Dr. Brian Thiede

Biography

Brian C. Thiede is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, Education at Pennsylvania State University. He specializes in Rural Sociology and Demography and serves as the Director of Graduate Studies in Rural Sociology and Associate Director of the Population Research Institute. Dr. Thiede obtained his PhD from Cornell University in 2014, his MS from Cornell University in 2011, and his BA from Bucknell University in 2008. His research program addresses the relationships between climate change and demographic health outcomes, focusing on economic development in low- and middle-income countries. Currently, he is involved in NIH-funded projects that measure the compounding effects of armed conflict and climate shocks on maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa. One project compares the impacts of weather shocks on health outcomes from childhood through mid-adulthood using panel data from Indonesia and Mexico. Additionally, his research delves into the issues of poverty and inequality in the United States, with current projects examining income inequality in rural areas and its relationship with natural resource development and economic outcomes.

Research Interests