Contributing to the modernization of educational assessment, Ernest Amoateng is leading Western Michigan University’s Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). A doctoral student in the Evaluation, Measurement and Research program, his dissertation integrates psychometric principles with AI to reduce scoring bias, improve consistency, and increase scalability in student assessments.
“My research examines how well AI grading systems—especially those using GPT—can fairly and accurately score 7th graders’ creative writing assignments,” says Amoateng. “These skills are central to 21st-century learning but difficult to assess fairly and efficiently using human raters alone.”
Amoateng’s work supports federal initiatives by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation to integrate AI into education and reduce inequities in large-scale assessment. He received WMU’s Rising Star–Doctoral Student Award in 2025 for his innovative leadership and exceptional research potential.
Victor Onama, Ph.D. student
Victor Onama, a doctoral student studying EMR and a monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning manager for Dan Church Aid in South Sudan.
Najat Elgeberi (M.A. '17, Ph.D. '22)
Dr. Najat Elgeberi, a Fulbright Fellow and WMU alumna, advances community impact through program evaluation as an Assistant Professor at University of Nevada, Reno.
“The EMR faculty are exceptional mentors who actively involve students in their research pipelines, encouraging us to apply what we learn and collaborate on projects that build real-world research experience.”
“The EMR program helped me master program evaluation and assessment, strengthen my data analysis and research skills, and develop expertise in evidence-based decision making. It also gave me a solid foundation in public service evaluation that I continue to build on in my professional work.”
“Through my studies in EMR, I gained a strong foundation in survey design and analysis, policy evaluation, research design, and measurement theory—skills that have been essential in my work as an evaluator.”
"There are opportunities for collaborating with the doctoral students from other countries and exchange ideas, as well as being mentored by the best professors. This enhances sharing of real-world evaluation experiences within that network and learning. It provides that opportunity of sharing experiences to create that network."