February 06, 2025 | News | New Faces at MPIDR

Welcome, Kelsey Wright!

© MPIDR

Since January, Kelsey Wright is a new member in the Laboratory of Fertility and Well-Being at the Department of Social Demography. In her research she focuses on family formation and fertility and how they are influenced by inequalities in society. She already had a wonderful start at the Institute with her smart, caring and fantastic coworkers. 

What question drives you most in your research?

Through the lens of reproduction, my work asks questions that are motivated by issues central to the disciplines of demography and sociology: What can family formation and fertility, as social phenomenon, tell us about inequities in society? How does institutional power get unevenly distributed onto individuals or groups’ lived experiences? What is the role of gender, race/ethnicity, and class in the reproduction of social inequality across cohorts? My work on these questions is based on an abiding belief that rigorous social science research has the potential to transform these inequalities.

What are you particularly looking forward to as you start working at the MPIDR?

I can truthfully say that what I have been looking forward to is what I have already experienced in the first few weeks here. Smart, caring, and fantastic coworkers, who are eager to engage intellectually and personally with me on an almost unprecedented level. It’s been wonderful!

What do you like most about Rostock?

I like the small-to-mid-sized feel of the city. It feels possible to explore every corner without getting overwhelmed. A major plus is when I explore (cafes and bakeries specifically) the proprietors have been so kind and encouraging with my attempts to speak broken German.

What are you obsessed with at the moment besides demography?

This is hard because I am definitely a person who gets obsessed with all varieties of information, activities, and things. Right now, it might be the murder of crows that only emerges at night on the balcony in my apartment - are we friends? Are we enemies? Only the future knows…