Brian F. French

Brian F. French is a Regents Professor and Berry Family Distinguished Professor at Washington State University (WSU), affiliated with the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences. He serves as Director of the Learning and Performance Research Center and Psychometric Laboratory. His research focuses on educational and psychological measurement, including psychometric methods, validity evidence, and fairness in testing decisions. He holds fellowships with the American Psychological Association and membership in the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Purdue University
• M.S. in Educational Psychology, Purdue University
• B.A. in Psychology and Spanish, Seattle University

Research Interests:

French specializes in psychometric methodologies such as Structural Equation Modeling, Item Response Theory, and Multilevel Modeling. He addresses fairness in testing through studies on measurement invariance and Monte Carlo simulations. His work spans education, psychology, agriculture, and medicine.

Recent Articles Trends:

His recent work emphasizes validation studies (e.g., risk assessment tools), cross-cultural adaptations (e.g., Spanish scales), and simulation-based evaluations of measurement invariance. He also explores educational interventions and the impact of teacher effectiveness on student outcomes.

Awards & Service:

• Fellow, American Psychological Association
• Member, Washington State Academy of Sciences
• Editor, Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design section of the Journal of Experimental Education
• Chair, GRE Research and Technical Advisory Committee

Advising & Grants:

French collaborates across disciplines (e.g., education, agriculture, medicine) on grants related to measurement and validation. His lab focuses on developing rigorous psychometric frameworks for diverse assessment contexts.

Labs/Teams:

He directs the Learning and Performance Research Center and Psychometric Laboratory, which advance methodological innovations in educational and psychological measurement.