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UT Tyler Center for Opinion Research Revels in Successes

By Dr. Mark Owens

Assistant Professor of Political Science

The major accomplishments of the College of Arts and Science’s Center for Opinion Research in 2020 mark how quickly the polling lab that began in the fall of 2018 gained national attention. Most importantly, the ability to provide students the experience of conducting survey research has promoted UT Tyler’s commitment to innovative teaching, student research and contributing to the knowledge of our state. Through the help of many offices on campus, UT Tyler’s survey research was able to continue even after in-person instruction ended last spring.

The center exceeded its productivity by completing 11 statewide surveys this year. Previously, the faculty and students involved completed six surveys in 2019 and one survey in 2018. The reputation of their work also grew through partnerships with the Dallas Morning News, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the NYU School of Global Public Health.

Reflecting on 2020, associate dean of the college and professor Ken Wink said, “Working with the UT Tyler Center for Opinion Research has been a great opportunity for faculty and students to apply what they have learned in theory to real-world practice. I’m particularly impressed by the cooperation between the center and other external stakeholders that allows us to expand the impact of the center and to market the University regionally and nationally.”

The six surveys of Texas voters as part of the Dallas Morning News/UT Tyler poll generated more than 200 news stories across the nation about Texas voters’ perceptions on candidates, social change and the coronavirus. Students were excited to see their research featured nationally on CNN, Fox News, NBC News and the New York Times. Families of students were able to hear UT Tyler’s contribution on local nightly news stations and on NPR.

The center’s growing reputation attracted new opportunities to expand UT Tyler’s impact. Four surveys with Johns Hopkins and NYU that focused on public perceptions of the coronavirus pandemic opened a new door to conduct public health surveys. Additionally, Dr. Kenneth Bryant Jr. led two focus group projects in East Texas. This included leading a discussion with Democratic voters in Smith County to gauge their responses to a debate and collaborating with UT Tyler athletics in the #ONETYLER campaign.

The center has contributed new research on policy and politics in Texas. Professor Ken Wink’s op-ed in the Dallas Morning News helped readers understand what factors go into predicting an election. Dr. Mark Owens also wrote for the Dallas Morning News to recap why the DMN/UT Tyler poll accurately reflected Senator Cornyn’s sizeable victory, but underestimated support for President Trump. Dr. Owens also published an article in the Journal of Public Institutions and Political Economy with Dr. Renee Johnson (Johns Hopkins) on the effectiveness of stay-at-home orders in promoting social distancing among Texans. The college is also quite pleased that Grant Paul, a graduate assistant, presented his work at the national conference of the American Association of Public Opinion Researchers.

Our goal is to train students to be social science researchers and better understand their state. Overall, more than 70 students completed over 2,500 telephone interviews this year. In the winter, more than 50 students worked in the call center during the party primaries. Sixteen students continued their research after in-person instruction ended. To do this, the IT staff took major steps to help our call center operate remotely. This allowed us to continue to meet our clients’ needs from March to September. In October, we returned to the lab with our experienced callers and five new research assistants. 

Looking ahead to 2021, the future of the center is strong because of the high-quality student researchers at UT Tyler. The center will also continue its primary partnership, the Dallas Morning News/UT Tyler poll, to find out what voters are thinking during the state’s legislative session. Faculty will also pursue grants that promote mentorship in the field of student research.

 #CAS