affiliates can sign up for a meeting via Zoom.
Spring 2026 Speakers
January 20: "Flash Session: Early Career IPR Affiliates" presented by four Ohio State early-career faculty: Dr. Nima Dahir, Sociology; Dr. Jin Jun, Nursing; Dr. Ashleigh LoVette, Health Behavior and Health Promotion; and Dr. Lauren Roberson, Human Sciences and State Extension Specialist.
CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER EMERGENCY: January 27: Dr. Anne Fitzpatrick, The Ohio State University, Associate Professor, Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics
Presentation Title: Competing for Quality: The Impact of Social Franchising on Firm Survival and Spillovers in Kenya’s Daycare Market
February 3: Dr. Jessica Finlay, University of Colorado, Assistant Professor, Geography
Presentation Title: Advancing Cognability: A Mixed-methods Approach to Neighborhoods and Cognitive Health
February 10: Dr. Tansel Yilmazer, The Ohio State University, Professor, Human Sciences (NOTE: Dr. Lauren Jones, University of Toronto, was scheduled to co-present but is no longer available)
Presentation Title: Responses to COVID-19 SNAP Emergency Allotment: How did Families Spend the Money?
February 17: NOTE: Due to a family emergency, our originally scheduled speaker, Jane Lankes Smith, is unavailable and will be replaced by Sarah Hayford
Dr. Sarah Hayford, The Ohio State University, Director, Institute for Population Research; Robert T. Lazarus Professor of Population Studies, Sociology
Presentation Title: The Nature, Distribution, and Direction of Intergenerational Exchange in Rural Mozambique
February 24: NOTE: Due to an East Coast snow storm, our originally scheduled seminar speaker, Courtney Boen, is unable to travel to Columbus and will be replaced by Anne Fitzpatrick.
Dr. Anne Fitzpatrick, The Ohio State University, Associate Professor, Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics
Presentation Title: Competing for Quality: The Impact of Social Franchising on Firm Survival and Spillovers in Kenya’s Daycare Market
March 3: Dr. Macarius Donneyong, The Ohio State University, Associate Professor, Pharmacy and Public Health
Presentation Title: A Machine Learning Approach for Identifying Patients with Unmet Health-Related Social Needs from EHR Data
March 10: Dr. Gia Barboza-Salerno, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Public Health
Presentation Title: Accessibility to Abortion Services, Maternal Vulnerability, and Birth Outcomes
March 24: Dr. Hui (Cathy) Liu, Purdue University, Professor, Sociology
Co-sponsored by the Center for Aging Families
Presentation Title: Data Challenges and Opportunities in Studying Cognitive Health of Older Sexual Minorities in the Digital Age
March 31: Dr. Sarah Font, Washington University, Professor, Social Work
Presentation Title: Children, Parents, and the Carceral State: Revisiting Conventional Wisdom
April 7: Dr. Jane Cooley Fruehwirth, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Professor, Economics
Presentation Title: Lasting Effects: An Econometric Framework for Resilience
April 14: Dr. Jenjira J. Yahirun, Bowling Green State University, Associate Professor, Sociology
Co-sponsored by the Center for Aging Families
Presentation Title: Does Offspring Education Influence Older Parents' Cognitive Health?
Fall 2025 Speakers
September 9: Dr. Mikaela Smith, The Ohio State University, Research Scientist, Public Health - Division of Epidemiology
Presentation Title: Exploring Intersectional Quantitative Methods: Application of the Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA) Approach to a Study of Contraceptive Preferences
September 16: “Applying for Research Funding from Foundations” (primarily designed for faculty)
presented by Carol Bitzinger, IPR Senior Grants Manager
Submit your questions online before the seminar
September 23: Dr. Donte Boyd, The Ohio State University, Associate Professor, Social Work
Presentation Title: Unpacking Resilience: A Dominance Analysis of Developmental Assets Against Suicidal Ideation in Young Black Sexual Minority Males Age 14 to 24
September 30: Cancelled
October 7: Dr. Catalina Herrera-Almanza, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Assistant Professor, Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Presentation Title: Bring A Friend: Leveraging Financial and Peer Support to Improve Women's Reproductive Agency in India
October 14: "Flash Session: Early Career IPR Affiliates" presented by four Ohio State early-career faculty: Dr. Elizabeth Holdsworth, Anthropology, Dr. James Lachaud, Social Work, Dr. Arbor Quist, Epidemiology, and Dr. Sandy Wong, Geography
October 21: Dr. Deadric Williams, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Associate Professor, Sociology
Presentation Title: The Three M’s of Racial Inequality: A Conceptual Model for Understanding Structural Racism and Black Families
October 28: Dr. Sarah Bruhn, University of Pennsylvania, Postdoctoral Researcher, Population Studies Center
Presentation Title: Holding onto Home: How Immigrant Women Resist Displacement
November 18: Dr. Maria Abascal, New York University, Associate Professor, Sociology
Presentation Title: Is "Hispanic/Latino" a Racial Category?
Past Seminar Speakers
September 3: Dr. Rebecca Andridge, The Ohio State University, Professor, Biostatistics
"Problematic Polls and Suspect Surveys: Assessing the Potential for Non-ignorable Selection and Nonresponse Bias"
September 10: Dr. Yasmiyn Irizarry, University of Texas, Austin, Associate Professor, African and African Diaspora Studies
"Investigating Invisible Encounters: Mapping the Margins of Police Violence Against Black Women"
September 17: Dr. Annie Ro, University of California, Irvine, Associate Professor, Public Health
"Developing a Multigenerational Model of Structural Racism and Birth Outcomes Among Black Families"
September 24: IPR & RDC Drop In: Informal Q&A with IPR and RDC Leadership and Staff
October 1: Dr. Brooklynn Hitchens, University of Maryland, Assistant Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
"In and Out ‘the Mix’: How Street-Identified Black Women and Girls (De)Escalate Gun Violence in Trauma Deserts"
October 8: Dr. Joyce Lee, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Social Work
"Leveraging Fathers to Promote Child Wellbeing within the Context of the U.S. Child Welfare System"
October 22: Dr. Mahesh Somashekhar, University of Illinois Chicago, Assistant Professor, Sociology
"Race, Class, and the Displacement of White Residents from Gentrifying U.S. Neighborhoods"
October 29: Dr. Ann Morning, New York University, Professor of Sociology, Sociology
"Crossing the Color Line: From Passing to Transracialism"
November 12: Dr. Christina Cross, Harvard University, Assistant Professor, Sociology
"Crossing the Color Line: From Passing to Transracialism"
November 19: Dr. Lauren Newmyer, Bowling Green State University, Assistant Professor of Sociology
"The Complex Dynamic Between Sexual Non-Exclusivity and Pregnancy Desire "
January 14: Dr. Kelsea Best, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering
"Climate Justice and Isolation Due to Sea Level Rise in the U.S."
January 21: Dr. Nicole Yadon, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Political Science
"Correcting Misperceptions of Wealth Inequality: Contextualizing the Historical Roots of Racial Wealth Gaps"
January 28: Dr. Sarah Komisarow, Duke University, Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Economics
"Ending Early Grade Suspensions"
February 4: Dr. Danya Keene, Yale University, Associate Professor, Public Health
"The Affordable Rental Housing Crisis and Population Health Equity"
February 11: Dr. Taylor Hargrove, University of North Carolina, Associate Professor, Sociology
"Manifestations of Structural Racism in the U.S.: Approaches and Implications for Health and Aging "
February 18: Dr. Abigail Greenleaf, Columbia University, Assistant Professor, Public Health
"HIV Prevention Practices among Young Women in Eswatini"
February 25: Dr. Susan Marshall Mason, University of Minnesota, Associate Professor, Public Health
"The Epidemiology of Child Maltreatment: Advancing Evidence for Primary Prevention"
March 4: Dr. Alison Gemmill, Johns Hopkins University, Assistant Professor, Population, Family and Reproductive Health
"Unpacking the Impact of U.S. Abortion Restrictions on Health and Fertility: Challenges, Lessons Learned, and Future Directions"
March 18: IPRGSO Panel on Qualitative Demography - Student-focused
March 25: IPR Brainstorming Session! - Faculty-focused
April 1: Dr. Fangqi Wen, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Sociology
"Renegotiating Patriarchy: Property, Lineage, and Gender Inequality in Contemporary China"
August 29: Fall Kickoff Lunch
September 5: Dr. Laura Dugan, The Ohio State University, Ralph D. Mershon Professor of Human Security and Professor of Sociology
September 12: Dr. Joanne Patterson, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Promotion
September 19: Dr. Joe LaBriola, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Research Assistant Professor and in the Survey Research Center
September 26: Dr. Abigail Weitzman, University of Texas, Austin, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Research Affiliate of the Population Research Center
October 3: Dr. Jordan Conwell, University of Texas, Austin, Assistant Professor of Social Research Methods and Social Statistics
October 10: Geoffrey Carney-Knisely, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and College of Public Health, MD/PhD Candidate; Luca Badolato, The Ohio State University, Institute of Population Research, Researcher; Patricia Calderon, The Ohio State University, Institute of Population Research, PHD Student.
October 17: Dr. Lori Freedman, University of California, San Francisco, Author and Associate Professor of Sociology
October 24: Dr. Leigh Senderowicz, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Assistant Professor of Gender & Women's Studies, and Obstetrics & Gynecology
October 31: Dr. Wendy Manning, Bowling Green State University, Distinguished Professor of Sociology
November 7: Dr. Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Assistant Professor of Social Inequality in Mortality
November 14: Dr. Tim Bruckner, University of California, Irvine, Associate Professor of Public Health
January 23: Dr. Lisa Diamond, The University of Utah, Professor, Psychology
January 30: Dr. Megan O’Neil, The Ohio State University, Research Scholar, Drug Enforcement and Policy Center
February 6: Dr. Nicole Kreisberg, Pennsylvania State University, Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Sociology
February 20: Dr. Samuel Kye, Baylor University, Assistant Professor, Sociology
February 27: Dr. Michael Esposito, University of Minnesota, Assistant Professor, Sociology
March 5: Dr. Courtney Lynch, The Ohio State University, Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
March 26: Information Session on Federal Statistics Research Data Center at OSU in Townshend Hall
April 5: Huber Lecture - Dr. Bruce Link, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, Professor Emeritus, Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences
April 9: Dr. Joanna Venator, Boston College, Assistant Professor, Economics
August 30: Dr. Melissa Gilliam, OSU, Executive Vice President and Provost and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
September 6: Elizabeth Cooksey, OSU, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, CHRR Staff; Jenifer Hoffman, OSU, CHRR Program Director
September 13: Dr. René Flores, University of Chicago, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Sociology
September 20: Dr. Joshua Goldstein, University of California, Berkeley, Professor of Demography
September 27: Graduate Student Flash Session : Alec Rhodes, Sociology; Guanting Yi, Economics
October 4: Dr. Daniela Miteva, OSU, Associate Professor of Sustainable Development and Economy
October 18: Dr. Parvati Singh, OSU, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
October 25: Dr. Valerie Mueller, Arizona State University, Assistant Professor of Politics and Global Studies
November 1: Dr. Allen Mallory, OSU, Assistant Professor of Human Sciences
November 8: Dr. Maria Khan, New York University, Associate Professor of Population Health
November 15: Dr. David Savitz, Brown University, Associate Dean For Research, Professor of Epidemiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatrics
January 17: Dr. Stephen Gavazzi, OSU, Professor of Human Sciences, CHRR Director CHRR Methodology Workshop
January 24: Dr. Christina F Mair, University of Pittsburgh, Associate Professor of Epidemiology
January 31: Graduate Student Flash Session - Young Choi, Sociology; Shawnice Shankle, Nursing; Lawrence Stacey, Sociology
February 7: Dr. Danya Lagos, University of California, Berkeley, Assistant Professor of Sociology
February 14: Dr. Mia Brantley, OSU, Post-Doctoral Scholar of Sociology
February 21: Dr. Randi Foraker, Washington University in St. Louis, Professor of General Medical Sciences
February 28: Dr. Jennifer Garner, OSU, Assistant Professor of Food and Nutrition Policy
March 7: Dr. Patricia Louie, University of Washington , Assistant Professor of Sociology
March 21: Dr. Emily Smith-Greenaway, University of Southern California, Associate Professor of Sociology and Spatial Sciences
March 31: Huber Lecture: Dr. Christopher (Kitt) Carpenter, Vanderbilt University, E. Bronson Ingram Chair and Professor of Economics
April 4: Dr. Alia Dietsch, OSU, Associate Professor in Parks, Protected Areas, Natural Resources Management
August 31: Authors-Meet-Critics discussion about the book Living on the Edge
September 7: Graduate Student Flash Session : Payal Chakraborty, Public Health; Andreas Teferra, Public Health; Jake Tarrence, Sociology; Man Yao, Sociology; Dongyue Yin, Consumer Sciences
September 14: Dr. Elizabeth Frankenberg, UNC, Director, Carolina Population Center and Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Sociology
September 21: Dr. Susan Yoon, OSU, Assistant Professor, College of Social Work, and Dr. Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, OSU, Professor, Psychology
September 28: Dr. Ashton Verdery, PSU, Associate Professor, Sociology and Demography
October 5: Dr. Kimberly Hoang, University of Chicago, Director of Global Studies and Associate Professor, Sociology
October 12: Dr. Jennifer Dowd, University of Oxford, Deputy Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and Associate Professor, Demography and Population Health
October 19: Dr. Caitlyn Collins, Washington University in St. Louis, Assistant Professor, Sociology; Dr. Leah Ruppanner, University of Melbourne, Associate Professor, Social and Political Sciences
October 26: Dr. Claudia Buchmann, OSU, ASC Distinguished Professor of Sociology; Dr. David Melamed, OSU, Associate Professor, Sociology
November 2: Dr. Alexandra Killewald, Harvard University, Professor, Sociology
November 9: Dr. Rin Reczek, OSU, Professor, Sociology; Lawrence Stacey, OSU, PhD Candidate, Sociology
November 16: Dr. Julianna Nemeth, OSU, Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Promotion; Dr. Tasleem Padamsee, OSU, Assistant Professor, Health Services Management and Policy
January 18: Dr. Dean Lillard, The Ohio State University, Professor, Human Sciences
January 25: Dr. Sarah Hayford, The Ohio State University, Director of Institute for Population Research, Professor, Sociology
February 1: Dr. Sara Curran, University of Washington, Professor, International Studies, Sociology, and Public Policy and Governance
February 8: Dr. Reanne Frank, The Ohio State University, Professor, Sociology
February 15: Dr. Yao Lu, Columbia University, Associate Professor, Sociology
February 22: Dr. Jeff Cohen, OSU, Professor, Anthropology; Dr. Arati Maleku, OSU, Assistant Professor, Social Work
March 1: Dr. Jay Kaufman, McGill University, Professor, Epidemiology
March 8: Dr. Susan Short, Brown University, Director of the Populations Studies and Training Center, Professor, Sociology
March 25: Huber Lecture - Dr. Kathleen Harris, University of North Carolina, James Hear Distinguished Professor of Sociology
March 29: Dr. Meta Brown, OSU, Associate Professor, Economics; Dr. Rachel Dwyer, OSU, Professor, Sociology; Dr. Stephanie Moulton, OSU, Professor, Public Affairs
April 12: Dr. Eric Fong, The University of Hong Kong, Professor and Chair, Sociology
September 1: IPR Seminar Series Flash Sessions - Dr. Joe Tien, OSU, Associate Professor, Mathematics; Dr. Sam Clark, OSU, Professor, Sociology; Dr. Elisabeth Root, OSU, Professor, Geography and Epidemiology
September 8: Dr. Bruce Weinberg, The Ohio State University, Professor, Economics
September 15: Dr. Courtney Cogburn, Columbia University, Associate Professor, Social Work
September 22: Dr. Tyson Brown, Duke University, Assistant Professor, Sociology & Director of the Center on Health & Society
September 29: Dr. Chris Browning, The Ohio State University, Professor, Sociology
October 6: Dr. Russel Fazio, The Ohio State University, Professor, Psychology
October 13: Dr. Trevor Logan, The Ohio State University, Hazel C. Youngberg Distinguished Professor of Economics
October 20: Dr. Daniel Schneider, UC Berkeley, Assistant Professor, Sociology
October 27: Dr. Kenneth Ferraro, Purdue University, Distinguished Professor of Sociology
November 3: Dr. Jenny Van Hook, Penn State, Professor, Sociology and Demography
November 10: Dr. Michal Engelman, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Associate Professor, Sociology
November 17: Dr. Mark Hayward, University of Texas at Austin, Professor, Sociology
January 19: Dr. Wei-hsin Yu, UCLA, Professor, Sociology
January 26: Dr. James Raymo, Princeton University, Professor, Sociology
February 2: Dr. Ayaz Hyder, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Public Health
February 9: Dr. Abby Norris Turner, OSU, Associate Professor, Epidemiology; Dr. David Kline, OSU, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Informatics
March 2: Dr. Kammi Schmeer, The Ohio State University, Associate Professor, Sociology
March 9: Dr. Sarah Burgard, University of Michigan, Professor, Sociology, Epidemiology, and Public Policy and Director of the Population Studies Center
March 16: Dr. Lauren Jones, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Human Sciences
March 23: Dr. Jennie Brand, UCLA, Professor, Sociology and Statistics
March 30: Dr. Arya Ansari, The Ohio State University, Assistant Professor, Human Sciences
April 6: Dr. Dorothy Roberts, University of Pennsylvania, Professor, Law and Sociology and Director of the Program on Race, Science, and Society
April 13: Dr. Debby Carr, Boston University, Professor and Department Chair, Sociology