Pamela Perlich
PhD Economics
Director of Demographic Research
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute - University of Utah
Pamela Perlich, Ph.D. is the director of demographic research at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah where she leads the newly formed Demography team. In this role, she and her team are responsible for developing and producing population estimates and projections, neighborhood indicators and demographic analyses focusing on Utah. In addition, the Demography team is responsible for the Utah State Data Center, a program affiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau that is responsible for the dissemination and interpretation of demographic and socioeconomic data, including recently released and historical.
Formerly, she worked as a senior research economist with the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR), which has recently merged into the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Prior to joining BEBR, she worked in the Utah Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, concentrating on long-run economic and demographic projections. Although trained as an economist, she applies a multidisciplinary approach to develop data, modeling and analysis that identifies ongoing demographic, economic and cultural transformations. The focus of her work is to illuminate these trends and the associated implications for the future, especially as they impact Utah. Her work highlights the great diversity in our communities and how these change over time.
She is highly effective in communicating these ideas to a broad nontechnical audience, including everyday people as well as community leaders. She has received awards for teaching, publication and public service. Her work in the community includes frequent speaking engagements for civic, education, governmental, corporate and professional organizations. She often serves as a resource to the press, providing the Utah context for broader events. Dr. Perlich serves on numerous boards and commissions.
Dr. Perlich received her B.S. in both economics and business from the University of Tulsa and her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Utah. Prior to joining the University of Utah in 2000, Dr. Perlich worked for seven years in the Utah Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, concentrating on long run economic and demographic trends. Before this, she taught for seven years at Tulsa Community College.
In 2018, Dr. Perlich was awarded an honorary doctorate from Salt Lake Community College.