College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University

Survey says

Institute to bring together several existing Iowa State centers to conduct research and outreach activities.
On the surface, it wouldn't appear that the Iowa State institutes would have much in common.

The Institute for Social and Behavioral Research (ISBR) focuses on the health of rural and urban populations while the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE) looks at elementary and secondary education issues. Projects within the Survey Section of the Statistical Laboratory have included a variety of interdisciplinary activities, with primary focus on environmental issues.

Yet the three Iowa State centers have come together under the newly formed Interdisciplinary Research Institute for Survey Science (IRISS). The Institute was approved by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, last May.

"Twenty-first century America finds itself in the age of information. Governments, businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals have a tremendous appetite for data and use data to make critical decisions everyday," said James Bloedel, vice provost for research and advanced studies. "Through this new institute, Iowa State is positioned to be a major player on the national, and even international, stage in the collection, analysis, and use of information for research and decision-making."

Kirk Wolter, professor of statistics, is the founding director of IRISS.

Wolter came on board at Iowa State last March. Initially however, he didn't want to leave his previous position.

"After I told Iowa State I wasn't interested, they asked me to consult with them on how they could recruit an individual to this position," the former University of Chicago statistics professor said. "One thing led to another and the challenges eventually became very attractive to me."

During his consultation with Iowa State, Wolter realized early on that the three centers should merge into a more effective unit.

"Because of synergies and scale, IRISS will be stronger than the sum of its parts and that strength will translate into a prominent position in the market for survey research," he said. "We think that pulling these three centers together will allow us to compete for much larger projects than we have been awarded."

The new institute will conduct research in such areas as agriculture and rural population trends. It will also conduct research, training, and state and federal program evaluation. The institute will compete for contracts and grants offered by a variety of organizations, including federal, state, and local governments, foundations and commercial enterprises.

IRISS' work will be conducted by Iowa State faculty and staff, graduate students and possibly some undergraduates. It will also offer outreach programs to professionals in Iowa, the U.S., and abroad.

"Each (institute) collects data. Each manages data. Each analyzes data," Wolter said. "They all share these elements and have expertise in these areas.

"The subject matter is just different."

That won't change according to Wolter. Each institute will continue to work on their specialties.

"Continuing with our strengths is our number one priority," Wolter said. "We would like to expand and grow in other areas, but we need to keep an eye on the core basics of our business and not lose sight of that."

Wolter thinks there are opportunities for IRISS to become involved in agriculture and projects within the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, as well as in the field of economics.

"I hope we can develop one or two projects that would advance the reputation of Iowa State University in the general public's mind," he said.

As a university-wide institute, IRISS will be a part of the office of the vice provost for research and advanced studies. IRISS will work closely with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as the Colleges of Agriculture, Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences.