Older people’s stories always fascinated Michal Engelman. Growing up, she preferred sitting at her grandparents’ table and listening to their conversations, rather than playing video games with her cousins. In college and after, Engelman missed those connections, and began volunteering in nursing homes. Her interest led her to adopt a multidisciplinary focus in graduate school: demography and gerontology.
Now the assistant professor of sociology studies the dynamics of population aging and the determinants of longevity and well-being at older ages.
Born in Israel, Engelman grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, went to college and graduate school on the east coast, and spent a couple years as an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, before arriving in Madison this fall.
We asked her to share more about her work, her roots, and her excitement about teaching at UW-Madison.
Engelman
Q: Tell us about your research interests.
A: I’m interested in historical and contemporary processes of population changes (changes in longevity, fertility, and migration), and in early and mid-life factors that influence people’s health and well-being in later life. Some of those factors include education, socioeconomic status, positive life experiences like finding a partner and having children, or negative ones like crisis or loss. All of these shape people’s outlook on their life, and their health behaviors.
Q: How did you become interested in this field?
A: My maternal grandfather lived with us when I was growing up, and I was extremely close to him. I also have a big extended family (immigrants from the former Soviet Union who settled in Israel & Los Angeles). I've always enjoyed spending time with older people and hearing stories about their lives. Between college and graduate school I worked as a research assistant at the Harvard School of Public Health, and then spent a year in Istanbul working with community-based eldercare organizations. These experiences convinced me to go to graduate school and focus on demography and gerontology. Studying demography allowed me to get a broader perspective on the causes and consequences of population aging, while gerontology emphasized the way in which physical, mental, and social changes unfold throughout the full life course.
Q: Why are you excited to be at UW-Madison?
A: UW-Madison is one of the best places to study demography and gerontology. Both the Center for Demography and Ecology (CDE) and the Center for Demography of Health and Aging (CDHA) are fantastic resources for researchers and students, and there are lots of really smart and accomplished people to talk and work with. And the great thing is that they’re not only brilliant – they’re also really nice.
Q: What courses will you teach?
A: SOC/ECON 663: Population & Society this fall.
Q: What can students expect from you in the classroom?
A: This course combines lectures with class discussion: I try to keep things interesting and engaging for students by communicating my own enthusiasm for the subject and encouraging questions and comments from the students – in turn, I expect them to really engage with the material and come prepared to talk about the ideas and their implications.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I like to read and to spend time with my husband, Josh, and our dog Ziggy, an 11-pound poodle-terrier mix.
Q: What’s your favorite part of campus so far?
A: So far, Muir Woods and the Lakeshore Path that leads from the Social Sciences building to the Memorial Union terrace – but I still have a lot of exploring to do around other parts of campus.
Q: What did you know about Madison before coming here?
A: Everyone I know who has ever lived in Madison loved it. People kept telling me that it was a fun town with a lot going on and very friendly people, and they’re right!
To meet more new faculty members, see our full list of Q&As.