Dr. Cody Ding completed his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He was trained as a psychologist with an emphasis on developmental psychology, methodology, and measurement. Over the years, he has been working as a professor at a variety of different universities, teaching educational and psychological assessment, research designs, behavioral analysis, and other methodological-related courses. In addition, he has been working with many school districts and the state educational agencies on various evaluation projects to improve student learning and school practices.
With expertise in quantitative research design, particular experimental design, and survey research, Ding focuses on multidimensional scaling, data visualization, and multilevel modeling. His psychometric expertise includes item response theory and multidimensional scaling applied to measurement and evaluation research. Ding has been actively involved in research on multidimensional scaling as latent growth model and cognitive measurement model in education and psychological assessment. His research interests include exploratory latent variable analysis via multidimensional scaling (MDS), applications of Item Response Theory (IRT), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in studying psychosocial adaptation of adolescents and young adults. He is also interested in big data analysis within the context of evaluation and assessment.
Dr. Cody Ding has been conducting substantial research regarding the effects of social experiences, particularly negative ones, on cognition and attention, which may lead to psychological distress. His research also delves into the dynamic interaction between teaching and learning. The research is carried out based on data from a questionnaire, behavioral experiments, and neuroscience studies. He has also provided high-level consulting services to quantitative researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, including several evaluation grants that investigate the program effectiveness on student learning.