Robert Mason Hauser is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 sociologist

Sociology

Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...

. He is currently the Vilas Research and Samuel F. Stouffer professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where has served as director of the Institute for Research on Poverty and currently is director of the Center for Demography of Health and Aging.

Career

Hauser has a B.A. in economics (1963) from the University of Chicago

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...

 and an M.A. (1966) and Ph.D. (1968) in sociology from the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

. His present research is involved with trends in educational progression and social mobility in
the US among racial and ethnic groups, the effects of families on social and economic inequality, and changes in socioeconomic standing, health,
and well-being across the life course (Wisconsin Longitudinal Study). From 1967-1969 he was on the faculty of the department of sociology and anthropology at Brown University

Brown University

Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

 before his appointment in the department of sociology at the University of Madison-Wisconsin in 1969. He has held visiting positions at the Institute for Adavnced Studies in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 and the University of Bergen

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...

. Hauser has served on several committees of the United States National Research Council

United States National Research Council

The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...

. He is the author of five books and numerous articles.

Awards and honors

Hauser is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences

United States National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...

 (1984) and a fellow of the American Statistical Association

American Statistical Association

The American Statistical Association , is the main professional US organization for statisticians and related professions. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts on November 27, 1839, and is the second oldest, continuously operating professional society in the United States...

 (1978), the National Academy of Education (1998), the American Philosophical Society

American Philosophical Society

The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...

 (2005), the Gerontological Society of America (2007) and the American Educational Research Association

American Educational Research Association

The American Educational Research Association, or AERA, was founded in 1916 as a professional organization representing educational researchers in the United States and around the world....

 (2008). The American Sociological Association

American Sociological Association

The American Sociological Association , founded in 1905 as the American Sociological Society , is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology by serving sociologists in their work and promoting their contributions to serve society.The ASA holds its...

chose Hauser for the Paul F. Lazarsfeld award in research methods (1986) and the Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Teaching of Sociology (2003).

Selected bibliography

• Hauser, Robert M. Socioeconomic Background and Educational Performance. Rose Monograph Series, American Sociological Association, Washington, D.C., 1971.
• Sewell, William H., and Robert M. Hauser. Education, Occupation, and Earnings: Achievement in the Early Career. New York: Academic Press, 1975.
• Sewell, William H., Robert M. Hauser, and David L. Featherman, eds. Schooling and Achievement in American Society. New York: Academic Press, 1976.
• Hauser, Robert M., and David L. Featherman. The Process of Stratification: Trends and Analyses. New York: Academic Press, 1977.
• Featherman, David L., and Robert M. Hauser. Opportunity and Change. New York: Academic Press, 1978.