Trenton Mize is the Dean’s Professor of Sociology and Statistics (by courtesy) at Purdue University. Trent is also the founder and current Director for Social Sciences of the Methodology Center at Purdue. He is a quantitative methodologist specializing in categorical data analysis, data visualization, latent variable modeling, longitudinal data analysis, and experimental design. In his work, he develops new methods and software for applied data analysis. He also regularly teaches applied statistics and methodology courses and co-directs the Methodology Center’s NIH/NIDA-funded Summer Institute on Longitudinal Data Analysis. In addition to his methodological work, Trent is a social psychologist who uses theories of identity, status, and stereotyping to understand (a) how social categories impact how we view ourselves and how others view and treat us, and (b) the social factors that influence health and well-being. Recent work examines the impact of social role-accumulation on mental health and well-being across the life course, showing that certain types of roles such as family roles have differential impacts at different stages of the life course. He is also currently working on a Russell Sage Foundation-funded project on parental leave policies, examining how policy environments influence how parents are viewed when they take leave, and the role of family form in shaping views.
