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Alumni create new award in demography BOWLING GREEN, O. -- Through the auspices of two distinguished Bowling Green State University alumni, a new award has been
created to recognize the outstanding academic and professional achievements of Bowling Green graduate students concentrating
in the field of demography.
The first Donald J. and Susan E. Adamchak Graduate Student Award in Demography was presented recently by Dr. Susan Adamchak
to Kelly Balistreri, a BGSU doctoral student. Balistreri is the coordinator of the State Data Center at BGSU for the U.S.
Census Bureau. She is also a member of the Center for Demographic and Family Research, a federally funded population research
center in the department of sociology.
The late Dr. Donald Adamchak, an internationally recognized scholar and chair of the sociology department at Kansas State
University, earned a Ph.D. in sociology in 1978 at Bowling Green. His mentor was Dr. Edward Stockwell, emeritus professor
of sociology. Susan Adamchak, a researcher, instructor and program manager in international reproductive health, received
a master's degree in sociology in 1989 at the University. They met while in graduate school and later married.
The couple created the award, which carries a $725 cash prize and a commemorative plaque, to highlight the BGSU program and
to enhance demography students' awareness of the importance of their education to their future success.
Winners of the award are selected based on the submission of a high-quality paper on a demographic topic with an emphasis
on research.
Balistreri, who completed her master's degree at BGSU two years ago, already has a long list of accomplishments in the field
of demography. She co-authored a paper in 2002 with her adviser, Dr. Jennifer Van Hook, an assistant professor of sociology,
on immigrant youths' adaptation to U.S. schools which has since been used by the Population Research Bureau as part of its
translational research agenda.
She has also written or co-authored a number of other publications with BGSU faculty, , as well as scholars elsewhere. One
such project, in collaboration with BGSU gerontology and geology faculty, examines the isolation of the elderly in northwest
Ohio in relation to provision of food and other services. The research was presented at the 25th annual Applied Geography
Conference last year.
Other projects have concerned the transition of foster children out of the system, the effects of welfare reform on the long-term
stability of food security among children of immigrants, and Mexican naturalization before and after welfare reform.
In her role at the CFDR, Balistreri writes Ohio Population News, which interprets Census data on issues ranging from child
well-being, marriage and fertility to congressional apportionment and is circulated to research universities, news media and
legislators. She has met several times with legislators to discuss the importance of demographic research.
(Posted June 02, 2003 )
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