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Stephen Cohen

Pronouns: He/Him

Stephen is an expert in sample design and selection, sample monitoring, analysis, and estimation including imputation, privacy, and disclosure avoidance.

Stephen’s responsibilities include technical support in sample design and selection and sample monitoring, analysis, disclosure avoidance and estimation including imputation. Stephen has designed sampling and estimation procedures for a large number of complex surveys including general population surveys, establishment surveys (e.g., surveys of schools, businesses, etc.), and surveys of special populations (e.g., surveys of college graduates, racial and ethnic minorities). These surveys also feature the full range of data collection modes including telephone surveys, web-based surveys, mail surveys, and in-person interview surveys. 

At NORC, Stephen designed and led NORC’s first study of a Jewish Community—Chicago. He oversaw many research projects for the Bureau of Labor Statistics including variance estimation, a modernized review system for the Occupational Employment Survey and a record linkage project. He designed public use files for many research projects such as for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

Prior to joining NORC, Stephen has over 35 years or experience in sampling methodologies for the Federal Statistical System. He was Chief Statistician at the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the National Science Foundation for seven years where he directed the sample re-design of the National Survey of College Graduates and the integration of the international sample component into the Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Prior to that he held various positions at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) including Director of the Mathematical Statistics Research Center. At BLS, he worked on the redesign of their Compensation Survey Program and the 2000 redesign of the Consumer Expenditure Survey. He also chaired the BLS Disclosure Review Board.  Stephen is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. 

He has received the Pat Doyle Award for his contributions that has had a lasting impact on the Government Statistics Section of the American Statistical Association (ASA). He is a past chair of both the Survey Research and Government Statistics Section of ASA. He was Council of Sections Representative for the Survey Research Section. He has been an organizer of important conferences such as the Federal Committee on Statistics Methodology Research Conference and The International Conference on Establishment Statistics. He has chaired the ASA committee on nominations for ASA President and Vice President; and served on the most recent workgroup revising ASA recommended undergraduate curriculum for statistics.

Education

PhD

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

MS

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

AB

Boston University

Appointments & Affiliations

Assistant Professor | 1974 - 1976

Clarkson College

Honors & Awards

Pat Doyle Award for Contributions that Have a Lasting Impact on the Government Statistics Section of the ASA | 2015

American Statistical Association

Elected Fellow | 2009

American Statistical Association

Project Contributions

Publications