Uncovering Oregon’s Collective Voice

Like any member of the Whitman community, I am no stranger to the Whitman bubble. It feels natural to go with the flow of our small, liberal arts campus and spend most of my time with like-minded Whitties. Sometimes, it can be a little too easy for me to lose sight of the diversity of opinions that exist in the world, which is one reason I was thrilled to start working as a Research and Development Intern at the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center this summer. My name is Samantha Miller, and I'm a rising senior Sociology Major with a minor in Hispanic Studies at Whitman. OVBC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that conducts public opinion research in Oregon. Beyond simply sending out surveys, OVBC works to inform public policy with their findings and include groups that are sometimes overlooked in opinion research, including rural residents, people of color, and non-voters. They also strive to highlight areas of common ground in their findings, rather than focusing only on differences and disagreement. OVBC research spans a variety of topics, with recent findings shedding light on subjects like AI, consumer justice, and election reform. 

Though I work remotely, each day is different as my responsibilities vary each week. I have had the opportunity to work on nearly every step of the research process. For instance, I have helped edit questionnaires, code surveys into Qualtrics, format data into usable documents, analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and create charts and social media posts to share findings. My favorite task by far has been informally analyzing responses to open-ended questions. I loved reading respondents' ideas in their own words and piecing together the common themes in their responses. Beyond social research, this position has also given me insight into nonprofit operations, as I have gotten to learn about the grant writing and application process. To break up the time spent online, we also meet in-person every few weeks, which is a fun way to connect with the OVBC staff I work with, including Whitman alumn Cassidy Nelson, a fellow Sociology major. 

Working with OVBC has been extremely interesting to me as a sociology major and lifelong Oregon resident. I get to apply the research methods I learned about in class to work that seeks to have a real impact on policy making in Oregon. Being able to work directly with data and explore different findings has given me a valuable perspective on what people think beyond the Whitman campus, and I am excited to apply the research experience I have gained when I complete my thesis this year. In the past, I did not think I was interested in a career involving research, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the detail-oriented work that goes into forming a big-picture view of public opinion and sharing it with a broader audience.