Current Students

Beth Cochran

Ph.D. (Expected graduation: May 2017)
beth@okstatealumni.org

Bio

Beth is currently a Ph.D. student in the Survey Research and Methodology program. Before coming to UNL, Beth completed her M.S. degree in applied mathematics and statistics from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK. Her research responsibilities as a Graduate Research Assistant in the SRAM program have included managing undergraduate behavior coders and analyzing the interaction between interviewers and respondents on telephone-administered surveys. Beth's interests include data quality of elderly respondents due to cognitive difficulties, and she will begin work on her dissertation in January 2016.

Journal/Conference papers presented:

• Cochran, B. & Smyth, J. (2014). Hours or Minutes - Does One Unit Fit All? Presented at the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR) annual conference. Chicago, IL.

Matt Hastings

Ph.D. (Expected graduation: December 2015)
Matt.Hastings@nebraska.gov

Bio

Matt is a Ph.D. student in the Survey, Research and Methodology (SRAM) program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he is a Gallup Fellow. He received his B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research interests include survey errors of nonobservation, especially nonresponse. For his dissertation research, Mr. Hastings examines nonresponse bias in national survey conducted via SMS or “text messaging”.

Jinyoung Lee

Ph.D. (Expected graduation: May 2017)
jinyoung.lee.2012@gmail.com

Bio

Jinyoung Lee is a Ph.D. student in the program of Survey Research and Methodology (SRAM). As a Graduate Research Assistant with the UNL-Gallup Research Center, she is currently working on paradata obtained from telephone surveys to examine the interaction of interviewers and respondents.

Jinyoung earned her B.A. in Economics and Applied Statistics from Yonsei University, and her M.A. in Women’s Studies from Ewha Womans University in South Korea. Before joining the SRAM program, she participated in several research projects examining gender-related topics such as prostitution, sexual violence, migrant women, and runaway girls. In the long term, she is interested in mixed methods research on asking sensitive questions.

Journal/Conference papers presented:

• Lee, J., & Olson, K. (2014). Effects of unfamiliar terms on Interviewer and respondent behaviors: Are subsequent items affected?. Paper presented at the 2014 Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR) conference, Chicago, IL.
• Lee, J., & Al Baghal, T. (2013). Examining response time outliers through paradata in online panel surveys. Paper presented at the 2013 American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) conference, Boston, MA.
• Lee, J. (2013). A cross-cultural study on depression in the Sahel region and Western Asia. Paper presented at the 2013 American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) conference, Boston, MA.
• Powell, R. J., Córdova-Cazar, A. L., & Lee, J. (2013). An examination of question complexity through paradata. Paper presented at the 2013 American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) conference, Boston, MA.
• Lee, J. (2013). Daily experience of depression as an indicator of societal insecurity: The Sahel and Western Asia. Paper presented at the Gallup/UNL Symposium, Omaha, NE.

Mengyang (Mia) Wang

Ph.D. (Expected graduation: May 2016)
wangm1@goldmail.etsu.edu

Bio

Mia Wang is a third-year Ph.D. student at the department of Survey Research and Methodology. Mia received her M.S. degree in SRAM at the University of Nebraska -Lincoln, completed undergraduate degree of Mass Communication and Statistics at the East Tennessee State University. Wang’s research since the 2012 is concerned with the data quality for Gallup Web Panel and Gallup World Poll including mode effects of mobile web surveys on data quality and Cross-Cultural Survey. She begins computer science training since 2014 and works with Dr. Allan McCutcheon on her dissertation since 2015.

Journal/Conference papers presented:

• Mengyang Wang, Allan McCutcheon and Laura Allen. (2015). Grids and Online Panels: A Comparison of Device Type from a Survey Quality Perspective. Accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Hollywood, FL.
• Mengyang Wang, Allan McCutcheon and Allison Burke. (2015). Culturally-Related Response Styles for Attitude Questions: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese and American Respondents. Accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Hollywood, FL.
• Mengyang Wang and Allan McCutcheon. (2014). Data Quality among Devices to Complete Surveys: Comparing Personal Computers, Smartphones and Tablets. Presented at the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR). Chicago, IL.
• Mengyang Wang. (2014). An Investigation of Survey Satisficing among Devices to Complete a Survey: Comparing Computers and Mobile-Devices. Presented at the annual conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Anaheim, CA.
• Mengyang Wang. (2014). Public Perception Changes toward Real Estate Consumption in China: A Comparative Analysis of 2006 and 2009. Presented at the annual conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Anaheim, CA.
• Mengyang Wang and Allan McCutcheon. (2014). The use of Paradata on Likert-type scales. Presented at UNL/SRAM/Gallup Symposium. Omaha, NE.
• Duane F. Shell, Ian M. Newman, Ana Lucía Córdova-Cazar, Mengyang Wang, Jill M. Heese. (2014). Driver Education and Reduced Teen Crashes and Traffic Violations. Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities.
• Mengyang Wang, Allan McCutcheon and Leah Ruppanner. (2013). Using “Don’t Know” Response to Detect Survey Satisficing. Presented at the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR). Chicago, IL.
• Mengyang Wang, Allan McCutcheon and Leah Ruppanner. (2013). Research Note: “Don’t Know” Responses = Survey Satisficing? Evidence from the Gallup Panel Paradata. Presented at the annual conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Boston, MA.
• Mengyang Wang and Allan McCutcheon. (2013). Public Perception Changes toward Real Estate Consumption in China . Presented at UNL/SRAM/Gallup Symposium. Omaha, NE.
• Jin Wang, Mengyang Wang. (2010). Interpretation of the Documentary Film "Fahrenheit 911". Journal of Shandong Normal University, Second Author.
• Mengyang Wang (2010). Pens and Environmental Pollution. Journal of Shandong Normal University.

Yukina Chen

Masters (Expected graduation: May 2016)
yukina.chen@huskers.unl.edu

Bio

“I am a M.S student in the Survey Research and Methodology (SRAM) program. Prior to the program, I have earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Math at UNL. I have also worked as a statistical analyst at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) here in Lincoln for a year. Now I am still working for DHHS through my graduate student assistantship, my main duties include design, distribute, collect and report the data of surveys that are related to Human Resources and Development functions. It is fascinating to see the impact of surveys in an organization, and how data could really tell a story and assist in decision making process. In addition to my work at DHHS, I am also interested in learning more about survey data analysis, so I will probably choose my minor in statistics.”

Lissandra Ellyne

Masters (Expected graduation: May 2016)
lissandra.ellyne@gmail.com

Bio

Lissandra’s research at the SRAM Program examines sources and patterns of recall error in the American Time Use Survey. She is particularly interested in the extent to which sleep deficiency affects the cognitive ability to consolidate and retrieve item and context episodic memories within a 24h period. She is also involved in documenting Central Plains Federal Statistical Research Data Center (CRDC) microdata resources and research policies for the launch of the Central Plains CRDC.

Lissandra holds a Masters in economics and a Bachelors in philosophy and economic ethics from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. She speaks French, English, and Spanish fluently. Prior to UNL, she worked as an Assistant Policy Analyst at RAND and as a Junior Professional Associate economist at the World Bank. Lissandra specializes in conducting statistical analyses of survey data and writing comprehensive reports. In the long-term, her interests involve collecting firm and household survey data needed to inform and assess finance and private sector polices in developing countries.

Elizabeth Steele

Masters (Expected graduation: May 2016)
Elizabeth_Steele@gallup.com

Bio

I work as a consulting specialist on the World Poll. I am fortunate to work on both questionnaire development and data quality assurance. I help manage the translation process by reviewing translations and creating final surveys that are used in the field. This is an exciting process as we interview in over 100 languages around the world.

After the survey has fielded, I am also responsible for vetting datasets for Africa and Latin America. I review datasets to identify trends and assure the quality of sampling. I am also involved with the Gallup Analytics portal which provides World Poll data via subscription.

Amanda Timm

Masters (Expected graduation: May 2017)
atimm57@gmail.com

Bio

Amanda is a Master’s student in the SRAM program at UNL. She earned her B.A. in Sociology and Psychology. Her undergraduate thesis looked at the relationship between interviewer effects and data quality. She worked at UNL’s Bureau of Sociology Research as an interviewer supervisor for four years, and now works as a research assistant for the UNL Gallup Research Center where she examines the behaviors of interviewers and respondents in computer-assisted telephone interviews.

Yonghua Feng

Certificate (Expected completion: 2015)
zhxfyh@hotmail.com

Bio

Yonghua is a master's student in the Educational Psychology department's Cognition, Learning, and Development program. She received her bachelor's degree from China West Normal University where she studied Chinese language and literature. Her current research is focused on non-commercial alcohol (NCA) use in China. She recently completed an internship at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services where she received and award for her outstanding and long-term contribution at the Office of Oral Health and Dentistry in Nebraska DHHS. She is currently working with the Nebraska Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Center.

Steve McMasters

Certificate (Expected completion: May 2016)
smcmasters2@unl.edu

Bio

Steve is a certificate student in the Survey, Research and Methodology Program. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied computer science. He recently worked on writing a computer-based survey application to administer alcohol and drug assessment surveys. He is currently working for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Institutional Research and Planning department and is a member of the UNL Insight Reporting Group.