Sociology Professor Sonal Desai was recently elected President of the Population Association of America. The Population Association of America is an interdisciplinary association of demographers that supports and promotes high-quality population research.

"At a time when public policies need more and better data than ever before, data collection systems are under tremendous strain due to the pandemic," Sonal writes. "My focus as PAA president will be to ensure that voices of demographers play an important role in strengthening data collection systems around the globe."

In his announcement to the department, Chair Jeff Lucas notes that "this is a well-deserved honor for Sonal and great for our department. In addition to recognizing Sonal's stature in the field, it reflects our department's continued prominence in demography, and Sonal joins past faculty members Harriet Presser and Suzanne Bianchi in being President of the PAA."