David Sterrett – Candidate for Vice President/President-Elect

David Sterrett is a Senior Research Scientist in the Public Affairs and Media Research Department at NORC at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on political attitudes, survey methodology, and the public’s news habits. Prior to joining NORC in 2014, he received his PhD in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

David has enjoyed attending every MAPOR conference since 2011, and he served as the student liaison for the executive council when in graduate school. He is currently the MAPOR Conference Chair. David also enjoys attending AAPOR conferences and is currently serving on the AAPOR Membership and Chapter Relations Committee.

Lindsey Witt-Swanson – Candidate for Associate Secretary-Treasurer

Lindsey Witt-Swanson has been with the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR) at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln for ten years. As the Associate Directors, Lindsey assists clients and researchers with their research and evaluation projects, ensures that BOSR is utilizing the most up-to-date methods and knowledgeable of changes in the field, oversees BOSR’s staff of 125 employees, and is responsible for BOSR’s financial health and growth. Lindsey currently serves as the Communication Coordinator for the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO) and co-treasurer for the International Field Directors and Technologies Conference (IFD&TC). Lindsey has been a member of AAPOR and MAPOR since joining BOSR. Lindsey received her BA in Political Science at Creighton University and her MS in Survey Research and Methodology at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Lindsey has been an at-large council member for MAPOR since 2019, and has been serving as the Secretary-Treasurer for MAPOR since the position was vacated in April 2021.

Justine Bulgar-Medina – Candidate for Vice President/President-Elect

Justine Bulgar-Medina is a research methodologist at NORC and teaches graduate courses in research methods and public policy at Northwestern.  Her research and work focus on innovative measurement approaches to social identities, specifically sexual orientation/gender identity and race/ethnicity, with a focus on cultural competence and reducing measurement error. 

Justine has been an active AAPOR and MAPOR member for several years, taking on leadership roles with AAPOR starting in 2015 by serving as the chair of the AAPOR Welcoming Committee (2015-2021) and Chair and Associate Chair of the Conference Support Committee (2017-present).  Additionally, she serves on AAPOR’s Inclusion & Equity Committee.  Since 2018, Justine as served on the MAPOR council as the Commnications Coordinator.  Justine has greatly enjoyed all volunteer and leadership opportunities at AAPOR and MAPOR.  She is hopeful to continue to serve the MAPOR community as with focused programming and opportunities for established and new(er) MAPORites to become involved in our professional community as Vice President/President-Elect.   

Benjamin Schapiro – Candidate for Associate Conference Chair

 Benjamin Schapiro is a Research Analyst at NORC at the University of Chicago. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he came to survey research via the University of Chicago Survey Lab, where he worked as a phone interviewer and research assistant. Since 2014, he has worked at NORC, primarily as part of the General Social Survey, where his work focuses on the lived experience of the interview, as well as the intricacies of large-scale complex survey research. While at NORC, he has done work for the Templeton Religious Trust and the Quatari Science Ministry, as well as the International Social Survey Programme. Benjamin currently serves as a co-chair for the AAPOR Welcoming Committee, aiming at facilitating the best possible conference experiences for new members. He has attended MAPOR since 2013, and been a proud member his whole professional career.

Y. Patrick Hsieh – Candidate for Associate Conference Chair

Y. Patrick Hsieh is a research survey methodologist and digital sociologist in the Survey Research Division at the RTI International. His expertise includes developing mixed-method research, designing social media campaign for sample recruitment, and integrating digital technologies and technology-enabled research practices, such as crowdsourcing and citizen science, into survey methodology to improve research design and data quality. Patrick has served on the MAPOR Council as the webinar series coordinator since 2016 and is a member of MAPOR Conference Committee since 2018. He also assisted the AAPOR Education Committee’s Diversity Subcommittee to organize and host the very first SurveyFest in Chicago in 2018. Patrick earned his Ph.D. in media, technology, and society at Northwestern University’s School of Communication in 2014, prior to joining RTI International. Patrick’s dissertation has won the best student paper award of MAPOR in 2013 and he has been attending MAPOR since then.

Hillary Hanson – Candidate for Associate Conference Chair

Hillary Hanson is the Assistant Director of the University of Chicago Survey Lab. She started her survey research career at the Survey Lab in 2011 as a project coordinator and currently specializes in web surveys and in planning, staffing, training, and monitoring progress for field studies. She especially enjoys the opportunity to train students in data collection methods and to introduce them to the field of survey research. Hillary has been a member of MAPOR since 2011 and appreciates the approachable nature of the conference and the opportunity to learn from other attendees who do similar work. She also regularly attends and presents at the International Field Directors and Technologies Conference (IFD&TC). Hillary received her BS in psychology from Iowa State University and completed the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago.

Leah Dean – Candidate for Associate Conference Chair

Leah Dean is a survey scientist in the Survey Research Division at RTI International. Her expertise is in health surveys and health policy. She has served on the MAPOR Council and as a member of the MAPOR Conference Committee since 2020. She also serves as a member of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative Committee. Leah earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati, where she worked at the Institute for Policy Research prior to joining RTI International. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Red River Gorge Climber’s Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation in the Red River Gorge region of Kentucky. Leah serves as secretary to the organization and assists in the planning and execution of their major fundraiser.

Kevin Ulrich – for Vice President/President-Elect

Kevin Ulrich is the Director of the University of Chicago Survey Lab. In this role he plans, implements, and oversees data collection and consulting services for academic and non-profit organizations. His expertise includes developing and applying strategies to efficiently maximize recruitment and retention of survey participants. Kevin regularly develops and conducts training on survey methodology and data collection procedures with research assistants and staff. Kevin previously managed the Survey Research Program at Group Health Research Institute (now the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute). In that role, he oversaw and managed data collection for all survey-related studies and provided methodological consultation to the Institute’s faculty and their collaborators. 

Kevin has been an AAPOR and MAPOR member since 2006. He joined the MAPOR Executive Council in 2015 and served as the webinar coordinator in 2015 and 2016. He was the Associate Secretary Treasurer in 2017 and 2018 and has been the Secretary Treasurer since 2019. In 2019, Kevin led the group that developed MAPOR’s Operational Reserve Policy. Kevin was a member of AAPOR’s online education subcommittee from 2016-2020. He has also served on the Executive Council of the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO). Kevin holds a BA and MA in social science from the University of Chicago. He is a US Navy veteran.

Kevin has significantly benefitted both professionally and personally from being a MAPOR member and is eager to continue his MAPOR service and colleagueship as Vice President/President-Elect.

Bob Davis – for Vice President/President-Elect

Bob Davis is the president and second generation owner of the public opinion research company Davis Research.  Bob has served on the board of PAPOR for 10 years, including the 3 year president track, membership chair and councilor at large in charge of education.  Bob is an engaged member of the AAPOR membership family including heading up AAPOR’s Task force on TCPA.  A lot has changed in research since his first job in the early 1970’s where his mom paid him $0.25 an hour to tape quarters to mail surveys.  He looks forward to learning from MAPOR and sharing his learning from his years on PAPOR’s council.

Candidates for Office – 2019

Vice President and Subsequent President

Click on a candidate to read his or her bio

Dana Garbarski – Candidate for VP/Pres
Ed Ledek – Candidate for VP/Pres

Associate Conference Chair and Subsequent Conference Chair

David Sterrett – Candidate for Associate Conference Chair
Y. Patrick Hsieh – Candidate for Associate Conference Chair

Associate Secretary Treasurer and Subsequent Secretary Treasurer 

Lindsey Witt-Swanson – Candidate for Associate Secretary-Treasurer
Stephanie Chardoul – Candidate for Associate Secretary-Treasurer