Brian Thiede, associate professor of rural sociology, sociology, and demography, has been named the director of the Population Research Institute (PRI) at Penn State.
PRI is a multidisciplinary research center at Penn State that promotes innovative population research. Part of the Social Science Research Institute, PRI has been supported by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development since 1992. Thiede’s five-year term as Director begins on July 1.
Thiede is looking forward to continuing the developments made by PRI under the leadership of outgoing director Jennifer Van Hook, distinguished professor of sociology and demography.
"Thanks to Jennifer’s work, PRI remains an internationally recognized population center and an intellectual home for population scientists at Penn State and beyond," Thiede said. “The rigorous research conducted by PRI associates is critical given that demography is at the heart of pressing social challenges and policy debates around the world.”
Looking ahead, Thiede aims to strengthen PRI's externally funded research portfolio, expand its support of early- and mid-career research associates, and ensure that the findings of PRI researchers are being communicated effectively to the public and policymakers. He will work with several associate directors and PRI staff, who provide essential support to PRI associates across the project lifecycle.
Thiede previously led, with Van Hook, a PRI initiative on climate change and health, and has served as the institute’s associate director, Development Core director, and interim director of the Computational and Spatial Analysis Core.
Thiede is a demographer and rural sociologist whose research focuses on the relationship between climate change and demographic and health outcomes globally, and on poverty and inequality in the U.S. Thiede also has extensive administrative experience and is committed to building up grant development, communications, and data services to advance population science at Penn State.