Ratna Nandakumar

Professor Emeritus

Dr. Ratna Nandakumar is a professor emeritus in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Her research interests are in the theory and application of psychometric methods in education and related fields. Her research in the past has focused on assessment of dimensionality underlying test data and detection of differential item functioning in educational tests. In this regard she contributed to the refinement and application of a statistical methodology DIMTEST for dimensional assessment; and to the development of DIF detection methodology CATSIB for computerized adaptive test data.

Her current research focuses on Rasch modeling in applied settings, application of item response theory and latent class modeling and profile techniques in the area of health outcomes, and single subject research using Bayesian analysis. Her work has been published in Journal of Educational Measurement, Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Applied Psychological Measurement, and Multivariate Behavioral Research.

She has served as an advisor/consultant of assessment to the Delaware Educational Research and Development center at the University of Delaware, and to the Delaware Department of Education Assessment division. She has also served as a psychometrician for the Literacy Link project at the National Center for Adult Literacy of University of Pennsylvania.

She teaches graduate level courses in statistics and educational measurement.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
• A. M., Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
• M.Sc., Statistics, Bangalore University, India
• B.Sc., Mathematics, Bangalore University, India

Professional Experience

• Professor Emeritus, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2022-present
• Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 1999–2022
• Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 1993–1999
• Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 1987–1993
• Research Assistant, Department of Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1984–1987
• Research Assistant, Institute for Child Behavior and Develpment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1982–1985

Recent Grants

• Tulsky, David (PI), Nandakumar, R. (co-PI). Assessing Rehabilitation Outcomes after Severe Neuromusculoskeletal Injury: Development of Patient Reported Outcomes Assessment Instruments. Department of Defense, 2017–2021.
• Cohen, Matthew (PI), Nandakumar, R (co-PI). Patient- and Family-Centered Interpretation of Outcome Measures for Adults with Neurogenic Communication Disorders. Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, 2017–2020.
• Nandakumar, R. (co-PI). Clinical Adaptation of the SCI-QOL Psychosocial Measures. Craig H. Nielsen Foundation, 2016–2018.