Robert L. Santos at UVU: Using Census Data to Improve Public Policy and Student Life 

Robert L. Santos Shaking Hands with a UVU Student | Photo By Kristen Murphy

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos highlights data’s power in addressing student and community issues through public policy.

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos recently spoke to UVU students about the critical role of data collection, especially in consequential circumstances like the Sept. 11 attacks and the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse. 

At a Sept. 11 event hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy, Santos detailed how Americans can apply census data to public policy to improve their lives, saying,

“Our data can assist federal, state, local and tribal governments in equitably distributing resources and identifying under-served communities.”

Using the insights from recent data, policymakers can make more informed decisions to meet the needs of the people they serve.  

Before becoming the first Latino director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Santos worked as the vice president of NuStats, a survey research organization specializing in large-scale social development. One of his projects included interviewing survivors of the World Trade Center collapse to understand how their escape could have been easier, especially for people with disabilities. This “emotional” surveying experience informed decision makers on how to design safer buildings in emergency situations.  

Santos also spoke about problems faced by college students, and how demographic data can alleviate these issues. Focusing on commute times, housing insecurity, and creating more exact measures of income and wealth are some of Santos’ main goals. For example, Santos highlighted how “illuminating” commute time calculations revealed the impact on people who relied on the Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, and what policies should be implemented to protect them. “[These] folks had to add an extra hour and a half to their commute time.” 

Students can find and use essential census data at census.gov.