An LA Love Story of Data, Innovation, and the Quest for Truth
02/26/2026
Dear AAPOR,
As we look ahead to this year’s annual conference, I want to acknowledge what many of us are feeling. This has been a difficult period across our profession. Workloads have grown, teams have shifted, and the pace of change keeps accelerating. Many of us are carrying responsibilities that used to be shared across several people. I feel that too, and I know how heavy it can be.
In the middle of all of this, I made the decision to return to school for a master’s in applied data science and AI. I already have a PhD in quantitative research methods, so it is not a small step. But like so many of you, I am trying to keep up with a world that is evolving faster than any of us expected. It is challenging and a little scary, but it also reminds me how much I care about this work and how much I believe in the future of our field.
This year’s conference theme, “An LA Love Story of Data, Innovation, and the Quest for Truth,” reflects that spirit. It speaks to the curiosity, creativity, and commitment that brought so many of us into this profession.
When I think about facing the challenges ahead on my own, I feel the same worry and fatigue that many of you have shared. But when I think about facing them together, I feel something very different. I feel inspired by your intellect, your passion, and your belief in the value of our work. I feel grounded in the long history of this community and the many moments when AAPOR members have adapted, innovated, and risen to meet uncertainty with clarity and courage. We have always done that because we do not face these moments alone. We face them as a community that cares deeply about truth, democracy, and the public good.
And as we prepare for Los Angeles, I hope you feel as proud and excited about this year’s conference as I do. The strength of this program comes directly from you. It is your research, your abstracts, your time, and your love of this organization that made it possible. The expanded Directors Cuts, the plenary, the heartfelt topics, the idea groups, the skill ups, and the short courses all exist because of your commitment to AAPOR and your embrace of this year’s theme. I am grateful to each and every one of you for the work you put into this community and for the energy you bring to it year after year.
I cannot wait to see everyone in LA.
Morgan Earp
Conference Chair