Michael Ratcliffe Email & Phone Number

Emmitsburg, Md, Us

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

My current focus is on enhancing linkages between the Census Bureau’s foundational datasets, but I still dabble in urban and rural concepts and statistical geography.

Directed and led operations focused on development of geographic entity concepts and criteria, including urban/rural classifications, places, census tracts, and other statistical geographic areas. Directed and led operations focused on development and maintenance of standards for attributing and maintaining addresses, features, and geographic entities, including measures of quality, accuracy, and completeness of address and geospatial data in the Census Bureau's Master Address File/TIGER database. Also responsible for coordination of research in the Geography Division. I had four branches under my overall direction: 1) Address and Spatial Analysis Branch2) Address Standards, Criteria, and Quality Branch3) Geographic Research and Innovation Staff4) Geographic Standards, Criteria, and Quality Branch

Directed and led operations focused on development of geographic entity concepts and criteria, including urban/rural classifications, places, census tracts, and other statistical geographic areas. Directed and led operations focused on the development and dissemination of geographic and cartographic products.

Primary responsibilities: managed a staff of 12 geographers engaged in work related to the development of concepts and criteria for geographic areas for use in tabulating census and survey data, as well as standards for classifying and maintaining information describing the characteristics and attributes of geographic areas.

Branch chief from 2002-2004 and shared responsibilities as acting branch chief, 2000-2002. Managed a staff of 5 geographers, 3 demographers, and 1 secretary, engaged in geographic area definition research, analysis of patterns of population distribution and redistribution, and mapping of Census 2000 data. Provided advice and support for the Office of Management and Budget’s Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Program.Geographer, 1997-2000, responsible for leading tasks relating to the review of metropolitan statistical area standards as part of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas Review Project.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Geographer, Geographic Areas Branch, Geography Division, 1990-1997.Projects included: Urban Area Delineation Project; review and revision of census designated place criteria for Census 2000; urban area concept research leading to adoption of the urban cluster concept; development of plans for improving collection and tabulation of data for colonias along the US-Mexico border.

Washington, District Of Columbia

Course taught: Population Geography.

I developed and taught undergraduate courses in Population Geography, Historical Geography, Political Geography, Metropolitan Baltimore, and Introduction to Cultural Geography. Most recent course: Population Geography, Spring 2012.

Master Of Letters, Geography

Activities and Societies: St. Antony's College intramural cricket teamThesis: "The Growth and Distribution of the Latter Day Saint Church.

B.S., Geography

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Theta UpsilonMy studies at University of Maryland-College Park focused.

Political Science, Geography

Coursework in government and politics, political philosophy, and geography. Transferred to University of Maryland.