On Wednesday, September 24, the PSTC community gathered to commemorate the beginning of a new academic year, catch-up with their colleagues and classmates, and welcome new affiliates, postdoctoral researchers, and trainees. This year marks a significant milestone for the Center, as it is now the new home of Brown’s Master’s Program in Social Data Analytics (MSDA). 

Margot Jackson, Director of the PSTC, enthusiastically welcomed the crowd of faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students back to campus and expressed her excitement for the increased opportunities that engagement with the new MSDA students–who will be informally integrated into the PSTC community this academic year and formally housed at PSTC the next–offers to the entire community. 

As members of the PSTC conduct, encourage, and support the interdisciplinary research that examines the many factors shaping population dynamics, Margot also reminded the community that she and associate director Andy Foster, and all of the staff at the PSTC, are available to help provide guidance and answer questions about this diverse and challenging work, as well as explain how the Center can support them logistically. In these challenging times for higher education, the PSTC continues to be a vibrant place of learning and collaboration across disciplines, where impactful research that helps us understand the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that affect population trends and behaviors is produced.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to meet new members of our community at the reception! We wish everyone an enjoyable semester and look forward to seeing you at upcoming PSTC Colloquia talks as well as at the many workshops and training opportunities happening at our Center this year!