Samuel Preston

Samuel Preston, Ph.D., is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the School of Arts & Sciences. He holds secondary roles in the Population Studies Center and has extensive academic credentials, including a Ph.D. in Economics (Princeton University, 1968) and a B.A. in Economics (Amherst College, 1965). His research focuses on population health dynamics, particularly mortality transitions, racial disparities in mortality, and the effects of behavioral risk factors like cigarette smoking and obesity. Recent work has emphasized regional inequalities in life expectancy and the epidemiological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across U.S. counties and demographic groups.

Dr. Preston is a co-author of the authoritative demography textbook with Michel Guillot and Patrick Heuveline. He has been honored as a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. His collaborative efforts include projects with Irma Elo and Penn's graduate students to dissect the socioeconomic and geographic dimensions of health outcomes. Beyond his academic contributions, he has engaged in policy-relevant analyses of mortality patterns and healthcare disparities, reflecting his commitment to bridging demographic research with societal challenges.

His advising narrative includes mentoring past and present graduate students in demography and public health, contributing to their studies on life expectancy disparities. Grants and funding details are not explicitly listed in the provided texts, but his involvement in major projects like the John Adams Institute Accelerator Design Project suggests sustained research support. The Population Studies Center serves as a key hub for his collaborative work, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to demographic and health-related inquiries.