The Institute's Survey Research Unit was well represented in leadership roles at the recent annual conference of the Southern Association for Public Opinion Research (SAPOR). Kelly Foster served as conference chair for the event, which had a record attendance. She was also elected SAPOR vice president/president-elect. Unit director Rich Clark took on the role of president. "Most of our current members are from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. I hope to work on efforts to increase the number of members from the Atlanta area as well as from Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida."

Leah Christian, research specialist, co-taught a short course on the impact of emerging technologies in survey designs. Graduate assistants Jennifer Holland and Terry Adams gave presentations on responses to open-ended questions in Web surveys and on partisan divides among county elected officials and the general public, respectively. Clark was also a discussant on a panel focusing on hard to reach populations.

SAPOR is the southern chapter of the American Association for Public Opinion Research and was established in 1978.

More information about the Vinson Institute's survey research services