NORC at the University of Chicago mourns the loss of Peter Meyer, a senior fellow in our Health Sciences department and a nationally recognized expert in data confidentiality and security. Peter passed away on August 18, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and dedication in the field of data governance and accessibility.

Throughout his career, Peter was driven by a mission to expand access to federal health data for the research community while strengthening systems and processes to protect data privacy. Prior to joining NORC in 2019, Peter served in several leadership roles at the National Center for Health Statistics, including deputy director of the Division of Research Methodology, NCHS Confidentiality Officer, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officer, and the director of the NCHS Research Data Center, where he significantly improved federal data access processes and expanded the number of Research Data Centers across the United States.

At NORC, Peter supported the Office of Management and Budget in developing guidelines for privacy and security of federal data related to the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. His expertise was instrumental in efforts to balance data accessibility with privacy protection, and he made significant contributions to the development of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology’s Data Protection toolkit, a key resource for federal agencies on mechanisms to protect confidential data while maximizing its availability for societal benefit.

Peter's contributions to the field won several awards, including the Outstanding Government Service award from the American Public Health Association Statistics Section and multiple NCHS Director's Awards for Excellence in Service. He was also honored with an Excellence in Innovation award for his work in protecting privacy in genetic data analysis and the HHS Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service for his efforts during the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. Peter also served in the Army for 4 years as an analyst of foreign communications, specializing in Russian.

In addition to being an esteemed colleague, Peter was a dear friend to many of us at NORC, the NCHS, as well as many throughout the Federal Statistical System. Our thoughts are with Peter's family and all those whose lives he touched.