Thomas D. Cook

Thomas D. Cook's picture
Senior Fellow, Mathematica Policy Research Joan and Sarepta Harrison Chair of Ethics and Justice, Northwestern University; Professor of Sociology, Psychology, and Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University;
Mathematica Policy Research and Northwestern University
Thomas D. Cook (Ph.D, Communication Research, Stanford) is a Mathematica senior fellow. Dr. Cook is a nationally recognized expert in research methodology and program evaluation. He currently leads a project with Mathematica which develops and assesses methods for evaluating programs and interventions for which eligibility is determined based on a cutoff value of a quantitative scoring measure (such as a pre-test). These methods extrapolate away from the cutoff to estimate impacts among a broader population of participants. This project is intended to strengthen the practice of evaluation, particularly for interventions to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) knowledge. Dr. Cook’s professional awards for his contributions to methods and social sciences research include the Rossi Award from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, the Sells Award for Lifetime Achievement, Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, and the Distinguished Scientist Award of Division 5 of the American Psychological Association. He is a Margaret Mead Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science and a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cook is a former chair of the board of the Russell Sage Foundation and served on the congressionally appointed committee evaluating Title I (No Child Left Behind) from 2006 to 2008.