On March 23, 2025, faculty, staff, and students from FSU’s Center for Demography and Population Health (CDPH) joined in celebration of successful students and the birthday of Charles B. Nam, Ph.D., the center’s founder.
The celebration included dinner and discussion followed by a presentation of the Serow Prize to Nathan Gebert, an MSD student who also received the Charles B. Nam scholarship earlier this year.
“Receiving the Serow Prize and Nam Scholarship was a tremendous honor, reinforcing my commitment to research in demography and helping make out-of-state tuition more manageable. I’m deeply grateful to Dr. Betty Serow and Dr. Charles Nam for their generosity in supporting graduate students in this program,” Gebert said.
The Serow Prize is awarded annually to a student in the Master of Science in Demography (MSD) program who has exhibited an outstanding performance in the program and high potential for continued success in applied demography. The recipient of the prize is selected by an executive committee and CDPH faculty, based on student performance during the fall semester.
Established in 2005 by Betty Serow, Ph.D., the Serow Prize honors the late William Serow, who served as a professor of economics and director of CDPH until his passing in 2003. The Serow Prize recognizes Dr. William Serow’s dedication to preparing students for careers in applied demography.
In addition to celebrating Gebert as he was awarded this prize, attendees also celebrated the 99th birthday of Dr. Nam. Dr. Nam has been involved with the center since founding it in 1967 and serving as director.
During his time at FSU, Dr. Nam positively contributed to the growth of the center and the education of many successful demographers. As the founder, Dr. Nam recruited experts in demography and population from across the country to join the faculty.
As a teacher and mentor, Dr. Nam’s students have successfully found jobs at the U.S. Census Bureau, in private industry, and in academia. Several of Dr. Nam’s students are deans or directors of demography programs across the country.
The evening served as a testament to the legacy that Dr. Nam established and the ongoing success of CDPH students.
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