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Mathematica Appoints Donsig Jang as New Director of Statistics
Jang's Leadership Positions Mathematica for Increased Prominence in Statistical Methods and Analysis
Washington, DC—November 15, 2010—Mathematica Policy Research has appointed Donsig Jang director of its statistics department, where he will lead the company's work in applying sophisticated statistical methods to meet the research objectives of clients, partners, and policymakers worldwide. As the need for high-quality information for research and policy analysis has increased, Mathematica has experienced growing demand for the work conducted by its statisticians and Surveys and Information Services Division experts.
"I am thrilled to have Donsig join our leadership team," said Amy Johnson, Ph.D., Mathematica senior vice president and director of the division. "He has demonstrated superb leadership acumen and possesses the full complement of vision and skills that this area of rapid growth demands. His expertise and background will be a cornerstone to broadening the statistical expertise within the company and expanding the portfolio of skills Mathematica offers its partners and clients."
Jang has more than 15 years of experience in survey sampling and statistical research. During his career at Mathematica, he has directed and implemented the statistical methods required by many projects, including the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System project for the National Science Foundation (NSF). Jang has also served as the lead statistician responsible for all statistical activities required for the 2003, 2006, and 2008 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG), a large-scale survey also for NSF which collects information from individuals who recently obtained a bachelor's or master's degree in a science or engineering field using a mixed mode of data collection (a combination of mail, web, and telephone surveys). Under Jang's leadership, Mathematica's statisticians have been able to provide NSF with guidelines for statistical methodologies such as imputation, nonresponse weighting adjustments, variance estimation, and response rate calculations. Jang's longtime contributions helped Mathematica win $20 million in contracts from NSF this year, including the NSRCG for 2010 and 2012 and the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System contract through 2014.
Jang is widely considered a thought leader in the field and is frequently an invited discussant or presenter at venues such as the International Conference on Nonresponse, the Joint Statistical Meetings, the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology, and the Washington Statistical Society, where he was the invited discussant for last year's Morris Hansen Annual Lecture. Jang also serves on NSF's 2010 National Survey of College Graduates Redesign Statistical Evaluation Committee and has served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Statistics at George Mason University and George Washington University.
About Mathematica Surveys and Information Services: Surveys provide the critical foundation for making sound decisions to improve public well-being. Mathematica's survey design and data collection services include:
- Designing data collections for small to large-scale general and targeted populations
- Designing and testing survey questions
- Designing and implementing probability samples
- Administering telephone, mail, web, in-person, and mixed-mode surveys
- Locating hard-to-reach populations
- Conducting focus groups and other qualitative data collection
- Creating public use data sets
- Conducting innovative methodological research
Mathematica operates its own Survey Operations Center, with 400 employees dedicated to data collection and access to more than 4,000 field interviewers nationwide.
About Mathematica: Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research firm, provides a full range of research and data collection services, including program evaluation and policy research, survey design and data collection, research assessment and interpretation, and program performance/data management, to improve public well-being. Its clients include federal and state governments, foundations, and private-sector and international organizations. The employee-owned company, with offices in Princeton, N.J., Ann Arbor, Mich., Cambridge, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., has conducted some of the most important studies of health care, education, international, disability, family support, employment, nutrition, and early childhood policies and programs.