Westat

Westat is a privately held U.S. research and professional services firm. Founded in 1961 by three statisticians from the University of Wyoming, it has grown from a small statistical consulting firm into one of the largest privately held research firms in the U.S., with work spanning survey design, food and nutrition program support, and data analytics. Its clients include federal agencies and programs, and its services include survey design, sampling, dietary assessment, and policy analysis.

Westat was founded in 1961 by three statisticians from the University of Wyoming—Edward C. Bryant, James M. Daley, and Donald W. King. The company was incorporated in January 1963 with a PO box in Laramie, Wyoming. The Westat name was a nod to the founders’ Western roots and statistical expertise. After a rocky start, the company’s first big contract involved helping the U.S. Patent Office with information retrieval challenges. In 1963, Westat helped design a survey to gauge the receptivity of Washington, DC-area residents to public transport—a study that eventually led to the development of the Washington Metro system. Later, Westat undertook the sample design work, data weighing, tabulation, and reporting for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s groundbreaking Automobile Insurance and Compensation Study. In 1967, Westat opened an office in Bethesda, Maryland, to be closer to major federal clients. Morris Hansen, renowned in the statistical community for revolutionizing how public information is produced, retired from the U.S. Census Bureau and joined Westat in 1968. Westat has grown from a 3-person statistical consulting firm with roots in Wyoming to one of the largest privately held research firms in the U.S. with a broad portfolio of work spanning multiple disciplines.

Innovative professional services to help clients improve outcomes in health, education, and social policy.

• WesLytics

  A data analytics offering that brings together the Databricks AI and cloud management platform with Westat's subject matter, technical, and methodological expertise to manage, engineer, and analyze data.

• SNAP Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) Calculator

  A calculator that helps SNAP state agencies comply with new federal rules swiftly and effectively; Westat has made a free version available to SNAP state agencies.

1. 1Homepage - Westatwestat.com
2. 2Our History - Westatwestat.com
3. 3Survey Design - Westatwestat.com
4. 4Food and Nutrition - Westatwestat.com