
Jian Li, Ph.D.
Biography
Jian received her Ph.D. in Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement from The Ohio State University in 2010. Before her appointment to the Evaluation and Measurement program at Kent State University, she worked as a research associate in the Evaluation Research Program at WestEd, a research organization stationed in California, where her responsibilities included developing and implementing research design, assessing instruments’ psychometric properties, and conducting first-hand and secondary analysis of large-scale databases. Her general research interests focus on methodological issues when quantitative statistical methods are applied to data that either have complex structures or are not perfect. She frequently uses hierarchical linear modeling, structural equation modeling, and advanced experimental and quasi-experimental designs such as randomized controlled trials, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity design, and interrupted time series. The second focus of her research is the application of statistical techniques in answering substantive research questions. She is particularly interested in assessing how physical and psychological health can affect human behavior, particularly, in the populations at risk with disabilities or vulnerabilities. She has served as a statistical consultant on projects funded by National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Institute of Education Sciences, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and State agencies.
Education
Expertise
Awards/Achievements
- President’s Faculty Excellence Award, KSU, 2018
- Faculty Recognition Award, University Teaching Council, KSU, 2015
- est Paper Award, Priority Employment Concerns Identified by Americans with Multiple Sclerosis Living in Rural Areas, paper presented at the annual meeting of International Organization of Social Sciences and Behavioral Research, Boca Raton, FL, 2018
- American Rehabilitation Counseling Association National Best Paper Award, Second Place, Determinants of independent living optimism among adults with multiple sclerosis. 2016
- Best Paper Award, High-Priority Employment Concerns of Hispanics/Latinos with Multiple Sclerosis in the United States, paper presented at the International Organization of Social Sciences and Behavioral Research Conference, Boca Raton, FL, 2015
- Honorable Mention for Best Paper, Getting The Point Across: Exploring The Effects of Dynamic Virtual Humans in an Interactive Museum Exhibit on User Perceptions, paper presented at the IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, Minneapolis, MN, 2014