Ken Frank

Ken Frank is MSU Foundation Professor of Sociometrics and Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education within the College of Education at Michigan State University. He also holds appointments in Fisheries and Wildlife within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Frank is affiliated with multiple research centers including the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, the Education Policy Center, and the Center for Statistical Training and Consulting (CSTAT).

Frank received his academic training at prestigious institutions:

• Ph.D. in measurement, evaluation and statistical analysis from the University of Chicago (1993)
• Masters of Arts in Higher and Adult Continuing Education from the University of Michigan (1986-1988)
• Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and English from the University of Michigan (1981-1985)

Dr. Frank's research program integrates substantive interests in the study of schools as organizations, social structures of students and teachers, school decision-making, and social capital with methodological expertise in social network analysis, sensitivity analysis and causal inference, and multi-level models. His work has significant implications for educational policy, organizational behavior, and environmental sustainability. Frank has developed innovative approaches to understanding how social contexts shape individual outcomes, particularly in educational settings.

Frank's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on developing and applying robust methods for causal inference, with particular emphasis on sensitivity analysis through his KONFOUND framework. His work spans multiple domains including education policy, organizational behavior, environmental management, and healthcare, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to understanding complex social systems. The recurring theme across his research is examining how network structures and social contexts influence individual behaviors, decision-making processes, and outcomes.

Among his notable achievements:

• Named one of nation's top education influencers (2023)
• Elected to National Academy of Education (2021)

Dr. Frank actively collaborates on numerous research projects examining how beginning teachers' networks affect their response to the Common Core, how schools respond to increases in core curricular requirements, school governance structures, teachers' use of social media, implementation of the Carbon-Time science curriculum, epistemic network analysis, social network interventions in natural resources and construction management, complex decision-making in healthcare, and the diffusion of knowledge about climate change. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaboration across education, sociology, environmental science, and statistics.

Frank leads or participates in several research teams and initiatives, including the AHAA project supplementing the Add Health database with high school transcript information, the teachersinsocialmedia.com project examining educators' social media use, the Carbon-Time science curriculum project, and the epistemic network analysis initiative. His research frequently bridges theoretical advances in methodology with practical applications to address real-world problems in educational and environmental contexts.