Newsroom Archive

     The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that Associate Director for Research and Methodology and Chief Scientist Roderick Little has been elected as a new member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies for his contributions to the advancement of medical sciences, health care and public health. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

     “This is a well deserved honor,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. “Rod Little is one of the world's best statisticians and survey methodologists, and through his work, he is advancing discoveries and innovation in statistical research for the benefit of the entire country.”

     Little is among 65 new members and five foreign associates elected to IOM this year, thereby achieving one of the most distinguished honors in the United States. His election brings IOM's diverse membership to 1,688 and the number of foreign associates to 102. One-quarter of the membership is selected from outside the health professions, from such fields as the natural, social and behavioral sciences; law; engineering; and the humanities.

     Little joined the Census Bureau in September 2010 and leads a new directorate that focuses on enhancing research and methodology capacity. Little is on leave from the University of Michigan, where he is a Richard D. Remington Collegiate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics, a department he chaired from 1993 to 2001 and 2006 to 2009. He is also a professor of statistics and research in the Institute for Social Research at Michigan.

    Little is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute and vice president of the American Statistical Association. In 2010, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2005, he was awarded the American Statistical Association's prestigious Wilks Medal for research contributions, and he gave the President's Invited Address at the Joint Statistical Meetings. He has also authored more than 200 publications.

    Little received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, and masters and doctorate degrees in statistics from Imperial College, London University.

    Established in 1970 as the health branch of the National Academy of Sciences, IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.