We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Professor Emeritus Dennis P. Hogan on July 9, 2026. Hogan was an esteemed sociologist and demographer with global influence and a legacy of mentorship and institution building. 

Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Hogan grew up and worked on the family farm until he left for college. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Iowa in 1972 and went on to complete his master’s and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1976. Hogan taught at the University of Chicago and Penn State University, where he was a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and held leadership positions before joining the Brown faculty in 1995. At Brown, he held the Robert E. Turner Professorship in Population Studies and served multiple terms as chair of the Department of Sociology. He also served as Director of the Population Studies and Training Center. Hogan taught undergraduate and graduate courses in introductory sociology, market research, demographic methods, and populations in danger. He mentored countless PhD students and was committed to training the next generation of scholars through collaborative research. He retired from Brown in 2016.

Hogan’s research examined how opportunity and family resources shape young people’s transitions into adulthood. A hallmark of his research was understanding the individual life course and detailing adolescents’ transitions through their educational progression, family formation, and entry into employment. Later in his career, Hogan focused on children with disabilities, applying a similar life course perspective to understand children’s use of supportive services, their educational and employment aspirations and experiences, and the impact of their disabilities on the lives of other family members. Hogan was a co-author with former Brown Provost and Professor of Anthropology, David Kertzer of the ground-breaking book Family, Political Economy, and Demographic Change: The Transformation of Life in Casalecchio, Italy, 1861-1921. Hogan’s book The Family Consequences of Children’s Disability, won the 2012 Otis Dudley Duncan Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Social Demography of the American Sociological Association.

Throughout his career, Hogan also conducted extensive research on reproductive and child health in developing countries, with studies in Colombia and Ethiopia. Prior to his retirement he invested heavily in collaborations with the Institute for Community and Public Health at Birzeit University in the West Bank, helping to establish a center for population research.

Hogan was preceded in death just a few weeks earlier by his beloved wife of 47 years, Professor Emeritus Mary Fennell, who was C.V. Starr Professor of Sociology and Health Services Policy and Practice at Brown and Dean of the Faculty from 2000-2004. He is survived by his children Meghan Hogan and Michael Hogan, several siblings, and their families. A memorial service was held on October 13, 2026, at Epiphany Parish in Seattle, Washington, which may be viewed here. 

We extend our condolences to Dennis' family, colleagues, students, and friends.