Jiangang Hao

Short Bio

I am a research director at Educational Testing Service and lead the Assessment of Complex Skills program in the ets research institue. Curiosity is the fundamental driving force of all my research. Solving real-world problems using the most practical & effective methods, identifying & teaming up the right talents, and extracting evidence & insights from data to support decision making are the core themes of all my work.

My current research centers on innovating EdTech, Data Science, Psychometrics, LLM and generative AI methods to measure complex skills. Some specific areas include Collaborative Problem Solving, Communication, Automated Scoring/Coding, Test Security in Remote Testing, and Game/Simulation-based Assessments.

Before joining ETS, I worked on astrophysics and cosmology at Fermi National Accelerator Lab and the University of Michigan, where I worked on developing unsupervised machine learning algorithms to detect galaxy clusters (my PhD project), CCD sensor, astronomical image processing, and cosmological parameter estimation.

Highlights

• Over 13 years of experience leading research programs to define and measure complex skills, including collaboration, communication, and complex reasoning, through innovative, evidence-centered, technology-enabled virtual performance-based assessments. Led the development of a core research software infrastructure supporting projects funded by over $10M in federal grants.

• Deep technical and scientific expertise in AI, data science, and psychometrics, with a sustained focus on the responsible use of AI in assessment and learning. Authored or co-authored 100+ peer-reviewed publications (11,000+ citations; h-index 48) and holds multiple U.S. patents in AI-enabled learning analytics, writing evaluation, and test security. Recognized for research leadership and impact through national and institutional honors, including two Top 10 Most-Cited Paper recognitions, the NCME Award for Exceptional Achievement in Educational Measurement, and the ETS Presidential Award.

• Proven track record of building, leading, and growing high-performing teams of senior PhD-level researchers. Experienced in recruiting talented scientists and mentoring them to align their expertise with strategic research priorities. Mentored nine research interns and visiting scholars and led an enterprise R\&D training initiative in data science, AI, and digital learning, upskilling more than 120 staff members.

• Extensive experience providing strategic thought leadership in shaping and managing research portfolios, including defining research priorities, planning and managing budgets, and guiding portfolio execution to ensure research outcomes translate into actionable insights for product development, practice, and policy.

• Highly effective communicator with a strong record of translating complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences; Delivered hundreds of presentations and invited talks across national and international conferences, industry forums, and executive settings, effectively bridging research, product, and business perspectives.