Auden D. Thomas has been appointed director of the Center for Survey Research at Penn State Harrisburg.
Prior to joining Penn State Harrisburg, Thomas conducted survey administration activities and research at the Center for Postsecondary Research and Planning at Indiana University in Bloomington. She has more than a decade of experience in higher education administration, including serving as the director of student activities at the University of the Arts and Widener University and as an administrator at Carolina Friends School in Durham, N.C.
Thomas holds a doctorate in higher education with minors in anthropology and gender studies from Indiana University at Bloomington; a master of fine arts degree from Temple University; and a bachelor of arts degree from Penn State. Her research interests include the history of education, women in academe, college student retention and campus cultures. She is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, the American Educational Research Association, the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the History of Education Society.
Housed in the college's Institute of State and Regional Affairs, the Center for Survey Research offers a comprehensive range of custom-designed survey research services to public and private sector organizations. Its primary commitment is the collection and analysis of accurate and useful data using the most advanced sampling and survey methods available. Recent survey work by the center has involved topical areas in health, education, recreation, transportation, and economic development and the annual Penn State Poll.