John Loft elected to serve on executive council for American Association for Public Opinion Research

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – John Loft, Ph.D., principal scientist at RTI International, has been elected as an executive council member for the American Association for Public Opinion Research. He will serve as Standards Committee Associate Chair for the 2015-2016 term.

The American Association for Public Opinion Research is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of survey and opinion research. It is governed by a 15-member executive council elected by the full membership each year. The new terms for executive council members begin at the 70th Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida, taking place May 14-17.   

At RTI, Loft leads and supports efforts to extend RTI's client base beyond the agencies of the U.S. federal government. His responsibilities include business development with state governments, marketing efforts in the Middle East, leading proposals and activities on several projects.

He also is the principal investigator on a project for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that collects data about health care services and costs from physicians, hospitals, emergency rooms, outpatient departments, home health care agencies, long-term care facilities, and pharmacies. The data collected are critical to the development of estimates of health care expenditures in the United States.

Loft has more than 30 years of experience in social science research, including survey research methods, establishment surveys, and longitudinal studies. His research experience has included studies of organization of medical practices and health services delivery, medical education and professional development, access to and use of health services, and elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education. 

Loft received his doctorate and master's degree in sociology from the University of Chicago, and his bachelor's degree in sociology from Reed College.