Curriculum Vitae, Sept 2021
ROTKIRCH, Anna Ullica
ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9429-1499
Short bio. I am Research Professor and Director of the Population Research Institute at Väestöliitto, the Family Federation of Finland. I am also a Docent at the University of Helsinki, where I teach and provide thesis supervision, and have served as the governmental Rapporteur on demography.
In my research I aim to combine social and biological approaches to the study of human behaviour, promoting the integration of life history and life course theories in human behavioural sciences. Ongoing research focus on childbearing behaviour, and on couple relations in older age. I value science popularisation and regularly lecture for lay audiences and write newspaper columns.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Born 22.12.1966 in Finland. Citizenship: Finnish. Current residence: Helsinki, Finland.
HIGHER EDUCATION AND DEGREES
2001 Title of Docent, University of Helsinki, August 2001.
2000 PhD in Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Social Policy, May 2000. Examiner: M.Burawoy, U of California, eximia cum laude approbatur.
1994 MA, Social Sciences, U of Helsinki, eximia cum laude approbatur.
1985 Finnish baccalaureate (6 laudatur), Helsingfors Svenska Normallyceum.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Swedish, fluent (native), Finnish, fluent (native), English, excellent, French, excellent, Russian, excellent.
CURRENT POSITIONS
Research Director, Research Professor, Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto, Finland. Employed by Väestöliitto, Finnish Family Federation since 1.1.2007, full-time position since 1.8.2010, professor since 2011
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
2020–21 Senior Advisor, Prime Minister’s Office, Demographic rapporteur, Finnish government,
2010–11 Academic visitor, Dept of Social Policy and Intervention, St John’s College, University of Oxford, UK
2007–09 Senior researcher, Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto
2004–06 University lecturer, Dept of Social Policy, U of Helsinki
2002–04 Research fellow, Collegium for Advanced Studies, U of Helsinki
2003 Visiting scholar, IRESCO/CNRS, Paris, France, February-May 2003.
2001–02 Lecturer, Christina Institute for Women’s Studies, U of Helsinki
1995, 97–01 Lecturer, Department of Social Policy, University of Helsinki
1998 Visiting Professor, Department of Sociology, U of Minnesota, USA,
1995–97 Academy Researcher, Academy of Finland
1994 Researcher, University of Helsinki, 1.1.-31.12.94.
CAREER BREAKS
Parental leaves of around 12 months each in 1997, 2000 and 2005.
MAIN RESEARCH PROJECTS AND GRANTS
2020–24 The Network Dynamics of Ethnic Integration, co-PI for Finland, Nordforsk
2018–2022 Principal Investigator (PI) of Partnership and Family Dynamics in Old Age (LoveAge), Academy of Finland (481 900 €)
2019– Country Leader for Gender and Generations Survey in Finland 2020/21
2016–2020 Country Leader for SHARE – Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, (wave 7 600 000 €)
2019–2020 PI of Digital Wellbeing in Families, Government Research Activities (200 000 €)
2012–2019 PI of Generational Transfers in Finland longitudinal surveys
2013–2017 PI of Linked Lives over the Life Course: A Dyadic Approach to Social Development, Academy of Finland MIND programme (570 521 €).
2017–2018 Co-PI of Living alone and wellbeing, Government Research Activities (80 000 €)
2013–16 Director of Finland’s contribution to FamiliesAndSocieties – Changing families and sustainable societies ESR SSH.2012.3.2.1 (152 260 € for Finland).
2012–14 PI of Precarious family formation. Youth and population dynamics in three world regions, Kone Foundation (252 500 €).
2004–08 PI of Fertility patterns and family forms – a comparative approach, Academy of Finland, (380 000 €).
2006–14 Senior researcher, Generational Transfers in Finland, Academy of Finland
2009–11 Senior researcher, Reproductive Behaviour in Contemporary Societies, Kone found.
MAIN RESEARCH OUTPUT, See publications page.
LEADERSHIP AND SUPERVISION EXPERIENCE
I have supervised 10 doctoral and 15 MA theses, PhD supervisions include
Miika Mäki, (2020-) Determinants and outcomes of family life histories in Europe
Mirkka Danielsbacka: Grandparental care in Finland and Europe (2016)
Hans Hämäläinen: Altruistic helping in Finland (2016)
Venla Berg: On the evolution of personality – Insights from contemporary Western humans (2016)
Antti Tanskanen: Impacts of grandparenting in contemporary Europe (2014)
Anna-Maria Isola: Public discourses on fertility in Russia, Finland and Estonia (2013)
Meri Larivaara: Reproductive medicine in St Petersburg (2012)
Päivi Mattila: Domestic labour relations in India (2011).
For research project direction, see selected financed grants above.
ACADEMIC POSITIONS OF TRUST
2021–23 Ledamot, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, beredningsgrupp 2 (demografi, sociologi, psykologi)
2020–22 Working Group Member, Institute of Applied Systems Analysis Finland, Academy of Finland
2019– Scientific Advisory Board Member, Espoon maahanmuuttajien vaikutustenarviointihanke
2015–2018 Vice President, Steering Committee, European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association
2015–18 Associate Editor, Frontiers in Sociology
2010– Editor in Chief, Yearbook of Population Studies in Finland
2008–11 Scientific Advisory Board Member, Baltic and Eastern Europ Studies, Södertörn University
SOCIETAL POSITIONS OF TRUST
2020–21 Demographic rapporteur appointed by Prime Minister Sanna Marin
2020–21 Steering Group, Behavioural Insights Team, Prime Minister’s Office, Finland
2018– Board member, University of Oulu
2009– Directory Board Member, Otto A.Malms donationsfond.
Under my direction, the Population Research Institute at Väestöliitto has gained excellent research output as well as high visibility in scientific popularisation, policy lobbying and media visibility, and Finland participated in two central European research infrastructures, Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement and Gender and Generation Programme which provide open access data to all scholars. Väestöliitto makes its Family Barometer and other surveys available for research.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
I have twenty years of regular lecturing for professional, lay and academic audiences. I always enjoy teaching and interacting with my audience, my lecturing skills were evaluated with eximia cum laude (excellent) at the University of Helsinki in 2001. Currently I am regularly lecturing and supervising PhD and MA-theses at the University of Helsinki and have delivered guest lectures at other Finnish universities and abroad. My teaching experience also includes introductory lectures in social policy and family studies, courses in scientific writing, and MA research and methodological seminars.
OTHER KEY SCIENTIFIC MERITS
I have examined 7 PhD theses, one Title of Docent position, and 6 PhD pre-examinations, including
2021 Alyce Raybould: ‘Disentangling the “fertility gap”: exploring the link between gendered division of labour and reproductive decision-making in high-income countries’. London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine, UK.
2017 Juan Du: Family and group dynamics in a pastoralist society. University College London
2016 Sarah Myers: Evolutionary Approaches to Post-Natal Depression. University of Kent.
2016 Yuliya Hilevych: Strong Families and Declining Fertility. University of Wageningen.
2015 Trond Viggo-Grontvedt: Equal rights, equal minds? Evolutionary psychology in a gender equal society. Trondheim Technical Univesity.
2015 Zhanna Kravchenko, Evaluation of Title of Docent, Södertörn University
Responsible for organisation of large academic conferences:
2015 Chair, Organising Committee, Evolution Human Behaviour and Evolution Association Conference
2001 General Secretary, Organising Committee, European Sociological Association Conference
Referee duties include Journal of Marriage and Family, European Sociological Review, Acta Sociologica, Plos One, Psychology of Women Quaterly, Journal of Personality and Individual Development, Genus, Evolution and Human Behavior, Demographic Research, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, Population Studies, Emotion, Sociology, European Societies, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Tampere University Press, Janus, Sociologisk forskning, Gerontologia, European Journal of Women’s Studies, and others, recent reviewed articles are found on publons.com.
Recent duties as expert for international funding bodies include ERC Advance Grant Proposals (2021), Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (2021), US National Science Foundation (2015), ERC Norface, Welfare States Future Programme (2014), European University of St Petersburg professorship positions (2014).