Professor emeritus receives lifetime achievement award

Tim Johnson, professor emeritus of public policy, management and analytics, received the lifetime achievement award from the American Association for Public Opinion Research during the association’s May 12 conference. 

The award is given for an outstanding contribution to the field of public opinion research, including advances in theory, empirical research and methods; improvements in ethical standards; and promotion of understanding among the public, media and/or policymakers.

Johnson’s leadership, scholarship, mentorship and advocacy have enriched public opinion and survey research for over 35 years, the association said. His substantive and methodological contributions, promotion and enhancement of research standards and advocacy for the importance of survey research are each remarkable in their own right. Collectively, they have profoundly enhanced the field.

Johnson’s impactful publications, including seven edited volumes and hundreds of articles and book chapters, have advanced the science of survey measurement, improved representation of hard-to-count populations and produced innovations in cross-cultural methodology. His ground-breaking applications of survey data to the study of health behavior, health care, substance abuse and mental health have reflected his commitment to using social science to promote the common good, particularly the health and well-being of underserved populations.

Through decades of teaching and serving on over 80 dissertation committees at UIC, he has developed the methodological finesse of a generation of researchers. He also has served on numerous advisory, review, organizing and service committees across a wide range of academic and professional institutions.

View an interview with Johnson.