Meet Jennifer Van Hook, Director of the Population Research Institute (PRI) and professor of Sociology and Demography at Penn State.
The Population Research Institute supports innovative research and work on population science. PRI receives funding to aid in their research from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Funding helps to articulate primary research on a macro-level of human population topics.
In Fall of 2023, PRI received a Population Dynamics Centers Research Infrastructure Program grant. Their overarching research goals through this grant included forming interdisciplinary, multi-expertise teams, facilitating faculty to become population scientists, and increasing expertise among other faculty who want to move into CCH research.
As Director, Van Hook currently serves in a supportive role for PRI, including writing and reviewing applications and assisting in other areas where needed. She currently conducts demographic research focusing on migration and undocumented immigration. Van Hook is also working alongside Brian Theide to analyze how climate impacts migrant workers.