Keeping Up With Oxford

The Center for Population Studies is located at 302 Leavall Hall.

Tucked away in a corner of Leavell Hall, a unique and important department is hard at work. Consisting of only three offices is the Center for Population Studies. The Center for Population Studies is devoted to the education, research, and public outreach concerning population data and demographics. The Center for Population Studies may be not the largest department on campus, but their service to the Oxford and the University of Mississippi is invaluable.

The CPS has very broad academic uses within the University of Mississippi. Research Director John J. Green is the head of the CPS and teaches a class on demographics. Although population studies is listed as a sociology elective, Green has found that demographics attract more than just sociology majors.

“We are involved in so many different projects, from health research to income research, that students from health and accounting disciplines are now taking my class,” Green said. “I believe all students can benefit from accessing demographics.”

The CPS helps educate the students by providing a database of demographics. The CPS collects and organizes all of the demographic data of Oxford. The CPS has various demographics ranging from ages to income. They are charged with keeping track of every aspect of the population and assuring the accuracy of the data. All of this information is available to the students as well as general public. Research Associate Lynn Woo works as the main liaison between the public and the CPS.

“There is so much demographic information out there and what we do is take that information and interpret it so that others can understand the data and use it for their benefit,” Woo said.

These demographics are not only helpful to the students doing research at the University of Mississippi, but also to businesses looking to open in Oxford. Businesses can directly request data about income and age range in the town of Oxford.

"It is our job to know what makes Oxford attractive,” Woo said. “We provide the information that helps determine if a business would be successful and cater to the needs of the Oxford population.”