NORC’s Tom W. Smith Receives WAPOR’s Helen Dinerman Award
CHICAGO, November 6, 2026 — NORC at the University of Chicago is proud to announce that Tom W. Smith, senior fellow and director of NORC’s Center for the Study of Politics & Society, has received the Helen Dinerman Award from the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR).
Established in 1981, this annual award recognizes excellence in survey research methodology and honors the scientific contributions of sociologist and public opinion researcher Helen Dinerman. Smith received the award for more than 35 years of leadership as director of the General Social Survey (GSS), NORC’s longest-running project and one of the nation’s most widely cited data sources regarding American society.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive the Helen Dinerman Award and be associated with her achievements,” said Smith. “This recognition reflects decades of collaborative work through the GSS to better understand American life, and I am grateful to the many experts who have helped make this work possible.”
“This recognition reflects decades of collaborative work through the GSS to better understand American life, and I am grateful to the many experts who have helped make this work possible.”
Smith’s work examines societal change across a variety of topics, including American sexual behavior, intergroup relations, confidence in institutions, happiness, and voter behavior. In addition to directing the GSS, in 1984 he co-founded the International Social Survey Programme, a cross-national research collaboration spanning 45 countries, with NORC as its U.S. member.
“Tom has had a remarkable influence on cross cultural survey research and on generations of researchers who have learned from his work,” said René Bautista, current director of the GSS. “His commitment to rigorous, high-quality social science has helped make the General Social Survey and the International Social Survey Programme an indispensable resource for understanding American society. It is wonderful to see his contributions recognized with the Helen Dinerman Award.”
“Tom’s commitment to rigorous, high-quality social science has helped make the General Social Survey and the International Social Survey Programme an indispensable resource for understanding American society.”
Smith has received numerous other awards, including the AAPOR Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement, 2002; AAPOR Innovators Award, 2000 and 2003; and the ICPSR Warren E. Miller Award for Meritorious Service to the Social Sciences, 2011. In 2015, he became the first recipient of NORC’s Norman Bradburn Career Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of social science research or methodology.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
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