About Us
Ruth C. Slotnick, PhD
Bobbijo Grillo Pinnelli, PhD
Ruth C. Slotnick, PhD
Dr. Ruth Slotnick holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and a cognate in Adult Education from the University of South Florida. She serves as Director of Assessment at Bridgewater State University, where she leads university-wide initiatives focused on educational effectiveness, equity, and innovation. She co-led the 2014 and 2024 national study A Portrait of the Assessment Professional with Mark Nicholas and co-authored Enhancing Qualitative Research in Higher Education Assessment through Generative AI Integration: A Path Toward Meaningful Insights and a Cautionary Tale (2024) with Boeing. In 2024, Slotnick co-led Java Jams: GenAI for the Assessment Professional, a year-long community of practice with Grillo Pinnelli.
Joanna Boeing, MEd
Bobbijo Grillo Pinnelli, PhD
Ruth C. Slotnick, PhD
Joanna Boeing holds an Ed.M. in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is Assistant Director of Assessment at Bridgewater State University, where she supports academic program and core curriculum assessment, leads campus-wide survey design consulting, and manages the university’s Qualtrics platform. Her research centers on inclusive and equity-minded survey practices, with national presentations on demographic data collection. In 2024, she co-authored Enhancing Qualitative Research in Higher Education Assessment through Generative AI Integration: A Path Toward Meaningful Insights and a Cautionary Tale (2024) with Slotnick.
Bobbijo Grillo Pinnelli, PhD
Bobbijo Grillo Pinnelli, PhD
Bobbijo Grillo Pinnelli, PhD
Dr. Bobbijo Grillo Pinnelli holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University. She serves as an Associate Dean for Assessment at Walden University, where she leads assessment strategy and high-impact practices across three colleges. Known for her energetic presence and evidence-based leadership, she is committed to building a strong assessment culture that supports institutional improvement and faculty development. Pinnelli co-led Java Jams: GenAI for the Assessment Professional, a national community of practice with Slotnick exploring the evolving role of GenAI in assessment. She is a long-standing member of the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE).
Our Research Partners
Yu Bao, PhD
John Hathcoat, PhD
John Hathcoat, PhD
Yu Bao holds a Ph.D. in Educational Measurement and serves as an Associate Professor in the Assessment and Measurement Program and Associate Assessment Specialist at the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University. Her research focuses on psychometric modeling, student motivation in low-stakes testing, and gener
Yu Bao holds a Ph.D. in Educational Measurement and serves as an Associate Professor in the Assessment and Measurement Program and Associate Assessment Specialist at the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University. Her research focuses on psychometric modeling, student motivation in low-stakes testing, and generative AI in assessment. She supports campus-wide assessment, academic program evaluation, and general education outcomes, collaborating with faculty to advance data-informed practices that promote student learning, and program-level improvement.
John Hathcoat, PhD
John Hathcoat, PhD
John Hathcoat, PhD
John D. Hathcoat hold a Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology and is an Associate Professor at James Madison University and Associate Assessment Specialist in the Center for Assessment and Research Studies. His research focuses on validity in educational assessment, measurement theory, and instrument development, employing mixed methods to imp
John D. Hathcoat hold a Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology and is an Associate Professor at James Madison University and Associate Assessment Specialist in the Center for Assessment and Research Studies. His research focuses on validity in educational assessment, measurement theory, and instrument development, employing mixed methods to improve higher education assessment. Recently, his work has expanded to explore artificial intelligence in assessment systems, leading projects on using large language models for instrument and rubric development, automated scoring of student work, and AI-driven efficiencies in university-wide assessment workflows.
Will Miller, PhD
Will Miller, PhD
Will Miller, PhD
Dr. Will Miller is the Associate Vice President for Continuous Improvement and Institutional Performance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Public Affairs from The University of Akron. A national leader in reimagining institutional effectiveness, he bridges assessment, analytics, and leadership
Dr. Will Miller is the Associate Vice President for Continuous Improvement and Institutional Performance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Public Affairs from The University of Akron. A national leader in reimagining institutional effectiveness, he bridges assessment, analytics, and leadership to drive action over compliance. He oversees 40+ disciplinary accreditations and authorization for 100+ global sites, streamlining operations and accelerating results. With a background in ed tech and consulting, he advances GenAI strategies to reduce faculty and staff burdens, consolidate catalogs, and reform curricula. He frequently presents on AI’s strategic integration, promoting bold, user-centered systems in higher education.
Naima Wells, PhD
Will Miller, PhD
Will Miller, PhD
Dr. Naima Wells is a scholar-practitioner committed to transforming higher education. Guided by her philosophy of empathetic and intentional design, she expertly blends systems thinking and user-centric design to reframe administrative processes, turning bureaucratic hurdles into catalysts for student success. With over a decade of leader
Dr. Naima Wells is a scholar-practitioner committed to transforming higher education. Guided by her philosophy of empathetic and intentional design, she expertly blends systems thinking and user-centric design to reframe administrative processes, turning bureaucratic hurdles into catalysts for student success. With over a decade of leadership experience at institutions like Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, she empowers teams to translate raw data into compelling “Impact Narratives” that demonstrate value and drive strategic improvement.