Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics

Announcement

Students: If you are applying for the M.Ed. Online program for Fall 2026, your application will be for the MED_EPSY_ONL, emphasis in Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics. The program is changing its name, and the application is already reflecting the change.

Introduction

The mission of the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program is to:

Increase the effectiveness of research and assessment in the social sciences by advancing quantitative studies through state-of-the-art research.
Train students to become high-quality researchers in the areas of psychometrics, statistics, measurement, and assessment.

The Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program offers three degrees under the Department of Educational Psychology. The M.A. and Ph.D. in Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics are research-oriented degrees. The M.A. and Ph.D. degree culminate in a thesis and dissertation, respectively, that advances the field of quantitative studies in a significant way. The M.Ed. program focuses on applications of advanced quantitative studies and is open to students enrolled at UGA in another doctoral program to complete in order to develop a top-notch statistical toolkit for conducting research in their primary discipline. Under Academic Programs below are links to more information about each degree.

The Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program is led by seven tenure-track, full-time faculty. Faculty members are leaders in the field whose work has been recognized with awards from scholarly organizations such as the National Council on Measurement in Education. Faculty actively contribute to research often funded by the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Educational Sciences. They also serve the field as editors for leading journals and assist in practice as members of technical advisory committees for states and companies developing high-stakes assessments. Faculty conduct research in areas such as:

Assessment Design
Computer Adaptive Testing
Diagnostic classification modeling
Hierarchical linear modeling
Item response theory
Measurement invariance
Programming and estimation
Psychometrics
Structural equation modeling

Degree Programs

Master of Education (MEd)

MEd in Educational Psychology (Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics)
Become an expert in human development, learning, and motivation, or explore gifted and creative education or quantitative studies.
MEd in Educational Psychology - Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics (Online)
The online M.Ed. in Educational Psychology with an area of emphasis in Measurement, Data Science, and Statisitics, (1) increases the effectiveness of applied research and assessment in the social sciences by advancing students’ knowledge, technical skill, and technical communication in all aspects of Measurement, Data Science, and Statisitics; and (2) supports students to become high-quality practitioners in the areas of psychometrics, statistics, measurement, and assessment.

Master of Arts (MA)

MA in Educational Psychology (Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics)
Explore quantitative studies by developing and disseminating advances in measurement in the social and behavioral sciences, educational assessment and statistical methodology.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

PhD in Educational Psychology (Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics)
Explore quantitative studies by developing and disseminating advances in measurement in the social and behavioral sciences, educational assessment and statistical methodology.

Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics Newsletter

Our Graduate Students

Anastasia Kreisel

Anastasia Kreisel is a master’s student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program. She is from Lawrenceville, Georgia, and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and performing & media arts from Cornell University. Her research interests include higher education administration, college admissions, and college choice. She hopes to one day help colleges make data informed improvements to their admissions processes. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her dogs, go out to dinner with friends, and work on crafts.

Tamlyn Lahoud

Tamlyn Lahoud is a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program. She completed her master’s in statistics and bachelor’s in mathematical statistics and human kinetics and ergonomics at Rhodes University in South Africa. Her research interests include cognitive diagnostic models, item response theory, misconception modelling, computerized adaptive testing, and topic modeling. Outside of academics, she enjoys running, traveling, and trying out new recipes.

Eunji Lee

Eunji Lee is a doctoral student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program. She is interested in Rasch modeling, item development, and applied generative AI. She earned her master’s in Assessment, Testing, and Measurement from George Washington University. Her current work focuses on assessment engineering and attitude measurement. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and running.

Jing Li

Jing Li is a Ph.D. student at UGA in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program. She comes from the Northeast of China- Liao Ning province. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University in 2018 and her master’s degree in educational psychology from Miami University (Ohio) in 2021. She is passionate about educational measurement and Rasch Measurement Theory. She hopes to become a university professor and conduct research on educational measurement. In her free time, she enjoys planting vegetables, hiking, and cooking.

Jingyang Li

Jingyang Li is a Ph.D. student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program at the University of Georgia. Originally from Hubei Province, China, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy from China and his master’s degree in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan. His research interests center on psychometrics, with a particular focus on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Network Community Detection (NCD), and Data Mining. He is dedicated to developing and comparing advanced statistical methods to better understand latent structures in psychological and educational data. He aims to pursue an academic career as a university professor, continuing his research on measurement theory and network modeling. In his free time, he enjoys writing fiction, playing strategy games, and exploring local food culture.

Beltran Pantoja

Beltran Pantoja is a Ph.D. student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program and a Goizueta scholar. He comes from Chile, where he got a bachelor and master’s degree in Education, specializing in Assessment and Mathematics education. He’s interested in psychometrics models, with a focus on diagnostic measurement models and how they function in operational settings (e.g., small sample, model misfit). In his free time, he enjoys reading, swimming, and drawing.

Nohwon Park

Nohwon Park is a Ph.D. student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program. She holds a bachelor and master’s degree in Education, specializing in Sociology of Education from Ewha Womans University in South Korea. With her educational background and seven years of experience as a middle school teacher teaching moral philosophy, she is passionate about addressing educational inequity. Her aim is to focus on personalized learning to help students unlock their full potential regardless of their family background. Her research interests lie in diagnostic classification models, computerized adaptive testing and machine learning. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and taking ballet classes.

Cheng Tang

Cheng Tang is a Ph.D. student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program at UGA. Originally from Chongqing, China, he holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Chongqing University. Currently, he is also pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at UGA. Cheng has a deep passion for educational data mining and measurement. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, listening to R&B music, watching Marvel movies, and hiking.

Yaxuan Yang

Yaxuan Yang is a Ph.D. student in the Measurement, Data Science, and Statistics program. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree from Columbia University. Her research interests include educational data mining, learning analytics, and AI in education. In her free time, she enjoys skiing and traveling.