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NORC at the University Chicago

Nadarajasundaram Ganesh

Principal Statistician
Statistics & Data Science
Ganesh is an expert in sample design, survey weighting, statistical modeling and estimation.

Ganesh has more than 15 years of experience working on survey methodology and statistical analysis. He has a breadth of experience in sampling, survey weighting, statistical modeling with expertise in small area estimation, and statistical methods for combining probability and nonprobability samples.

Ganesh is the data delivery manager for the NIS-Flu, where he manages a team of statisticians, researchers, and programmers that provide CDC weekly and monthly data deliveries associated with tracking influenza vaccination coverage. He is also a lead statistician for the development of the estimation methodology associated with AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate. Previously, Ganesh was the lead statistician for NORC’s AmeriSpeak® Panel; he led a team of statisticians and programmers in developing all statistical aspects associated with the AmeriSpeak Panel. He has led and contributed to several important small area applications. Ganesh led a team of statisticians that developed small area models to estimate county-level vaccination coverage using the National Immunization Survey. 

Ganesh has published articles in Biometrika, Journal of Official Statistics, Journal of Multivariate Analysis, and Statistics in Medicine. He has presented papers to the American Association for Public Opinion Research and the American Statistical Association on topics such as survey weighting, composite estimation, and small area estimation.

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Expertise

Education

PhD

University of Maryland

BS

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Honors & Awards

President’s Award | 2018

NORC at the University of Chicago

Project Contributions

AP VoteCast

More inclusive and accurate polling of the dynamics behind America’s elections

Client:

The Associated Press

National Congregations Study

The first-ever high-quality survey of a nationally representative sample of congregations

Funder:

Lilly Endowment with additional support from the John Templeton Foundation and the Pew Research Center

Healthy Illinois Survey

One of the largest state-level health surveys in the United States, providing high-resolution information for all of Illinois

Client:

Illinois Department of Public Health

The National Survey of Artists

A nationally representative portrait of working artists in the United States

Client:

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Entrepreneurship in the Population (EPOP)

Tracking the U.S. population’s experiences with and interest in entrepreneurship and self-employment

Client:

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

National Immunization Surveys (NIS)

One of the nation’s largest phone surveys and the gold standard for data on U.S. immunization rates

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

Survey of Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife-Associated Recreation

Streamlining, economizing, and increasing the reach of a venerable national survey

Client:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

Healthy Illinois Survey

One of the largest state-level health surveys in the United States, providing and disseminating high-resolution information for all of Illinois.

Client:

Illinois Department of Public Health

Reproductive Health Impact Study (RHIS)

Examining impact of federal and state policy changes on reproductive health care and patient outcomes

Client:

Guttmacher Institute with funding from a private foundation

COVID-19 Impact Survey

Providing real-time data collection during the onset of the pandemic

Client:

The Data Foundation

Publications

Research Library & Findings