Dr. Kelly Foster, director of East Tennessee State University’s Applied Social Research Lab (ASRL), has begun a term as president of the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO), placing ETSU among the national leaders of university-based survey research.

AASRO represents academic survey research centers across the country, bringing together researchers to share best practices, advance methodological standards and strengthen the role of survey research in public life.

Foster has been involved with the association for more than a decade and previously served as secretary and vice president. She also hosted AASRO’s annual directors meeting in 2021.

“I feel honored to be chosen by my peers to serve AASRO,” said Foster, a professor of sociology in the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences. “Many AASRO colleagues have mentored me and watched me develop in my career, so to have them place their faith in me to lead this organization is humbling.”

A photograph of Dr. Kelly Foster with a light pole banner reading "Bucs Go Beyond" and the ETSU Carillon visible in the background.
Dr. Kelly Foster

Foster joined ETSU in 2012 and was appointed director of the Applied Social Research Lab in 2013. The lab partners with ETSU faculty, staff and students, as well as state agencies and community organizations, to conduct surveys, focus groups, interviews and program and policy evaluations.

“Applied research allows us to take the academic work that we do and make it accessible for the communities we serve,” Foster said. “Our goal is to take established, rigorous scientific research and apply it to solving social issues, policy questions, determine what communities need, and to just generally do what we can to improve the human condition, especially in the Appalachian region.”

One of ASRL’s most visible projects is The Tennessee Poll, a statewide public opinion survey measuring Tennesseans’ views on topics related to health, education and quality of life.

The lab typically supports eight to 10 active projects at a time while mentoring students, assisting faculty and staff research and contributing to methodological scholarship.

“ASRL is a small shop by most measures,” Foster said. “However, we punch well above our weight in terms of the research support we are able to offer the ETSU community and the larger Appalachian region as a whole.”

Foster has also seen major changes in survey research during her time at ETSU, from the rise of cell phones and web-based surveys to the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI).

She sees potential for AI across research design, data collection and dissemination, but said its use must remain centered on the communities researchers serve.

“I think there is great potential for integrating AI into our research workflow, but we have to be mindful of who we serve first — our communities — and if our integration with AI is serving them well or not,” Foster said.

Her presidency strengthens ETSU’s connections with peer survey research centers across the country while highlighting the university’s growing role in applied research that supports communities, policy and public decision-making.

Learn more about ETSU’s Applied Social Research Lab at https://www.etsu.edu/cas/sociology-anthropology/asrl/.