AAPOR 2024

The AAPOR Annual Conference is the premier forum for the exchange of advances in public opinion and survey research. The Conference allows attendees to network with colleagues, learn the latest updates and trends in the field and make new connections. The meeting highlights innovative research and includes short courses and discussion forums for attendees of diverse disciplines from around the world.

Rethinking Opinion Leadership: An Evolved Framework for the Digital Age

  • Michele Salomon
  • Paul Johnson

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Navigating the Modern Social Landscape: Understanding Community Dynamics, Barriers, and Well-being in the United States

  • Michele Salomon
  • Andrea Date
  • Erica Parker
  • Aimee Vella Ripley

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Slider-scale Initiation Point, Post-stimulus

  • Michelle Gosney

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Double Dipping: A Review of Duplicate Responses Within and Between Online Panel Samples

  • Matthew Deihl
  • Paul Johnson

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Scale Presentation in Online Surveys

  • Jamie Atkisson
  • Andrea Date

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Evaluating the Impact of Review of Open-End Responses for Quality Control

  • Andrea Date
  • Julia Nelson

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Measuring Identity with Maxdiff Instead of Rating Data

  • Paul Johnson

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Combating AI Bots with Imagery-Powered Open Ends

  • Carole Hubbard
  • Paul Johnson

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Experts Behind the Research

Aimee Vella Ripley

Vice President

With nearly two decades of research experience, Aimee stands as a seasoned expert in the field. Since joining The Harris Poll in 2007, she has played an instrumental role in shaping the organization’s research landscape. Aimee’s domain of expertise lies within the public release arena, where she orchestrates and oversees large-scale research endeavors that have far-reaching impacts.

At the forefront of her work are collaborations with esteemed organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and a diverse array of clients within the pharmaceutical industry. Her leadership is most prominently showcased through the annual Stress in America survey, a flagship project conducted in partnership with the American Psychological Association (APA). This annual survey not only garners widespread recognition but also offers invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of stressors in contemporary society.

In addition to her project management responsibilities, Aimee assumes a pivotal role in nurturing and guiding a team of researchers within the broader Media and Communications Research division. Her dedication to fostering excellence ensures that each project is executed with precision and delivers actionable results.

Aimee’s academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh, laying the foundation for her career in research. Today, she calls Long Island home, where her passion for driving meaningful change continues in her role as the Vice President of the Board of Trustees at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock.

Andrea Date

Vice President

Andrea Date stands at the forefront of market research and public service, embodying a unique blend of expertise that spans across the realms of policy, sustainability, and community engagement. As the Vice President of Research Methods and Services at The Harris Poll, Andrea has played a pivotal role in shaping the way organizations understand and interact with their audiences. Her work is characterized by a deep commitment to leveraging data for insightful decision-making, a principle that has guided her through a distinguished career in market research. 

Andrea’s academic foundation is robust, holding a Master’s degree in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, complemented by a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College. This educational background has equipped her with a nuanced understanding of sustainability and environmental policy, themes that have been recurrent in her professional journey. 

In addition to her role at The Harris Poll, Andrea serves as a City Council Member for Woodbury, Minnesota, where she has been instrumental in driving initiatives that enhance community engagement and sustainable development. Her involvement in the city’s Parks and Natural Resources Commission and the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Task Force exemplifies her dedication to fostering environments that prioritize both ecological and societal well-being. 

Before her tenure at The Harris Poll, Andrea honed her skills as a Research Director at Material and Ravel, LLC. These roles underscored her ability to navigate complex data landscapes and extract meaningful insights, a skill set that she continues to leverage in her current positions. 

Andrea’s multifaceted career is a testament to her versatility and commitment to making a positive impact through research, policy, and community involvement. Her contributions to the market research industry and her community in Woodbury highlight her as a leader who not only understands the numbers but also the people and the planet they represent. 

Carole Hubbard

Director

Carole offers expertise in design, execution, and analysis for the delivery of value-add, custom research solutions. She excels in providing fact-based, actionable insights that drive business decisions and inform direction for B2C and B2B companies on both a domestic and an international level.

Throughout her 25+ year research career, Carole has gained extensive experience in a variety of industries including CPG, technology services, hospitality, entertainment, and creative software across several methodologies and analytic techniques.

Her specialty is in driving an optimal experience for clients, seamlessly delivering results with a high level of excellence and attention to detail.

Carole holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Illinois State University, Normal, IL. She is based in the Chicagoland area. 

Erica Parker

Managing Director

With over twenty years of experience, Erica stands at the forefront of market research, delivering insights that drive strategic decision-making across various industries including those in higher education and non-profits. She has deep expertise across The Harris Poll’s diverse solutions areas including brand strategy, communications, reputation management, and thought leadership.

As Managing Director, she leads one of the larger custom research businesses overseeing all aspects of the business from sales, marketing, innovation, research execution and insights. She also manages Harris’ quick turn, quantitative research platform, Harris On Demand. She is a visionary who translates data into narratives that resonate and inform.

Erica contributed to the book “Solve, Not Serve by Kelly E. Griffin providing her perspective on branding and marketing in the non-profit sector. Her work with the Black Economic Alliance about DEI was referenced in a Washington Post op-ed by President Biden.

Erica’s journey began at the University of Maryland, where she honed her analytical acumen, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics that laid the foundation for her illustrious career.

Edward "Paul" Johnson

VP, Advanced Analytics

Paul graduated from BYU with a M.S. in Statistics. He spent 15 years working in market research with a wide variety of experience including phone surveys, online surveys, and passively collected data.  He loves finding innovative ways to combine behavioral and survey data with a specialty in discrete choice models.  He has volunteered and served on committees in AAPOR at both the local and regional level.  His research efforts have been featured at AAPOR, ESOMAR, ARF, Insights Association, and Sawtooth conferences.  He is most proud of his wife and two sons and loves playing games with them. 

Jamie Atkisson

Senior Data Scientist, Analytics

Jamie has been with Harris for over 8 years and has experience in both client facing and operational roles, with a focus on research for public release.  Her current area of responsibility is in ensuring representativeness of survey research as a methodological resource on sampling and weighting issues. She graduated from St. John Fisher College with a B.A. in Mathematics and Statistics. 

Julia Nelson

Senior Research Analyst

Currently working at Harris Insights and Analytics as a Senior Research Analyst, her role focuses closely on research for public release and thought leadership in the non-profit and healthcare space. At the Harris Poll she aims to promote and improve data quality, internal processes, and leverage her unique blend of research acumen, community service, and leadership.

Her research journey began at William Paterson University of New Jersey. At the university her work centered on an NIH-funded study which aimed to determine the efficacy of nutrition education and farmers’ market voucher validation for folks accessing WIC services. The work was later published under “Pilot Study of a Farm-to-Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Intervention Promoting Vegetable Consumption.”

Before formally entering the research space, Julia served as an AmeriCorps member at El Programa Hispano Católico, where she provided crucial support to local community members. Her efforts in trauma-informed care, barrier mitigation, and volunteer management developed a strong belief in the power of community and research to guide non-profit efforts. 

Julia has a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey, and a long history of volunteering with the local Interfaith Food Pantry and Girl Scouts of America.

Matthew Deihl

Research Manager

Matt has been at The Harris Poll for 2 years, focusing on Research Methodology in the department of Media Communications Research. Matt has worked on over 50 surveys intended for public release on a large spectrum of topics ranging from healthcare to education, to workplace satisfaction, and branding.  Prior to the Harris Poll, Matt spent a decade focused on education research, particularly campus climate and career pathways at NORC at the University of Chicago.  Matt began his career after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a Masters of Philosophy in Social Psychology (2011) and the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy (2005). 

Michele Salomon

Vice President

Endlessly curious, Michele has worked in research for over 25 years. She regularly consults with corporate, nonprofit, academic and government clients to provide a full range – qualitative and quantitative – of marketing research services across a range of topics. ​

Michele’s expertise lies in developing research-based consulting programs to support strategic communications campaigns. These engagements serve multiple purposes, helping clients tell their story and enhance their reputations with research for public release, shaping the nature of public debate via public opinion research and providing messaging support for public affairs purposes to influence policy and legislative efforts.​ 

he had been fortunate to work with clients such as the American Heart Association, the American Psychological Association, Randstad and Newsweek magazine, among others. Michele has led research that has been published in mainstream media, academic publications, and conferences. ​ 

In addition to her role at The Harris Poll, Michele is an Adjunct Instructor at the Fox School of Business at Temple University where she teaches courses on Marketing Research and Consumer Buying Behavior to undergraduate and graduate students. ​ 

Michele holds a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College, City University of New York. ​ 

Michelle Gosney

Research Director

Michelle has enjoyed her career at The Harris Poll for 25 years.  During several early years, she focused on youth and education research, consulting with school districts across the U.S. for continuous school improvement. Other youth-focused studies during this time included media, consumer goods, and marketing services industries.   

Later, Michelle moved into syndicated research, brand trackers, message testing, and product/concept development. Since 2015, her work has focused on large-scale custom studies designed for public release, academic publication, and thought leadership platforms in a variety of fields such as financial services, insurance, workforce, and healthcare. 

Currently, Michelle leads a team concentrated on the operations side of Media Communications Research, coordinating internal and external resources, developing and expanding efficiencies, overseeing project management, and ensuring quality data/deliverables. 

Having long held positions on both client services and operations sides of the business, Michelle has considerable experience and a unique perspective in providing end-to-end management of successful projects for clients. 

Michelle earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from State University of New York at Oswego and is based in Rochester, NY. 

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