James Bovaird

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James Bovaird

Director of NEAR Center; Professor, Program Director, Quantitative, Qualitative, & Psychometric Methods

Department of Educational Psychology University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
TEAC 209C
Lincoln NE 68588-0345
Phone
402-472-2223 On-campus 2-2223
Email
jbovaird2@unl.edu

Dr. Jim Bovaird is currently accepting students for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.

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Google Scholar Link: Jim Bovaird

Philosophy Statement:

As a quantitative psychologist, I am primarily interested in improving current quantitative methods and implementing new applications to facilitate the answering of substantive questions. I have a strong and broad background in general and applied statistics as a result of my formal training and prior analytic experiences in private consulting, institutional research, education, psychology, and industry. This interdisciplinary background enables me to approach new methodological issues with a broad perspective and broader arsenal of tools.

Courses Taught

  • EDPS 870 - Introduction to Educational and Psychological Measurement
  • EDPS 971 - Structural Equation Modeling
  • EDPS 991 - Multilevel Modeling
  • EDPS 991 - Advanced Modeling
  • EDPS 995 - Doctoral Seminar

Education

2002 Ph.D., Quantitative Psychology, University of Kansas
2000 M.A., Experimental Psychology, University of Kansas
1997 B.A. & B.S., Biology & Psychology, Baker University

Honors and Recognition

  • APA Division 5 Executive Committee Coordinating Officer & Secretary. 2012-2015
  • APA Division 5 Executive Committee Secretary. 2009-2012
  • College of Education and Human Sciences Faculty Student Mentoring Award Nominee. 2010, 2011, 2012
  • College of Education and Human Sciences Early Career Research/Creative Activity Award. 2008
  • College of Education and Human Sciences Scholarly Enhancement Program. 2006-2008

Experience

  • 2024 to present, Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • 2023 to present, Director, Nebraska Evaluation and Research (NEAR) Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • 2013 to 2023, Founding Director, Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics, Nebraska
  • Center for Research on Children, Youth, Family, and Schools
  • 2011 to 2024, Associate Professor (with tenure), Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • 2006 to 2013, Director, Statistics & Research Methodology Unit, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Family, and Schools
  • 2005-2011, Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Memberships

  • American Educational Research Association - Division D, SEM SIG
  • American Psychological Association
  • National Rural Education Association
  • Psychometric Society