Professor Rose cuts ISER’s 20th anniversary cake
Professor David Rose, one of the academics responsible for establishing ISER
20 years ago, has been awarded an Emeritus Professorship by the
University of Essex.
Professor Rose led the group of academics at Essex who, in 1988,
had the idea that Britain needed a household panel survey like the US
Panel Study of Income Dynamics and successfully applied to the ESRC for
funds for an Interdisciplinary Research Centre to host the new study.
The successful bid for funds led to the opening on 1 April 1989 of the
Research Centre on Micro-Social Change (MiSoC), with Tony Coxon as
inaugural director. Wave 1 of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS)
began in September 1991. David Rose was acting Director until the
appointment of Jonathan Gershuny in July 1993.
The award of the Emeritus Professorship was announced by the
University’s Vice-Chancellor Colin Riordan at ISER’s recent 20th
anniversary reception. He said:
“David had the original vision of an international survey and research
centre carrying out high quality studies and recognised for its
expertise in the production and analysis of longitudinal data. His
commitment to the project got it off the ground and his tenacity and
determination in the early days saw it through to become a reality. This
award is very well deserved.”
A highly-regarded expert on class and social stratification, in his time at ISER Professor Rose was also responsible for developing the UK government’s official measure of social class, the NS-SEC, and is currently revising it for the 2011 Census. He has maintained links with ISER in his role as Visiting Professor and has recently edited a book on a new European social class measure. He said: “I am very honoured and pleased by this award and I am immensely proud of ISER and its achievements over the last 20 years.”