I was born in west Texas and spent most of my life studying the geography and demography of the state.  I continue to maintain the Texas Demography Facebook page where I post demographic articles of interest to Texans and others interested in Texas. Here are some of the Texas related projects I have worked on over the years:

Changing Texas A book about the implications of demographic change for transportation, health care, public services, the labor force, consumer spending, etc, for the state of Texas. As the Associate Director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University, I lead a team of researchers to complete the analyses used for this book.  My major contribution to the content included a chapter on transportation and one regarding the future of health insurance coverage for Texans. The transportation work was an extension of work I provided to the Texas Dept. of Transportation (TxDOT) and the health insurance work was an extension of the work I provided for Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas.

Texas Almanac 2020-2021   Former Texas State Demographer and U.S. Census Bureau Director, Steve H. Murdock and I provided an overview of population trends for a section in the Texas Almanac.  I have been a reader of the Texas Almanac since I was a child – so I am especially proud to be a part of this almanac of Texas information that has been published since 1857.

The New Texas: A Demographic Analysis An essay included in the college textbook, Major Problems in Texas History (2nd Edition). Co-authored with Steve H. Murdock and Mary Zey.

The Children of the Southwest A report prepared for First Focus on Children. Discussed changing racial/ethnic characteristics and associated socioeconomic characteristics of children in southwestern states – including Texas. Co-authored with Steve H. Murdock and Mary Zey.

I have also been called into testify or provide analyses for a variety of public policy issues for the State of Texas.  As part of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, we prepared an analyses of the military veteran Hazlewood benefit program. This work was updated and published in The Frontiers of Applied Demography and we have evaluated these projections in subsequent years.

Presentations to a variety of groups, including: The Texas Association of School Boards, Texas Transit Association, Texas Wildlife Society, Annual Texas Transportation Forum (TxDOT), Texas Association of Community Health Centers, West Texas Rural Philanthropy Days, Texas Association of Counties, among others.