Annual Award and Past Winners

DC-AAPOR > Awards > Annual Award and Past Winners

Congratulations to Melissa Cidade and Elizabeth Nichols, our 2024 DC-AAPOR Outstanding Achievement Award Winners

Melissa Cidade is recognized for her outstanding research contributions and public service to the federal statistical community, and service in mentoring others. Melissa is Chief of the Statistical Methods unit at the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Before that, she served at the U.S. Census Bureau’s Economic Directorate, where she pioneered the direct application of respondent-centered design to the Annual Integrated Economic Survey. She has supported local establishment survey researchers by boosting their work in the group that she founded: the AAPOR Establishment Survey Research Affinity Group. She has also served as Program Director for DC-AAPOR, organizing multiple in-person and virtual events of benefit to the local community. Melissa has mentored interns and junior staff on survey methods projects at both the Census Bureau and BJS and enlivens the research community through teaching and bringing people together.

Elizabeth “Beth” Nichols is recognized for her outstanding research contributions and public service to the federal statistical community, and service in mentoring others. Beth has dedicated her career to public service with the U.S. Census Bureau, where she has worked for 35 years. In that time, Beth’s work has impacted usability for the federal statistical system, including the decennial census. Beth created and designed the 2020 Census User Experience Survey, the first Census Bureau effort to employ a text-only notification method to a web survey. Beth has led the team at the Census Bureau to create design guidelines for all Census Bureau survey questionnaire modes. Beth has taken in active role in mentoring staff across the Census Bureau and beyond. She’s given back to the research community by serving on DC-AAPOR Council and is an active member of the User Experience Community of Practice (UX-COP).

Nomination Process for DC-AAPOR Annual Outstanding Achievement Award

The Annual Outstanding Achievement Award is intended to recognize local members of the Baltimore-Washington area research community, who have (a) made an outstanding contribution to the theory, methods, or applications of survey research, public opinion research, market research, or other related fields, or (b) substantially contributed to the vitality, strength, and spirit of the local research community.

a) Nomination Process
To nominate someone for the award, please send an electronic copy of your nomination to dcaapor@gmail.com.

In your nomination, please be sure to include:

  • The nominee’s name, affiliation, and contact information
  • Your name, affiliation, and contact information
  • A brief description of how the nominee exemplifies the award criteria as outlined above

You will receive confirmation that your nomination has been received.

Nominations for the 2023 award were due November 15, 2023. Stayed tuned for information on 2024 nominations.

b) Eligibility
Eligibility is open to all Baltimore-Washington area members of the research community. However, only members of DC-AAPOR are eligible to submit nominations. To become a member, please visit the DC-AAPOR website at http://www.dc-aapor.org.

c) Selection Process
The DC-AAPOR Executive Council will select the winner by a majority vote of the Executive Council and Past President.

d) Award
The winner will be recognized with a commemorative plaque and an honorary lifetime membership in DC-AAPOR. The award will be announced at the DC-AAPOR Annual Holiday Party.

e) Past Recipients
The past Annual Outstanding Achievement Award winners are:

  • Jean Fox (2023)
  • Jennifer Hunter Childs (2022)
  • Brad Edwards (2021)
  • Jennifer Edgar (2020)
  • Polly Phipps (2019)
  • Jaki S. McCarthy (2018)
  • Eileen O’Brien (2017)
  • Stephen Blumberg (2016)
  • Brian Harris-Kojetin (2015)
  • Gordon Willis (2014)
  • Nancy Bates (2013)
  • Stanley Presser (2012)
  • Adam Safir (2011)
  • Clyde Tucker (2010)
  • Scott Keeter (2009)
  • Jennifer Rothgeb and Robie Sangster (2008)
  • Helen Crossley (2007)

Previous DC-AAPOR members honored with lifetime membership, although not as part of the Annual Award, include Karol Krotki, Bill Nicholls, and Bernard Roshco.