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Dr. Zhou earned her Ph.D. in a research methodology program from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her major research interests include longitudinal research and multilevel modeling, latent trait measurement models, structural equation modeling, and the application of mixed methods research. Zhou also has strong interest and expertise in psychometric methods and quantitative data analysis, such as factor analysis and item response theory. Dr. Zhou teaches courses in research design, test theory and measurement, and qualitative methodology. She has published articles in the International Journal of Psychology, the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, the British Journal of Educational Technology, and International Education.

Zhou’s interest in cultural and comparative education led her to the field of research design and data analysis because she wanted to ensure that her research was rigorous and reliable. Her interest in mixed methods research, which combines qualitative and quantitative research to provide more comprehensive results, took her to The University of Nebraska-Lincoln to study under Dr. John Cresswell.

Before coming to 91̽»¨, Zhou served as a methodology consultant at The Nebraska Evaluation and Research Center working on external grants and program evaluation. She has collaborated and consulted with the Yale Child Study Center and the Omaha Medical Center at the University of Nebraska and is now partnering with 91̽»¨ faculty in the Russ College of Engineering and the Patton College of Education on a science education grant and an early childhood grant.

Dr. Zhou says her expertise can help people get close to the facts and provide evidence that their results are real. For instance, she helps equip pre-service teachers with the measurement skills they will need for classroom assessment and prepares graduate students to do rigorous research using a number of different methods.

She is also engaged in collaborative research projects with an international scope and is currently working on a project with Cambridge University in the United Kingdom focusing on language assessment and program evaluation. Dr. Zhou is also conducting data analysis for a National Institutes of Health grant focused on child development in adoptive families with collaborators from Yale University, University of South Florida, and University of Pittsburgh. Her next project with Korean universities will focus on college students’ psychological development.