Eric Grodsky

Eric Grodsky is a Professor of Sociology and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he serves as Department Chair. He co-directs EdSHARe (Education Studies for Healthy Aging Research), overseeing national cohort studies like High School and Beyond and the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972. He also co-directs the Madison Education Partnership, a research-practice collaboration with the Madison Metropolitan School District.

• Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2002

His research examines how education and social origins influence life-course inequities, spanning early childhood through higher education, labor markets, and healthy aging. He focuses on stratified contexts where family and school advantages shape human capital development, including cognitive skills (standardized tests) and noncognitive skills (socioemotional behaviors, task performance).

Key methodological expertise includes observational data analysis and quantitative methods training for doctoral students through the Interdisciplinary Training Program in Education Sciences and the Center for Demography and Ecology. His work intersects with health disparities, educational policy, and demographic studies.

He is affiliated with multiple centers: Center for Demography and Ecology, Institute for Research on Poverty, Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, Center for Demography of Health & Aging, and the Institute for Diversity Science.