David Michaelson, Ph.D. is president of Echo Research Inc. He has over 27 years experience conducting high quality, actionable research for numerous Fortune 500 companies, universities and philanthropic organizations. Dr. Michaelson has been awarded two Silver Anvils by the Public Relations Society of America, two honorable mentions for the best use of research by PR Week, and a Certificate of Merit from the Institute for Public Relations. He has also recently published the lead article in a national peer review journal on the application of best practices in research.

Dr. Michaelson has extensive experience in communications testing, message development, measurement of communications effectiveness and branding having recently completed research assignments for a number of government entities, non-profit organizations and universities in the United States and overseas. These include recent projects for the United States Department of Agriculture (APHIS) on education and awareness issues concerned avian influenza, the United Nations (CERF) and the UJA-Federation of New York.

His other work includes similar assignments for numerous large corporations including Novartis, MetLife and British Telecom. Prior to joining Echo Research as president, Dr. Michaelson managed his own firm. Earlier in his career, he was Managing Director, Head of Research for Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, managing director at GCI Group and a principal of David Michaelson & Associates, Inc. Prior to founding his own firm, Dr. Michaelson was a director of research at Burson-Marsteller.

Dr. Michaelson is a member of the Commission on Public Relations Evaluation & Measurement. He has published numerous articles on public relations research and is frequent speaker on measurement issues facing the communications industry. He holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the New School for Social Research and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Massachusetts.