CHICAGO, Nov. 6, 2019 — Timothy Johnson, an authority in survey methodology, has joined NORC at the University of Chicago as a senior fellow in the Center of Excellence in Survey Research (CESR).

Johnson brings over 30 years of experience in survey methodology. His work has focused primarily on sources of measurement and nonresponse error. Johnson has also invested considerable effort in examining the health behaviors of disadvantaged populations, including homeless persons, immigrants, cultural minorities, criminal justice, and mental health populations. Some of the health behaviors he has examined among these populations include cancer screening, nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and drug abuse.

“Tim has been a leader through his research on numerous topics, including those that have led to improved surveys of culturally diverse populations, and through his efforts to advance transparency in survey research,” said Susan Paddock, NORC’s executive vice president and chief statistician. “We very much look forward to his contributions at NORC to advance the state-of-the-art in survey methods and cross-cultural measurement.”

Most recently, Johnson served as director of the Survey Research Laboratory, professor of Public Administration, and vice chair of the Social and Behavioral Institutional Review Board at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he is professor emeritus. In 2015, he was named a fellow of the American Statistical Association.

“I’m thrilled to join NORC’s team of fellow survey research experts whose work covers disadvantaged populations that need to be studied,” said Johnson. “I’m eager to bring my background in survey methodology to an organization that is so focused around creating insights that will help inform public policy.”

Throughout his career, Johnson has held numerous service roles, including president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and chair of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative Coordinating Committee. He also served as president of the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations and is currently vice president/president-elect of the World Association for Public Opinion Research.

Johnson earned a PhD in sociology from the University of Kentucky, where he also worked at the Survey Research Center until graduating and moving to UIC, and he received a master of political science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and has edited five books.

Johnson assumed his new role on October 21.