Steve H. Murdock

Steve H. Murdock (born June 2, 1948 ) is an American sociologist and former head of the United States Census Bureau .

Murdock graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1970 and a master's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1972 and a Ph.D. in 1975. He was Director of Evaluation in the Miami-Dade County's Comprehensive Drug Program from 1974 to 1975 . From 1975 to 77 he was a research assistant at the NDSU. From 1977 to 80 he was an assistant at the department of agricultural sociology and sociology at Texas A&M University , between 1980 and 1984 associate professor and from 1980 department head, since 1984 professor. In addition, from 1979 to 1983 he was Assistant Director at the Center for Energy and Mineral Resources at TAMU, from 1983 to 1986 as Associate Director. In 1980 he became Chief Demographer for the Texas State Data Center . In 1994 he became director of the Center for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research and Education at TAMU. In 2001, he became the first person to be named Texas State Demographer. In 2004 he took over the Lutcher Brown Distinguished Chair in Demography and Organizational Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio and in 2007 the Chair of Sociology at Rice University in Houston. He was appointed head of the United States Census Bureau in June 2007 and ratified by the Senate in December. In 2009 he was replaced by Robert Groves .

Murdock is the author of 12 books and over 150 articles. He is a member of several scientific sociology and demography societies and has received several awards.

He is married to UTSA professor Mary Zay and has one son.

Web links

• Vita (PDF file; 214 kB)