Improving Lives Through Research®

James E. Smith

CEO & Chairman

James E. Smith, Ph.D., serves as the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Westat. He joined the company in 1985 and became a Vice President in 1989. He was appointed President and CEO in 2011 and has served on the Board since 2006.

Prior to joining Westat, Dr. Smith performed academic research, publishing, and teaching in demography and social statistics, most recently in association with a demographic research group at Cambridge University.

Dr. Smith has served on a community college advisory group and was instrumental in establishing a Westat scholarship for disadvantaged students. He also serves as an advisor to a foundation serving adults with Autism, and as volunteer executive for the Boy Scouts of America. 

Education

Ph.D., Sociology (Demography), University of Southern California
M..A., Sociology (Demography), University of Southern California
B.S., Sociology, Brigham Young University

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