Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) recently announced that Jennifer Van Hook, distinguished professor of sociology and demography, will become the new director of its Data Resources Hub (DRH), effective July 1.
Van Hook, who is also an SSRI cofunded faculty member and previous director of the Population Research Institute, will lead the DRH in its mission to organize and support data acquisition and compliance, selective storage services, and develop workshops and training needs tailored to meet the needs of social and behavioral sciences.
“The development of strong, sustainable data infrastructure that helps researchers access, assemble, link, curate, and disseminate diverse data resources is central to the advancement of social science research,” Van Hook said.
Van Hook conducts demographic research on the settlement and incorporation patterns of U.S. immigrants, focusing on unauthorized immigration. Her work also focuses on the social, economic and health assimilation of immigrants and their descendants.
She is also the principal investigator of U.S. Migration Metrics, an open data resource for researchers interested in studying the immigrant population.