A recent survey found that most Americans believe social science research helps policymakers and community leaders make informed decisions and that investing in this research improves quality of life in the United States. “The survey findings indicate strong public recognition of the value of social science research,” said Mark Berg, director of CSSI. “They reinforce our mission to elevate social scientists and cultivate interdisciplinary innovation.”

The University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) selected three faculty members as 2026 awardees of its Summer Researcher-in-Residence program, which supports impactful, social science research addressing pressing social, civic, and health-related challenges.

Ethan Kutlu, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders and CSSI researcher affiliate, discusses his research and work in the Speech, Signs, and Systems Lab at the University of Iowa. He was also recently named an Outstanding Reviewer by Cognition, one of the most prestigious journals in psycholinguistics. Read the story from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Democracy Works host Chris Beem talks with Julianna Pacheco, professor and chair of political science and CSSI researcher affiliate, about how the politicization of health issues is impacting physicians across the country. Within, she discusses emergent findings from her recent survey launched through CSSI's Surveying the Social World initiative.

Bodi Vasi, associate professor of sociology and criminology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and CSSI researcher affiliate, studies how organizations engage in environmental sustainability. As researchers gain access to increasingly larger amounts of text data, many are beginning to explore how AI tools can advance their work. To inspire others, Vasi will lead an April 22 CSSI workshop titled “Using LLMs to Develop Variables for the Social Sciences,” using his preliminary data. The workshop will show how social scientists can use LLMs to create novel measures that can be used in quantitative research. Read our feature of Bodi Vasi.

During Graduate Student Appreciation week in April, we interviewed Chase LaSpisa, PhD student of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and CSSI graduate consultant. His work with CSSI has helped him grow skills needed for his future career while helping faculty solve research challenges. Read his Q & A.

Last year, Julie Lee, assistant professor of health management and policy in the College of Public Health and CSSI researcher affiliate, was an awardee of CSSI’s inaugural Surveying the Social World initiative. Now, she is using the survey data to explore how public perceptions of healthcare affordability and quality impact support for public health initiatives, such as vaccination programs and quitting smoking campaigns, and how individual health attitudes and behaviors shape those views.

The University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) awarded two University of Iowa researchers the Surveying the Social World (SSW) opportunity, a competitive program that provides UI researchers with funding and support to collect high-quality, nationally representative survey data from 1,000 U.S. adults.

A new University of Iowa study found that mental illness is linked to violence overall, but not specifically to firearm violence or mass shootings. Mark Berg, professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology and director of CSSI, led the study. Co-authors include Andrew Krajewski, Yi-Fang Lu, postdoctoral research scholar at CSSI, and Ethan Rogers, associate director of CSSI.

Brian Ekdale, professor of journalism and mass communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been selected for the 2026-2027 CSSI Faculty Research Fellowship. Ekdale will be advancing his project "Outliers and Amplifiers: Understanding How People and Platforms Drive Political Polarization."