Curiosity, Community, and Leadership: Dr. David White Named Director of the Survey Research Center
From a rural high school principal to a leading academic researcher, Dr. David White’s career has been shaped by curiosity and mentorship — a path that has now led him to direct UA Little Rock’s Survey Research Center.
Being curious suits him well, as someone whose career has been defined by being curious, asking questions and helping others do the same.
Arkansas’s Hub for Survey Research
Housed within the UA Little Rock School of Public Affairs, the Survey Research Center is Arkansas’s only academic survey research center. It has been a source of major research over the last several decades, helping to support university faculty as well as government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses across the state.
White, who stepped into the director role this year, is committed to expanding that reach.
“In my role as director, I will be seeking new partnerships, new opportunities for growth and expansion, and new ways to serve while continuing to maintain the standard of excellence that has long been a hallmark of UA Little Rock’s research,” he said.
A Path Carved By Curiosity
White is a first-generation college student from a rural community in northeast Arkansas, who began his career in education as a high school principal. As he made the leap from public school administration to academic research, a step he acknowledges is “not statistically likely,” he credited the support of his mentors for their guidance and support along the way.
“The greatest success in my career so far has been making the transition from working as a high school principal to working as an academic researcher,” White said. “I’m deeply grateful to the incredible educators and mentors who supported me on this journey.”
That sense of gratitude carries through as White reflects on his career within the University of Arkansas System. He began as an instructional designer under the mentorship of Dr. Scott Wright, later serving as a grant administration manager at regional campuses with Dr. Marcia Byers, who also served on his dissertation committee.
“At every step of my professional journey, people have invested in me when they didn’t have to,” he said. “My goal is to honor their work by investing in others and helping build their success.”
Energized by Possibility
White says the most energizing part of his new role is the opportunity to work at the intersection of academic research and real-world problem solving. “Our clients come to us with real-world questions, and we work with them to develop academically rigorous research instruments that provide answers,” he said.
He said he’s also eager to work with faculty across the UA system, supporting their research and publishing efforts.
Asked what guidance he would offer to those interested in research, White says to stay curious.
“Beyond the technical methodology, which can be taught, a researcher must have a disposition toward the world that desires to know and understand,” he said. “Curiosity is the passion that drives that desire.”