Daniel Bolt

Daniel Bolt is the Nancy C. Hoefs Bascom Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education. His research focuses on psychometric methodologies in educational, social, and health sciences, including latent variable models, computational methods, and assessment of individual differences. He also collaborates on biostatistics projects at the Waisman Center.

Education:

• PhD in Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1999)
• MS in Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995)
• BA in Psychology/Mathematics, Calvin College (1992)

Research Interests: Bolt’s work bridges psychometrics and educational data science, addressing topics like response style modeling, computer-based testing, and measurement validation. His recent projects explore the intersection of IRT models with modern assessment challenges, including rating scale confusion and item complexity effects.

Awards:

• Kellett Mid-Career Award (2019)
• Vilas Associates Award (2015, 2017)
• Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2009)
• Outstanding Reviewer Awards (Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 2011/2020)

Teaching & Leadership: Bolt teaches advanced courses in test theory and hierarchical linear modeling. He served as President of the Psychometric Society (2019–2021) and is a Teaching Academy Fellow at UW-Madison.