CUNY Institute for Demographic Research (CIDR)

Liza Fuentes

Liza is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Public Health program at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her work focuses on policy determinants of Latina and immigrant fertility and reproductive health. She is the recipient of the 2011 Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Award.

"The Demography Fellowship has greatly facilitated the improvement and expansion of my skills and research. Acquiring training in demographic methods through the Certificate Program has enhanced my quantitative analysis and thinking, and has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the theories and methods that shape my field of interest. I have learned about the research and policy intersections of demography and public health, helping me to think more critically as I develop my own research questions. The research apprenticeship has also been a very positive experience. I work with professors who give me the opportunity and guidance to use new and important datasets and participate fully in the process of carrying out demographic research that addresses important new questions about immigration and health."

Noura Insolera

Noura Insolera is currently in her second year in the Sociology PhD Program at the CUNY Graduate Center, where she is also pursuing a certificate in Demography.  She received her Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Michigan in 2007 and started working for the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) at the Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research.  Noura moved to New York City in 2008 and started a Master’s Degree in the Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences Program at Columbia University, which she completed in May 2010.

“I am very interested in the cross-section of health and socio-economic status and plan to focus my dissertation research in this area.  I am excited to move forward in Demography, Quantitative Methods, and the Sociology of Health and Illness.  I am working for PSID, and also at the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research as an apprentice to Dr. Na Yin, researching disability and labor force participation.  I have found a great support system within the CIDR community, and really feel at home with my professors, advisors, and peers.  At a school as large as CUNY, I am lucky to know that I have a group of people that are truly interested in my personal and academic success.”

Gabriel Movsesyan

Gabriel Movsesyan is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the CUNY Graduate Center and a research apprentice at the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research.  His research interests include the economics of labor, health, and immigration.

“The Demography Fellowship and Demography Certificate Program presents outstanding opportunities for students and scholars in population studies.  We investigate topics and methods of demographic analysis in introductory and highly focused courses, and interact with a superlative faculty team from across CUNY.  Under the guidance of Professor Frank Heiland, I am currently examining the effect of changing pension structures on labor force participation and retirement outcomes.  Collaboration with the professors and students here is highly encouraged, and studying within this inter-disciplinary group has motivated me to explore new perspectives on some of my research questions.”

Ruoding Tan

Ruoding Tan is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the CUNY Graduate Center.  She is also a research apprentice at the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research (CIDR) and National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).  Ruoding holds a Masters degree in Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

“My research interests include economic demography, labor and health economics, and policy evaluation.  Through the training I am receiving in the pursuit of the Certificate in Demography, I have developed strong interests in topics such as the economics of fertility, the socio-economic causes and consequences of the Second Demographic Transition, and the effect of reproductive health policy.  The courses I have taken in the Certificate Program are inspirational and extremely helpful.  Being exposed to a wide array of intriguing population-related studies has helped me to develop a demographic perspective.  The analytical tools that I have learned allow me to incorporate demographic methodologies and economic concepts in my own research.  As a Demography Fellow, I also have the opportunity to work collaboratively with faculty Research Associates at CIDR.  I have carried out research on topics related to fertility, marriage, and public policies.  For my dissertation, I am investigating the role of the legalization of abortion in explaining the changes in marriage decisions and human capital investments among young women.”