Carolina Population Center
@uncpopcenter.bsky.social
Our faculty, staff, and students conduct research on population, health, aging, and the environment, and share data and findings that push the field forward. https://cpc.unc.edu
Demographic uncertainty in N.C. "has profound implications for these school districts," says Carolina Demography Director Nathan Dollar. Fewer students means less state funding for schools while operating costs remain, Dollar says. www.ednc.org/amid-enrollm...
New study led by CPC Fellow Clark Gray shows that as ocean temperatures get warmer, child mortality and malnutrition increase. “I’m continuously surprised by how consistently negative the warming effect on health is,” Gray says. grist.org/food-and-agr...
CPC Director Karen Guzzo sees lessons for the U.S. in Singapore's recent efforts to reverse their demographic decline by supporting families. "There is more potential if we could just help people have the kids they want to have," she says. www.npr.org/2026/08/31/n...
CPC Fellow Lindsey Smith Taillie says lobbying from the food industry led the government to delay publishing a definition of ultra-processed foods, possibly indefinitely. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/opinion/ultraprocessed-food-industry-maha.html
Congratulations to CPC Fellow and Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology Barbara Entwisle for receiving the American Sociological Association (ASA) Methodology Section's 2026 Pedagogy Award!
Study led by CPC Fellow Ross Boyce in Buncombe County reveals 40% of blacklegged ticks in western North Carolina carry the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. www.wral.com/lifestyles/h...
A proposed bill that would tackle both student loan debt and housing affordability in the U.S. may not provide as much new financial assistance as it initially appears, says CPC Fellow Fenaba Addo. www.newsweek.com/how-proposed...
CPC Fellow Ganga Bey reflects on the lasting legacy of Rita Pierson's 'Every Kid Needs a Champion' TED talk and how one of the biggest problems in education is that teachers are already being asked to give too much of themselves. www.kqed.org/mindshift/66...
Opinion: Country ownership without fiscal justice is responsibility without resources, says CPC Fellow Kat Tumlinson. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Country ownership without fiscal justice is responsibility without resources
Recent debates in global health, including reproductive health, have embraced an attractive proposition: as donor assistance contracts, countries in the Global South might finally define their own hea...
thelancet.com
Unfamiliar ingredients and additives displayed on nutrition labels can be clear signs for consumers that the food is ultra-processed, says CPC Fellow Barry Popkin. www.supplysidefbj.com/market-trend...
IFIC Survey reveals consumer bias against ‘ultra-processed’
Food and beverage thought to be “ultra-processed” does not set well with most consumers, survey confirms.
supplysidefbj.com
Though imperfect in practice, the study of social and behavioral sciences remain our best and most reliable hope for understanding and solving many of the defining crises of our time, says CPC Fellow Kenneth Bollen. www.whysocialscience.com/blog/2026/7/...
Because Look at the Alternatives! — Why Social Science?
Recent Gallup polling shows that Americans believe government dysfunction, skyrocketing costs of living, economic inequality, and healthcare affordability are the most critical challenges facing our n...
whysocialscience.com
Congratulations to CPC Fellow Ashu Handa who recently went on leave to serve as Chief Economist and Director of Economic & Social Policy for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Study shows patients who experience emergency cancer diagnoses face sharply lower survival. “These gaps held up even after we accounted for age, cancer stage, other illnesses, and frailty,” said lead author and CPC Fellow Caroline Thompson. news.unchealthcare.org/2026/07/new-...
New Research from UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Links Emergency Cancer Diagnoses to Significantly Lower Survival | Newsroom
How a cancer is first discovered can shape what happens next, and new research shows that steps are needed to map out treatment for older adults diagnosed in the emergency department who face sharply ...
news.unchealthcare.org
Analysis co-authored by CPC Fellow Lindsey Smith Taillie found some prebiotic soda brands overstate nutritional claims about their drinks, which can contain less fiber and more sugar than advertised. www.news-medical.net/news/2026072...
Prebiotic sodas may contain less fiber and more sugar
Prebiotic sodas have become more popular in recent years, with a wave of new products promising gut health benefits and low-calorie enjoyment.
news-medical.net
Undernutrition is a concern with patients taking weight-loss drugs. And while certain nutrient-dense foods can help, CPC Fellow John Batsis recommends patients focus on wider dietary patterns rather than just eating specific foods. www.newsweek.com/pharmacists-...
Pharmacists issue warning to anyone on weight loss drugs
Experts have warned about the potential risks of "undernutrition" for patients using weight loss drugs.
newsweek.com
More research is needed to identify interventions and address the evolving contraceptive needs of adolescents ages 15-19, says CPC Fellow Ilene Speizer. www.jahonline.org/article/S105...
Strengthen the Evidence Base to Meet Adolescent Contraceptive Needs
Adolescents—defined by the World Health Organization as individuals aged 10–19—number over 1.3 billion globally, representing one sixth of the world's population (https://data.unicef.org/topic/adolesc...
jahonline.org
Rising temperatures and more houses in the woods have made encounters with ticks more common, says CPC Fellow Ross Boyce. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/w...
Ticks Are on the Move. Here Are the Risks in Your Region.
Changing deer populations, rising temperatures and other factors are driving ticks and their diseases into new areas.
nytimes.com
Growth in North Carolina's Hispanic Population is likely to slow due to federal immigration enforcement, says Carolina Demography Director Nathan Dollar. "We're in a period of perhaps the most demographic uncertainty than we've had in quite some time." www.wunc.org/race-class-c...
NC's Hispanic population rose in 2025, but at a lower rate than before, new Census data shows
"We're in a period of perhaps the most demographic uncertainty than we've had in quite some time," said Nathan Dollar, director of Carolina Demography.
wunc.org
Study co-authored by CPC Fellow Shu Wen Ng found some citizens in Ghana consumed more sugary drinks despite beverage tax and that awareness of health issues related to sweetened beverages is low. www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/06/25/s...
Some citizens consume more sugary drink, despite Ghana beverage tax – Report - Ghana Business News
Ghana’s sweetened beverage tax may have limited impact on changing consumption habits among low-income communities unless accompanied by improved public education, according to research findings.
ghanabusinessnews.com
As millions of Medicare-qualifying adults gain access to cheap GLP-1 weight loss drugs through a federal program, CPC Fellow John Batsis urges older patients to focus less on how much they weigh and more on improving their physical ability. www.cnn.com/2026/07/01/h...
What older adults need to know before using a GLP-1 medication to lose weight | CNN
Starting Wednesday, millions of Medicare-qualifying adults will have access to popular medications for weight loss at deep discounts through a temporary federal program called the Medicare GLP-1 Bridg...
cnn.com
Congratulations to CPC Fellow Colin West on receiving a Seed Funding Award from the UNC College of Arts and Sciences! college.unc.edu/2026/06/14-i...
Congratulations to CPC Fellow Arne Kalleberg for receiving the 2026 W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award! www.cpc.unc.edu/news/congrat...
Congratulations to CPC Fellow Arne L. Kalleberg for receiving the 2026 W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award! | Carolina Population Center
CPC Fellow and Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology Arne L. Kalleberg has been awarded the American Sociological Association’s 2026 W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award for…
cpc.unc.edu
Congratulations to Miyuki Hino for receiving a 2026 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement! www.cpc.unc.edu/news/congrat...
Congratulations to Miyuki Hino for receiving a 2026 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement! | Carolina Population Center
CPC Fellow and Associate Professor Miyuki Hino was awarded a 2026 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement. Dr. Hino is an associate professor in the Department of City…
cpc.unc.edu
"Last year only 8 of North Carolina's 115 school districts gained students," says Carolina Demography Director Nathan Dollar, citing factors such as the declining U.S. birth rate, increased private school enrollment, and a shrinking school-age population. www.wunc.org/education/20...
School board to choose a Chapel Hill school to close. Parents are bracing for the decision
School districts nationwide are facing decisions about closing schools as the birth rate continues to drop. More on how it's playing out in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
wunc.org
Polls show Americans want the government to regulate ultra-processed food, but the food industry is willing to put millions into fighting any restrictions, says CPC Fellow Barry Popkin. us.cnn.com/2026/06/03/h...
Americans say they want strict regulations on ultraprocessed food. Will industry and regulators deliver? | CNN
Leading scientists and nonprofits who say they — and the public — are fed up with regulatory inaction back a new movement to spur reform on ultraprocessed foods.
us.cnn.com
Researchers look to define ultra-processed food in new issue of public health journal. “It’s important to get the federal definition [of ultra-processed food] right, because everything will flow from that,” says CPC Fellow Lindsey Smith Taillie. www.notus.org/health-scien...
Leading Public Health Journal Suggests How To Define Ultra-Processed Foods
The administration should draw on a food classification system that focuses on additives versus nutritional content, the American Journal of Public Health says.
notus.org
Congratulations to CPC Fellow Kathleen Mullan Harris, this year's recipient of the American Sociological Association's Sociology of Population Section Distinguished Career Award! www.cpc.unc.edu/news/congrat...
Congratualtions to CPC Fellow John Batsis, who joined UNC's Nutrition Research Institute as Medical Director of Clinical Research Core.
A new report co-authored by CPC Fellow Lindsey Smith Taillie recommends an evidence-informed approach to defining ultraprocessed foods and developing policy to regulate them. healthyeatingresearch.org/research/ult...
Ultraprocessed Foods in the U.S.: Recommended Definitions and Policies | Healthy Eating Research
Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity | Ultraprocessed Foods in the U.S.: Recommended Definitions and Policies
healthyeatingresearch.org
While high tides are nothing new, development, sinking land, and local sea-level rise are causing more sunny-day flooding in coastal communities, says CPC Fellow Miyuki Hino. coastalreview.org/2026/05/sunn...
Sunny day flooding not as paradoxical as it may sound | Coastal Review
While seemingly counterintuitive, king tides are not a new phenomenon but do represent a chronic and increasingly difficult challenge for coastal communities, but ordinary people can help by contribut...
coastalreview.org