Population Studies and Training Center

About

About

As a well-regarded population studies research and training center, the PSTC seeks to build and support collaborative teams that span disciplines and geographies and integrate research with training.

It is a place where economists and sociologists work together to understand income inequality, where anthropologists and epidemiologists collaborate in training scholars in reproductive health, and where scholars from five or more disciplines gather weekly to listen to research talks on topics such as climate change, abortion, health disparities, or innovative research methodolgies.

The Center provides a dynamic environment in which our researchers contribute to the resolution of human population issues in the 21st century through interdisciplinary collaborations with a global perspective. Our scholars are committed to a population science that recognizes that people and places are connected, and that health and well-being are intertwined with our social, economic, and political systems.

Few population centers around the world have attempted to integrate all three disciplines [Anthropology, Economics, and Sociology] into the core of the Center, and none has achieved the level of sustained integration that is the hallmark of the PSTC.

External reviewers

History

The Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC) was established by a small core of Sociology faculty in 1965. Research in the early years was focused on social demographic topics like population distribution, family and households, and development. Today’s associates continue the Center’s legacy of excellence in research and training and emphasize the collection of original, international data and local ethnographic approaches. New research topics have developed, such as the application of spatial research to population studies. The Center received its first National Institute of Health (NIH) infrastructure grant in 1991, with continued support to this day.

Learn More About the Center

Leadership

The Population Studies and Training Center is led by a team of distinguished scholars and administrators, who bring a wealth of expertise and experience in the field of population studies.
Visit Page

Sidney Goldstein, PSTC Founder

Sidney Goldstein taught at Brown University for over 50 years, retiring in 1993 as the George Hazard Crooker Professor of Sociology. A beloved teacher, mentor, and colleague, Sid passed away on August 5, 2019. Through Sid’s vision and dedication, the Population Studies and Training Center was formally established at Brown in 1965.
Visit Page

Affiliate with PSTC

With approximately 50 faculty associates, 60 predoctoral trainees, and 10 postdoctoral fellows, the PSTC provides a stimulating environment in which scholars focusing on population studies can be exposed to the work of other researchers with population interests, collaborate across disciplines, and receive support in computing and grants management. Associates are also eligible for developmental funds and physical space.
Visit Page

Services and Facilities

The PSTC staff provides comprehensive support and services to the Center's faculty associates, post-doctoral and predoctoral trainees, and visiting scholars.
Visit Page

I love working at the PSTC. The best feeling for me is to know that I am helping people attain their goals. The students and faculty are great to work with and the staff members that I work with are stellar! I am happy to be a member of the PSTC family.

Susan Silveira Administrative and Financial Coordinator
 
Susan Silveira