George Alter accepts five-year appointment as ICPSR Director

George Alter, acting director of ICPSR since November 2009, has accepted the position of Director for a five-year term starting in September.

Alter has been in important administrative roles at ICPSR since 2007, when he started as Associate Director of ICPSR and Director of the Collection Development unit.

His appointment as Director marks an important milestone in ICPSR's development, and will help the consortium take advantage of new research and preservation opportunities over the next several years.

"The ICPSR Council, ISR leadership and I have full confidence in George's ability in leading ICPSR during this period," said ISR Director James S. Jackson.

"As we look toward new opportunities and challenges in data management, we're truly excited about the future of ICPSR under the capable leadership of George Alter," said Ann Wolpert, chair of the ICPSR Council.

Along with his position at ICPSR, Alter holds two academic appointments at the University of Michigan -- Professor of History and Research Professor at ISR's Population Studies Center. He is also president of the Social Science History Association in 2011.

Before coming to ICPSR, Alter was a professor in the History Department at Indiana University, where he had held various positions since 1979. He holds a bachelor's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's in Applied Economics from U-M.

"I'm thrilled to serve this great organization at such an exciting time. There has never been as much recognition of the important work that we do at ICPSR, and the coming years promise to be challenging and productive," Alter said.

Alter replaces Myron Gutmann, who left ICPSR after 8 years as director to lead the National Science Foundation's Social, Behavioral and Economics Directorate.