Edgar C. Merkle

Edgar C. Merkle is a Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri, with an adjunct affiliation in the Department of Statistics. His office is located in 28A McAlester Hall, and he can be reached at merklee@missouri.edu.

Dr. Merkle's research spans several key quantitative domains:

• Bayesian latent variable models and structural equation modeling
• Forecasting and subjective probability, including aggregation, evaluation, and crowdsourcing/wisdom of crowds
• Psychometric measurement, particularly test/item bias and fairness
• Statistical modeling, with emphasis on estimation, selection, and computing

His publication record demonstrates a strong focus on developing and implementing Bayesian methods for latent variable analysis. His recent work centers on the development of the blavaan R package, which provides tools for Bayesian structural equation modeling using Stan and JAGS. This work bridges the gap between advanced statistical methodology and practical implementation for researchers across various disciplines.

Dr. Merkle's research is supported by significant funding, including a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education (R305D210044), as well as NSF grants SES-1061334 and 1460719.

He maintains an active research laboratory focused on quantitative methods development, where his team works on improving Bayesian estimation procedures, developing new model diagnostics, and creating accessible software tools for researchers. The blavaan package has become an important resource for researchers seeking to implement Bayesian structural equation models.