Heather Kitada Smalley

Dr. Heather Kitada Smalley is an applied statistician with expertise in data visualization and data science education. She has a deep interest in all types of data, with projects spanning a wide range of applications, including sampling, surveys, public opinion polling, educational research, and experimental design. Her work in public opinion and survey statistics focuses on developing and improving methodologies for bias estimation and correction. She also investigates survey nonresponse patterns from multiple perspectives, using machine learning techniques to analyze trends over time and within individual respondents.  This work has been presented at national (AAPOR and JSM) and international conferences (ESRA, WAPOR, BigSurv).

Passionate about getting students involved in research, she participated in mentoring students through Willamette’s Science Research Collaborative Program (SCRP) in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.  She has found joint research with students to be very fulfilling.  Her work with students has received national recognition in paper and poster awards.  A new outcome of this work is a collaboration that applies data science methods to generate insights from archaeological research.

During her time at Willamette Professor Kitada Smalley has been recognized for her contributions to research and the classroom winning the Renjen Prize for Faculty Excellence (2022), Julie Abendroth, ED. D. Professor of the Year Award (2023), and the Phi Beta Kappa Professor of the Year (2025). 

Outside of academia, she likes to volunteer in the wider world of science communication, education, and outreach.  She has been a Science Communication Fellow for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry since 2016.