SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Population Association of America (PAA), a leading non-profit scientific association dedicated to the study of human population change, recently presented U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii with the 2019 PAA Excellence in Public Service Award.
The award honors federal, state and local policymakers who have supported population research and the federal agencies that directly and indirectly sustain the field. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Schatz has been a strong leader in support of funding agencies central to population sciences, including the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Health Statistics and, especially, the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Senator Schatz has demonstrated a commitment to funding federal scientific and statistical agencies that enable population scientists to conduct innovative, lifesaving research,” PAA President John Casterline said. “PAA is pleased to recognize the Senator for his many efforts and tireless work on behalf of population science. It is our honor to present him with this award.”
For several years, Senator Schatz has cosponsored an annual “Dear Colleague” letter to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee in support of funding the Census Bureau. His leadership on such an important, visible activity as a member of the Appropriations Committee is uncharacteristic—many members of the Appropriations Committee refuse to sign, little alone lead, such letters.
His advocacy on behalf of the Census Bureau has gone beyond funding matters. Senator Schatz has strongly opposed the citizenship question on the 2020 Census, spearheading several Congressional letters to the Department of Commerce. He also coordinated a letter to the administration when threats against the confidentiality of census data arose in 2018.
PAA created the Excellence in Public Service Award in 2008. Since its creation, numerous federal policymakers have received the award. A complete list of past recipients is posted on the PAA home page.
About:
The Population Association of America (PAA) is a nonprofit, scientific, professional organization established in 1930 to support the scientific study of the human population. PAA members include demographers, sociologists, economists, public health professionals and other individuals interested in research and education in the population field. PAA membership has grown to 3,700 reflecting professional interest in the population field.