Brief History of the PSTC
The PSTC was founded in 1964. With a small core group, all of whom initially came from Sociology, the PSTC developed an exceptional reputation in demography. The original emphasis was on social demography, with topics of population distribution, family and households, and development prominent. While this legacy remains, the arrival of NIH infrastructure support in 1991 ushered in an era of growth and interdisciplinary expansion. Under successive directors, population science at Brown incorporated scholars within associated disciplines - first Economics, then Anthropology. Outreach to Brown’s growing biomedical research community and other units further expanded the impact and intellectual growth of our population science. Today the PSTC is a truly interdisciplinary center with an outstanding record of both research and graduate training.
In October 2004, the PSTC became the sole occupant of the historic, newly-renovated Cabinet Building, former home of the Rhode Island Historical Society, located in the central campus.