About

Welcome Letter

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to our inaugural conference on quantitative methodology.

We first pose to you a simple question: what would our world look like without quantitative research? There is little doubt that quantitative research is woven into the fabric of humanity, and the lifestyle of nearly every human being on the planet is guided by it. Would we have the tools to address major societal issues, from hunger to housing insecurity? How might our understanding of diseases and vaccines be radically shifted without the knowledge derived from quantitative research? What would inform social policies and set standards of best practice by governing bodies within communities, states, provinces, and nations? More generally, would such institutions and bodies even exist?

It is evident to us, from academic researchers in university offices to non-profit organizers working in communities, that sound quantitative research has the capacity to address systemic inequalities and better our world. Right now, efforts are being undertaken in nearly every corner of the planet to develop effective education programs, study and eradicate diseases, build capacity for knowledge and action, and address concerns of equity brought forth by marginalized and ignored communities.

Yet, it is also evident that the messaging about quantitative research needs improvement. Despite its benefit to daily living, skepticism and lack of confidence in science have been documented both among college students and general public alike (Murtonen, 2015; Pew Research Center, 2020). Additional concerns related specifically to quantitative research surround our past and present, from infamous studies such as the American Tuskegee Experiment to the continued underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic scholars within quantitative research. Now more than ever, it is critical that the public understand the importance of quantitative research and science, including social science. To that end, this conference has been designed to bring together established and emerging quantitative researchers from various disciplines to address these concerns, and consider how we dispel the distrust of quantitative research and ensure that equity is reflected in the researcher and in the research process and outcomes. To fulfill these aims will involve building capacity and bridges between disciplines, locally to internationally, to get the message out to future quantitative researchers and to the public.

In summary, the key goal of the QMC22 Conference is to highlight why quantitative research matters. The QMC22 provides opportunities to engage attendees and presenters in research and dialogue on how quantitative research can address issues of equity within discipline and method alike. Furthermore, the QMC22 will showcase opportunities to learn how quantitative, interdisciplinary work is being done on a local to international reach to address disparities in education, health, technological access, and beyond. Finally, the QMC22 offers a chance to discuss how our future can look with regards to collaboration between the public, private, and non-profit sectors to better our world.

We hope you will join us for this ambitious event.

Please direct any questions about the event to qmc22@osu.edu.

Beverly Vandiver & Brian Timm

Conference Co-Chairs

Logistics Committee

Not Pictured

Stacey Dorr, Office of Marketing and Communications
Nicole Luthy, Chief of Staff, EHE Office of the Dean

Steering Committee

Not Pictured

Tanya Berger-Wolf, Director, Translational Data Analytics Institute
David Julian, Program Director, Center on Education and Training for Employment
Marcus Kurtz, Director, Political Science
Jessica Logan, Associate Professor, Educational Studies
Ann O’Connell, Professor, Educational Studies

Reviewers

• Abbey Bartosiak, Graduate Student, Consumer Sciences
• Abigail Aba Mensah, Graduate Student, Human Nutrition
• Andrew Perry, Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
• Ann O’Connell, Professor, Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
• Avonti Basak Tukun, Graduate Student, Human Nutrition
• Beverly Vandiver, Director/Interim Executive Director/Professor, Quantitative Methodology Center/Kirwan Institute/Department of Human Sciences
• Brian Timm, Associate Director, Quantitative Methodology Center
• Chenxi Liu, Graduate Student, Learning Technologies
• David Julian, Program Director, Center on Education and Training for Employment
• Eric Anderman, Professor, Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
• Getnet Yimer, Director, Global One Health initiative
• Glennon Sweeney, Senior Research Associate, Kirwan Institute
• Jessica Logan, Associate Professor, Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
• Jingwen He, Graduate Student, Learning Technologies
• Johana Chaparro-Moreno, Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
• Josh Peri, Graduate Student, Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
• Mikyung Baek, Senior Research Associate, Kirwan Institute
• Nathan Halsabeck, Graduate Student, Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
• Paul Whalen, Graduate Student, Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
• Ramsey Piazza, Data Evaluation Manager, Quantitative Methodology Center
• Risa Haridza, Graduate Student, STEM Education
• Saetbyul Kim, Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
• Sarah Zhang, Graduate Student, School Psychology
• Seung Yon Ha, Postdoctoral Researcher, Educational Psychology
• Shantanu Tilak, Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
• Susie Mauck, Research Methodology Specialist, Quantitative Methodology Center
• Wu Xie, Graduate Student, Higher Education and Student Affairs
• Xingfeiyue Liu, Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
• Yu Ling Chen, Graduate Student, Special Education