Michael Hawes is senior advisor for Data Access and Privacy. He is responsible for outreach and engagement with the Census Bureau’s data users on issues relating to the impact of privacy protection methodologies on the accessibility and usability of census data. Prior to joining the Census Bureau, Michael served as director of Student Privacy at the U.S. Department of Education, the department’s senior policy official responsible for the administration and enforcement of federal laws governing the privacy and confidentiality of education records. Michael is a member of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology and chair of its Confidentiality and Data Access Committee. He has supported numerous federal government-wide initiatives relating to data privacy and confidentiality and served as a privacy consultant to the federal Commission on Evidence-based Policymaking.

Michael received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Duke University and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the American Statistical Association, a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Government by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and a Certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute.