Amanda Stevenson, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder, has received the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) Early Career Award. This prestigious award recognizes Stevenson as a national leader in reproductive health and family planning policy research.
“I love demography, I think it’s a powerful, transformative way of understanding the social world,” says Stevenson. “To be recognized by other demographers like this is a wonderful affirmation of the effort that my team and I have put into all the work that we do. It means a lot to receive this award.”
Stevenson’s scholarship has had a tremendous impact on social policy. Her research has been cited by the United States Supreme Court, and she has testified for major legislation. She also regularly contributes articles and citations to national news outlets, ensuring her research is accessible to the public. Stevenson currently leads the Colorado Fertility Project, which aims to map the life course of US residents’ access to contraception and its effects.
Ann Moore, IUSSP Council member for North America and principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, was a part of the jury that chose Stevenson.
“Amanda Stevenson was selected among a competitive pool of candidates based on the quality and importance of her scholarship, methodological sophistication, outstanding grants record and service to the field of demography in her role as a public scientist,” says Moore. “The IUSSP wishes to congratulate Amanda on receiving this award.”
The IUSSP developed the Early Career Award in 2023 to honor early career scholars from five different world regions. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to population studies. Stevenson is the first recipient of the Early Career Award for the North American region.
“We hope that this award will not only enhance the awardees’ commitment and contributions to our field but will also enhance the global visibility of their achievements and bring the perspectives and insights of new generations of population scientists into our discipline,” says Shireen Jejeebhoy, president of IUSSP.
All five early career awardees will be honored at a virtual event in 2024, where they will showcase their research. The awardees have also received admission to the 2025 International Population Conference. Organized by IUSSP, the conference will be held in Brisbane, Australia July 13-18, 2025.
