Ashton Verdery

Dr. Ashton Verdery is the Harry and Elisa Sichi Early Career Professor of Social Data Analytics, Sociology and Demography at Pennsylvania State University. His research examines how social networks influence demographic processes including migration, kinship structures, and population health. He develops innovative methodologies for sampling hard-to-reach populations and analyzing complex social systems.

His research focuses on kinship network evolution, migration impacts on family structures, demographic consequences of drug mortality, and network-based sampling methodologies. He applies computational approaches to large-scale demographic questions.

Recent work explores bereavement patterns following the opioid crisis, kinship structures in high-migration contexts, and social network interventions to reduce healthcare disparities. Publications demonstrate methodological innovation in demographic forecasting and network analysis.

He conducts interdisciplinary research through the Population Research Institute and international collaborations.