CDE's Methodology Core is designed to enhance the methodological expertise of CDE researchers and to increase the speed and efficiency with which new methods are incorporated into their individual projects. The Core will promote and provide hands-on consulting for geographic information analysis, advanced statistical methods, and survey development. The Methodology Core is organized into three distinct subcores, described below.
David Long (M.S. Sociology, UW-Madison), Associate Researcher in the Applied Population Laboratory (APL), serves as unit director of GIA. Long is the principal data and software consultant. He also conducts formal computing laboratory training as part of the graduate seminar in spatial data analysis. Nicholas Fisher (B.A. Geography and GIS Certificate, UW-Madison), a cartographer and GIS analyst, brings a strong background in cartography, network analysis and address geocoding to the unit. Fisher also provides formal training and consultation with ESRI products. Paul Voss, former APL Director and founding director of the current GIA Core, teaches the spatial statistics seminar and consults with GIA staff. Voss chairs the GIA advisory committee, comprised of faculty and staff from several university departments, and arranges the GIA Core colloquium series.
Methods and Statistics subcore
A Steering Committee designs, coordinates and implements the activities of the Methods and Statistics subcore. This committee is chaired by the Director of CDE and includes the Associate Director for Academic Affairs, Dr. Rick Nordheim from the Statistics Department, the coordinator(s) of the GIA subcore, the director of the UW Survey Center and an additional member of CDE with statistical expertise. Dr. Nordheim takes main responsibility for the organization of the three main activities of the Methods and Statistics Subcore. These main activities are: (a) Workshops on frontier applications of statistical techniques, (b) statistical consulting and (c) Seminars. He is supported at all times by two graduate CDE students who are obtaining degrees in Statistics and by two PhD students in Statistics who are being trained at CDE.
The Survey Research Subcore iscoordinated by CDE’s Nora Cate Schaeffer. Dr. Schaeffer also serves as the director for the University of Wisconsin Survey Center (UWSC). She supervises the other member of the Survey Unit, the Survey Unit Consultant. The Survey Unit Consult advises researchers in CDE on issues related to the collection of original data, such as question development, instrument design, and other survey-based design components. The Survey Unit Consultant also assists the associate director of the University of Wisconsin’s Survey Center, John Stevenson, with methodological issues for on-going projects of CDE affiliates at the survey center and for projects funded by NICHD and NIA. The Survey Unit Consultant’s position is part-time at a level of .25. Her position is augmented by a small percentage from other funds to allow her to participate in research activities that will enhance her ability to provide consultation about survey methodology.
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