Steph Wehnau

Steph Wehnau joined the institute in 2003 and became director of the Center for Survey Research in 2013. In her leadership role, Steph cultivates relationships with research partners to develop projects, writes and submits research and grant proposals, and manages a large portfolio of projects. Steph received training through the Joint Program in Survey Methodology, the nation’s oldest and largest graduate training program in the principles and practices of survey research. 

For Steph, the people behind the data are what really matter. “People want to be heard,” she says, “and I like that we can give them an opportunity to share their personal experiences, knowledge, behaviors, and opinions on important topics. It is very rewarding to gather data from study participants knowing that our research partner will use the information to make positive changes.”