Douglas C. Ewbank

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Douglas C. Ewbank, Emeritus Research Professor of Sociology and former Associate Director of both the Population Studies Center and the Population Aging Research Center, on July 22, 2025, at the age of 77.

Dr. Ewbank earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University in 1975. He joined the University of Pennsylvania as a Senior Research Investigator in 1982, after working at Stanford University, the Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Dar es Salaam, and Bowdoin College. He also interned at the Population Council and the American Friends Service Committee. In the past, he served on the Board of Director's of the Population Association of America.

Doug’s early research focused on the demography of tropical Africa and genetic differences in mortality by genotype. He collaborated with Penn's Alzheimer's Disease Center on various aspects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, co-authoring several clinical studies on these topics. Additionally, his research addressed longevity and chronic disease in older adults, including studies on excess mortality associated with Alzheimer’s disease. His most recent work documented the social-demographic history of West Philadelphia. In addition to his research, he played an important role training several generations of GGD students via his teaching and mentoring.

 

Please refer back to this page for more details, which will include information about a future memorial service.