Center for Predictive Analytics A Decade of Impact | 2016–2026
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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“Excelling in business goes hand in hand with excelling at creating opportunities for others. Any entrepreneur can make money. The very best make a difference.” Earl G. Graves, Sr.
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Earl Gilbert Graves, Sr. was an American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses. A graduate of Morgan State University, he was the founder of Black Enterprise magazine and chairman of the media company Earl G. Graves, Ltd.
Real-World Problem Solving
Message from Our Founding Director
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ver since coming to Morgan State College in 1968, my skills in research methodology and statistical analyses were in demand. I eagerly assisted administrators, faculty and graduate students from diverse disciplines to plan projects, conduct data analyses, present papers at conferences and complete dissertations. Over time, with the development of the graduate program in psychometrics, the creation of a research center was inevitable. In 2016, the Center for Predictive Analytic (CPA) was established with initial funding from the NIH funded ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research.
CARROL S. PERRINO, PHD PROFESSOR EMERITA AND CPA FOUNDER
The CPA is situated in the Department of Psychology and affiliated with the Graduate Program in Psychometrics, the only such program at an HBCU. The Center serves as the entrepreneurial arm of the Psychology Department. One of the challenges with the entrepreneurial model was how would costs be charged for services and the university compensated? Conversations with an adjunct psychometrics faculty member, Dr. Duvon Winborne, who had chaired centers at several universities, led us to try utilizing funds primarily generated by contracts for clients both within the university, the city, state, and nation. Our first client asked the CPA to evaluate the impact of parental involvement in Montessori K-12 schooling. Clients within the university requested evaluations of grant-funded programs in biology, mathematics, social work, education, nursing, and public health. During the devastating COVID-19 Pandemic, the CPA performed seminal major CONTENTS work for the Baltimore History........................... 3 City Health Department, Core Services..................4 designing and Senior Researchers...........5 evaluating their virus Extramural Services..........8 immunization program Intramural Services.........12 that successfully yielded Global Partners...............18 herd immunity. The Staff and Associates........21 Future Psychometricians. 22 CPA was instrumental Project Contracts........... 27 in promoting healthPublications and literacy and virus Presentations................ 28 safety in the Baltimore Metropolitan area, uniquely focusing on children in K-12 school settings. This COVID-19 and each of the other projects involved CPA staff, graduate students in psychometrics and even undergraduate psychology students. These were invaluable learning experiences and financially successful for MSU. Many of these efforts were nationally recognized and led to scholarly publications.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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In its 10th year, the CPA continues to contribute to Morgan State University via an ongoing project to create an instrument to assist in enhancing the success of first time Morgan freshmen and increase retention and graduation rates. The measure would be one of the first based on measurable research-generated noncognitive constructs (e.g. identity, dogged determination, self-regulation and others) that predict student success. Most importantly, these research-tested predictors could be enhanced for Morgan freshmen via curricular and co-curricular Morgan experiences. While still in the developmental phase, Measuring Abilities Supporting Student Success (MAS³™), might very well be critical in assisting the university achieve its retention and graduation goals. As shown by its noteworthy successes, the CPA continues to furnish essential technical resources for external agencies and internal departments. Its role in helping MSU achieve a Carnegie R1 classification is clear and it is poised to aid Morgan in Growing the Future and Leading the World. Carrol S. Perrino, PhD Professor Emerita and CPA Founder
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Real-World Problem Solving
Center for Predictive Analytics: History
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he Center for Predictive Analytics (CPA) was launched in 2016, with a generous allocation from A Student-Centered, Entrepreneurship Development (ASCEND) Program. ASCEND was part of the National Institutes of Health Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program and designed to diversify the biomedical research workforce through innovative approaches to engaging and retaining students from diverse backgrounds in biomedical and behavioral science research. The BUILD program promotes the implementation of research skill building, training, mentorship, and institutional change. As an entrepreneurial research center, the CPA promotes institutional change by enhancing Morgan’s research capacity in psychometrics and predictive analytics.
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he impetus for the creation of the CPA is the MSU Psychology Department’s graduate program in Psychometrics. Psychometrics literally translates to “mental measurement” and is a subfield of Psychology focused on test construction and validation, problems associated with the measurement of behavior, and the application of quantitative research methods. The Psychometrics Program was established in 2007. It is the first Psychometrics Program at an Historically Black College/University. The program offers a Master of Science, PhD in Psychometrics, and post-baccalaureate certificate program. The Psychometrics Program is a leader in graduating African American PhD’s in Psychometrics. The development of this program has enhanced MSU’s measurement capacity by focusing on statistical analyses, test construction and program evaluation.
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he two-fold purpose of the CPA is to provide graduate students with advanced and realworld research opportunities, as well as utilizing cutting-edge psychometric research methods and statistical analyses to help assess and improve project performance for clients within and external to the university. The CPA assists faculty and students throughout the university, the city, and the state in the development and evaluation of various tests and measures, and evaluation of research and programs focused on problems that confront our nation from health to the economy, education, politics, and the environment. Included within the scope of CPA functions is an educational component devoted to enhancing statistical and research skills with online courses, onsite workshops, and topical discussion series. Faculty from across the university disciplines, psychometrics, public health, economics, political science, sociology, business, education, city and regional planning, architecture, transportation, engineering, math, as well as those of national and international prominence have been invited to participate in the CPA.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Center for Predictive Analytics: Core Services
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
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DEVELOPING SURVEY INSTRUMENTS translating constructs and concepts into scales for assessment;
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RESEARCH DESIGN ASSISTANCE detailing the processes of research and evaluation for a specific project;
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DISSERTATION/THESIS ASSISTANCE helping students to understand the process of dissertation research including assisting with data analysis or other research assistance;
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DATA ANALYSIS CONSULTATION
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DATA ANALYSIS WORKSHOPS facilitating opportunities for the MSU research community to learn how to analyze data &/or use statistical software;
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GRANT AND TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING assisting with applying for intra and external funding opportunities;
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ITEM ANALYSIS examining assessment and survey questions to ensure reliability and validity of a given scale;
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PROGRAM EVALUATION/NEEDS ASSESSMENT observing outcomes of programs and determining how a program is performing in relation to the desired outcomes &/or assisting programs to improve performance using logic models, performance measures; etc
Real-World Problem Solving
Center for Predictive Analytics: Staff Dr. Duvon Winborne, Chief Psychometrician, a Morgan State University alumnus, received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan with an academic focus on psychology, research design, and statistics. He has held faculty and administrative positions with the University of Kentucky, Howard University, Cleveland State University, Marygrove College, Bowie State University, the University of Maryland–Eastern Shore, and Morgan State University. These academic experiences are augmented by management and consulting positions with several businesses and private organizations. Dr. Winborne has an extensive publication record that includes numerous refereed articles, book chapters, and technical papers. Topics included in his research portfolio cover a broad spectrum, ranging from infant development to institutional research to statistical and computer methods. Dr. Avis Jackson serves as a Project Manager and Research Associate in the Center for Predictive Analytics. She assists with several projects including Walter Reed Army Institute of Research NIH SEPA grant, Medical Education Resources Initiative for Teens–Baltimore NIH SEPA proposal, Noncognitive Instrument Construction–Determining Indicators of Success/ETS-FACETS, and many others. In 2015 she was trained and hired to facilitate mentor training for the initial year of the Summer Research Institute of the ASCEND program at Morgan State University, one of the ten National Institutes of Health Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity sites. With the materials and training guides from the National Research Mentor Network (NRMN), she has participated or developed and conducted mentor training for each consecutive year for mentors and students. She is a graduate of Morgan State University's Psychology Department and the Graduate Program in Psychometrics in the same department. Her dissertation developed a model of engagement for adult African and Hispanic Americans at Minority Serving Institutions.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Dr. Michael Nettles is a full professor with tenure and Endowed Chair of Psychometrics and Predictive Analytics at Morgan State University. Michael Nettles has built a national and international reputation as a researcher and scholar of education and public policy. His research and scholarly expertise include educational assessment, student performance and achievement, educational equity education finance and education data production analyses and presentation. His publications reflect his broad interest in public policy, student and faculty access, opportunity, achievement, and assessment and financing at both the K–12 and all levels of post-secondary levels. For eighteen years (2005–2023) he was the senior vice president for Policy Evaluation and Research at Educational Testing Service and prior to that, as full professor with tenure at the University of Michigan (1992-2003). As Vice President for Assessment at The University of Tennessee, Michael Nettles was the first University Vice President for Assessment in the United States of America. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Nettles to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He was appointed by two US Secretaries of Education to serve on the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees and develops policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. He also served for eight years on both the College Board of Trustees and the GRE Board and was immediate past chair of the Southern Education Foundation Board of Trustees. In 2025 Dr. Nettles was appointed as a member of the advisory council of the Buros Center for Testing.
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Real-World Problem Solving
Dr. Jocelyn Turner-Musa is Professor and Chair of Psychology at Morgan State University and Co-Director of the Graduate Program in Psychometrics and the Center for Predictive Analytics. A social psychologist trained at Howard University with postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, her research focuses on psychological and social determinants of health and factors influencing students’ pursuit of biomedical research careers. She has served as director or co-director of student training on grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her work appears in Healthcare, the Journal of Community Psychology, and other leading journals. She is an Academic Editor for PLOS ONE and a past President of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 1, The Society of General Psychology and Interdisciplinary Inquiry. She has numerous professional awards with honors from the American Association of University Women, the APA Minority Fellowship Program, and was elected as an American Psychological Association Fellow. Roger Stokes is a finance professional of 28 years and Budget Associate for the MSU Psychology Department since 2019. He also serves as the Budget Associate for the Graduate Program in Psychometrics and Center for Predictive Analytics (CPA). He is responsible for managing the expenditures and revenues for the CPA assisting in the collection of over 1 million dollars in revenues. Mr.Stokes also serves as the point person for Accounts Payable to ensure that projectrelated payments are issued in accordance with State of Maryland policies and procedures. In collaboration with the CPA project leaders, Mr. Stokes assists in the facilitation of contracts for CPA related projects for all internal and external clientele, independent contractors, and maintains a constant working relationship with MSU’s Finance & Management team. Mr. Stokes is the recipient of two MSU James H. Gilliam College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Staff Awards.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Baltimore City and Beyond: Extramural Research Projects
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he Center for Predictive Analytics advances innovation and evidence-based decisionmaking through a diverse portfolio of extramural research projects conducted in collaboration with external partners. These initiatives extend the Center’s expertise beyond institutional boundaries, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches, advanced data methodologies, and stakeholder engagement to address complex realworld challenges. Through strategic partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, and industry organizations, the Center fosters impactful research that drives knowledge generation, informs policy, and supports sustainable solutions across sectors.
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Real-World Problem Solving
Association Montessori International of the United States
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r. Ayize Sabater was fortunate to have had his hand in several pots, including parenting, Montessori education, and serving as a Research Associate with the Center for Predictive Analytics. When he was appointed the 1st Black Executive Director of a national Montessori organization, Association Montessori International of the United States (AMI/USA), he seized that opportunity to pitch an exciting new initiative to a funder.
Combining Dr. Sabater's dissertation on parental involvement with Montessori education he was able to secure funding for a promising pilot intervention called FEME (Families Engaged in Montessori Education). Because of his work with the CPA, he contracted with CPA to conduct an evaluation of this pilot. The preliminary findings were leveraged to secure a larger W. K. Kellogg Foundation grant that extended the life of the FEME project to more families around the nation.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Baltimore City Health Department
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he Baltimore vs COVID-19 Program launched in the spring of 2021, was a federally funded program implemented by the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) to combat the existential threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was supported by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The primary objective of the BCHD was to immunize 80% of Baltimore's citizenry to achieve "herd immunity" by February 2022.To manage the rollout, leadership took an aggressive approach that prioritized the most vulnerable elderly residents before progressing to broad, citywide distribution. The program relied on three major pillars to succeed: 1. Effective messaging to ensure an informed citizenry. 2. Strategic deployment of vaccines to eligible residents. 3. Accessing adequate supplies of the vaccination medicines. The CPA’s role was to determine COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in specific subgroups. The CPA developed and executed an evaluation plan that assessed the process and effectiveness of the supply and demand strategies of the Baltimore versus COVID initiative, inclusive of public perception of BCHD, its communication with the public, and its delivery of vaccines. Findings from the CPA evaluation showed that the program was successful in supporting the immunization of the majority of Baltimore’s adult population.
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Real-World Problem Solving
Maryland Public Television
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organ State University partners with Maryland Public Television for communitybased Opioid Prevention Awareness Campaign. Morgan partnered with Maryland Public Television (MPT) to educate Marylanders and expand their awareness regarding the dangers associated with opioid addiction. The collaboration is as a component of the Maryland Department of Health’s Opioid Community Prevention Awareness Campaign. Through a State of Maryland interagency agreement and memo of understanding (MOU) between the University and MPT, Morgan conducted surveys and focus groups to assess knowledge levels, producing and placing digital advertising, and creating/updating educational Public Service Announcements. Morgan’s Center for Predictive Analytics, and the Screenwriting and Animation Program, lead efforts on behalf of Morgan State University. Like many other states across the nation, Maryland experienced an increase in opioidrelated overdoses and deaths statewide. Public awareness is recognized as a critical tool to tampering down the ramifications of addiction and decreasing deaths. Morgan’s Center for Predictive Analytics researchers evaluated levels of awareness regarding the dangers of fentanyl, the use of Naloxone, and awareness related to the Maryland Help line, anti-stigma, the Good Samaritan. Data from the project showed an increase in awareness of factors designed to treat and prevent opioid addiction. SOURCE: https://www.morgan.edu/news/morgan-state-university-partnerswith-maryland-public-television-for-community-based-opioid-preventionawareness-campaign
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Morgan State University: Intramural Research Projects
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he Center for Predictive Analytics at Morgan State University advances innovation and scholarly excellence through a dynamic portfolio of intramural research projects designed to address complex societal, organizational, and technological challenges. These internally led research initiatives integrate rigorous analytical methods, interdisciplinary collaboration, and diverse data sources to develop predictive models, generate actionable insights, and expand the frontiers of knowledge. By fostering a culture of inquiry, methodological innovation, and student-faculty engagement, the Center’s intramural research projects contribute to the University’s mission while driving impactful, evidence-based solutions in research, policy, and practice.
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Real-World Problem Solving
School of Graduate Studies
“The School of Graduate Studies and the Center for Predictive Analytics have a long history of mutual support. I had several conversations with Dr. Carrol Perrino as the Center was being founded and the groundwork laid for its mission and vision.” Mark Garrison, Ph.D. Dean, School of Graduate Studies
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“contractual” relationship began with our being awarded a prestigious role in the Council of Graduate School’s (CGS) PHD Career Pathways Project funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. We partnered with the University of Maryland Baltimore County Graduate School as one of the first fifteen teams chosen by CGS to receive funding for this alumni survey research project. We were the only HBCU chosen for that project. The Center for Predictive Analytics conducted the survey for the first three years, and the CGS has retained the Center to continue the data collection. Our second major partnership involves the CPA in an assessment and design role in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation in Graduate Education Program (IGE). The IGE is part of the DGE-NSF Research Traineeship program. The CPA played a major role in helping write the proposal, supplying a much needed logic model and narrative description of assessment processes. The project, “Evaluating an Innovative, Structured Teaching Assistantship Program: Impacts on Student Success and Career Readiness,” is in its third year, and the CPA role remains central to the evaluation and assessment project. The NSF IGE is very challenging, with proposals rarely accepted on the first submission, and the CPA was instrumental in helping the team succeed on our first try.
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A minor, though critical contribution followed on our recognition in 2022 as the recipient of the 2022 ETS/CGS Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education: From Admission through Completion. That award supported the design of courses for Morgan’s Structured Teaching Assistant Program. This program includes a very unique graduate course required of all Teaching Assistants concerning assessment of student outcomes. Dr. Avis Jackson worked with Dr. Frim Ampaw to design the course. Grad 607: Gauging Student Progress: Introduction to Tests, Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation, is a rare course designed by assessment specialists for content specialists. The ETS/CGS award was the foundation for the major NSF award. On a personal note, I am very pleased to claim some responsibility for encouraging Dr. Avis Jackson to pursue her doctorate in psychometrics here at Morgan, a step that led her to become an important part of the CPA. Further, as a Professor of Psychology and having some training in a few assessment modalities, I have a great affinity for the work and mission of the Center for Predictive Analytics.
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Real-World Problem Solving
ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces)
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he Center for Predictive Analytics played a critical role in providing detailed data and statistical analysis of ALEKS success markers for mathematics. Morgan State transitioned from ACCUPLACER to the ALEKS mathematical tool in 2016. ALEKS is an AI based learning platform that is used for mathematics placement for incoming freshmen students. In addition, it is used in the redesign of several 100 level mathematics courses: MATH106, MATH 110, MATH 113, MATH 114, and MATH 141. More than forty-five majors are impacted by the use of ALEKS. The implementation of ALEKS has resulted in improvements in mathematics placement scores and students’ math course completion. Morgan has instituted various campaigns to improve retention and graduation rates. While there have been many efforts established and adjusted to commence the university upward trajectory towards these goals, ALEKS has played a role. The DFW rates in these math courses have shown improvement based on the data collected from each course. For nine consecutive semesters, Fall semester 2018–Fall semester 2022, the DFW data were collected and documented. The Center was instrumental in coding and analyzing this data on student academic performance. Table 1 (Level I, 0-44) shows a significant decrease in the number of students placing into MATH 106. While there were other factors that affected students' scores, i.e., COVID 19, unproctored exams (starting in 2020), we can see the increase in students placing into credit-bearing courses (Levels 2-4).
ASAMOAH NKWANTA, PH.D. PROFESSOR & CHAIRPERSON DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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School of Community Health & Policy "The Perceived Risk Hierarchy Theory demonstrates how predictive analytics can illuminate the realities of survival, strengthen community-informed interventions, and advance health equity." Lorece V. Edwards, DrPH, MHS Professor, School of Community Health & Policy
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he School of Community Health & Policy at Morgan State University received funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through the Get SMART Project. The initiative sought to prevent and reduce substance use, underage drinking, and the transmission of communicable diseases while strengthening critical thinking and decision-making among emerging adults. Early data collection revealed concerning patterns, including low survival expectations and diminished perceptions of risk, severity, and urgency. Emerging adults residing in historically underserved communities frequently navigate multiple and competing structural challenges, including exposure to community violence, food apartheid, educational inequities, housing instability, limited access to mental health services, and constrained economic opportunities. These conditions often shape how risks are perceived and prioritized. In response, Dr. Lorece V. Edwards developed the Perceived Risk Hierarchy Theory (PRHT), a culturally responsive framework positing that individuals prioritize risks according to immediacy, severity, and perceived consequence. Within environments characterized by chronic adversity, immediate survival concerns often supersede long-term health considerations, influencing decision-making and behavioral outcomes.
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Real-World Problem Solving
Through a collaborative partnership with Drs. Perrino and Winborne and the Center for Predictive Analytics, the Perceived Risk Hierarchy Index was developed and administered to more than 225 emerging adults on two separate occasions. Data collection occurred through community events, neighborhood outreach efforts, health fairs, and community-based organizations. A significant milestone was achieved when the Center for Predictive Analytics independently validated both the PRHT framework and the associated measurement instrument across multiple samples. This work demonstrates the Center's capacity to evaluate innovative, community-derived theories using rigorous predictive and analytical methodologies. Today, the PRHT is protected through trademark and copyright registrations and is associated with U.S. Patent Application No. 16/668,860, System and Method for Predictive Risk Assessment and Intervention, reflecting its potential to inform future research, intervention development, and predictive modeling efforts.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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CPA Connects: International Partnerships and Global Expansion
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he Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics is actively establishing international connections with universities and organizations in South Africa, Italy, and the Netherlands. These emerging partnerships represent an important expansion of the Center’s global engagement and support its commitment to advancing innovative, culturally responsive approaches to predictive analytics, psychometrics, and psychological assessment. These international connections will strengthen the Center’s vision and mission by creating opportunities for collaborative research, student training, faculty engagement, and international knowledge exchange. The partnerships will enhance training opportunities for students in the Graduate Program in Psychometrics, exposing them to international perspectives and practices in measurement, assessment, data analytics, and test development. A key goal of these collaborations is to expand expertise and services related to culturally relevant test construction and evaluation research. Through
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these international collaborations, the Center for Predictive Analytics seeks to position Morgan State University as a leader in culturally responsive psychometric research and training, while preparing graduate students to contribute meaningfully to assessment and predictive analytics initiatives in both domestic and international settings.
Real-World Problem Solving
CPA Connects
SOUTH KOREA Dr. Michael Nettles, Endowed Chair of Psychometrics and Predictive Analytics, recently served as an invited keynote speaker at the International Meeting of the Psychometrics Society at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. The title of his keynote address was Global Psychometric Challenges in Educational and Workforce Assessment: Policy, Technical, and Population Perspectives. The focus of his address was on policy, technical, and population challenges that confront standardized educational and workforce assessments across the globe. He specifically addressed challenges that are common to all tests and assessments with emphasis on assessments that are most prominent and consequential for our collective future. SOUTH AFRICA The CPA hosted Dr.’s Anil Kanjee and Nazeema Jappie to establish potential partnerships with universities in South Africa. Dr. Anil Kanjee is a Research Professor at the Tshwane University of Technology whose work focuses on addressing the challenge of equity and quality in education. He is the head of the Assessment and Learning Research Programme within the Faculty of Humanities and coordinator of the Postgraduate Programme in the Department of Primary Education. He has served as a technical advisor to education ministries in Africa and Asia, UNICEF, UNESCO, the United National Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, as well as to the Department of Basic Education, JET Education Services, UMALUSI, and the National Educational Collaborative Trust.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Dr. Naziema Jappie is the director of Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA) and recently served as a Director and Deputy at the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). In this role she provided oversight and supervision for institutional effectiveness for student development and success, retention, design programs, evaluation strategies, and trend analysis for environmental scanning. Her professional experience spans across various grassroots organizations, industry, and higher education, where she actively engages in mediation, racial justice, empowerment initiatives, and advocacy campaigns. ITALY In collaboration with the Università Telematica eCampus in Italy, the CPA, the Department of Psychology, and World Languages & International Studies, plans to establish opportunities to Implement joint research projects in the fields of human, social, and behavioral and measurement sciences, education, languages and literature, conducted by researchers from both Universities. Plans also include organization of joint academic and scientific events, courses, conferences, seminars, symposia, webinar and lectures. Academic, scientific, research and teaching exchange of faculty and students are also planned. NETHERLANDS The CPA hosted Dr. Gerben Van Lent who is the former vice managing director of Educational Testing Service (ETS) Global. In his role he led the business teams of Europe, Middle East, and African regions, marketing teams and the Higher Education outreach teams located in the Netherlands, France, Jordan Poland, and Turkey. He represented ETS Global and ETS when dealing with partners, major clients, government officials, external organizations and agencies identifying and realizing business opportunities as well as identifying needs and providing solutions for assessment challenges. He advises the managing director of ETS Global and the Board of ETS Global.
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Real-World Problem Solving
CPA Staff and Associates
CORE TEAM Duvon Winborne, PhD Chief Psychometrician Avis Jackson, PhD Senior Research Associate Jocelyn Turner-Musa, PhD Professor & Chairperson Psychology
Michael Nettles, PhD Endowed Chair of Psychometrics & Predictive Analytics Roger Stokes Budget Associate Carrol Perrino, PhD Professor Emerita Psychology
CONSULTANTS & ASSOCIATES Brittany Boyd, PhD Consultant Janine Jackson, PhD Consultant & Data Analyst Taj Rollins, PhD Associate
John Donaldson, MA Consultant Fran Perkins, PhD Consultant Ayize Sabater, PhD Associate
SUPPORT STAFF (CURRENT & PAST) Paris Adkins-Jackson. PhD Graduate Research Assistant Ayize Shawn Sabater Undergraduate Research Assistant Serenity Logan Undergraduate Research Assistant Amari Roberts Undergraduate Research Assistant Destiny Wood Graduate Research Assistant Godwin Umeobi Graduate Research Assistant Tonya Taylor Graduate Research Assistant Lainie Jackson-Dixon Administrative Assistant
Subin Hona, PhD Graduate Research Assistant Felicia Heru, PhD Graduate Research Assistant Erin Murphy Graduate Research Assistant Yannick Nsani Graduate Research Assistant Adeola Osabiya Graduate Research Assistant R. Jerome Anderson Graduate Research Assistant Lucy Okam Graduate Research Assistant
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Educate, Motivate, Train: Future Psychometricians
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he Center for Predictive Analytics plays a pivotal role in delivering applied, practice-oriented training experiences for graduate students in psychometrics by bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world data challenges. Through structured research assistantships, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiences, the Center immerses students in the full life-cycle of predictive modeling and measurement development. Students gain direct experience working with complex, large-scale datasets, applying advanced psychometric methods such as item response theory (IRT), factor analysis, and test equating, while also integrating modern predictive analytics approaches including data mining. A core strength of the Center lies in its emphasis on experiential learning. Graduate students engage in interdisciplinary teams alongside faculty, data scientists, and external partners, tackling authentic
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problems drawn from educational assessment, workforce analytics, healthcare measurement, and social science research. This exposure enables students not only to refine technical competencies but also to develop essential professional skills in project management, communication of results, and ethical data use. The Center provides mentorship and training infrastructure that supports professional development. Client-facing project opportunities allow students to translate psychometric theory into actionable insights, preparing them for careers in academia, industry, and public-sector research. By integrating applied research opportunities with rigorous methodological training, the Center for Predictive Analytics serves as a dynamic learning environment that equips graduate students with the analytical expertise and practical experience needed to lead in the evolving field of psychometrics.
PICTURED: AVIS JACKSON, PH.D. CPA PROJECT MANAGER & SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Real-World Problem Solving
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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Janine Jackson
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r. Janine Jackson’s academic and professional development at the Center for Predictive Analytics (CPA) occurred under the leadership of Dr. Duvon Winborne, Chief Psychometrician. Dr. Jackson credits Dr. Winborne’s psychometric oversight in shaping her professional growth, in establishing a culture of rigor grounded in clarity and defensible measurement, and in defining the methodological foundation that guides the execution of the CPA’s work.
She began working with the CPA in Fall 2019 as a student in the Graduate Program in Psychometrics at Morgan State University and continued through the completion of her doctoral degree in 2023. Since that time, she has advanced to the role of Senior Data Analyst. Dr. Jackson believes that working at the CPA transformed her academic preparation into applied professional practice. Her contributions included item development and review, qualitative interviewing and thematic analysis, survey design, technical report editing, fiscal planning and budget development, and direct client consultation across projects in education, public health, workforce development, institutional research, and social policy. Across more than a dozen projects and initiatives she has engaged in the spirit of entrepreneurship and participated in the full lifecycle of client-based work from instrument design and data collection to interpretation and dissemination through the application of principles of measurement theory, research design, and statistical analyses in authentic contexts with real stakeholders and real constraints. Collectively, Dr. Jackson states that these experiences have augmented her academic preparation by bridging theory and practice and making her capable of managing complex projects from conceptualization through dissemination.
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Real-World Problem Solving
Lucy Okam
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ucy Okam is a third-year PhD student in the Psychometrics program. She is currently a Graduate Research Assistant in the CPA, where she is leading the survey development, administration, and coordination of the ARC-HBCU UJIMA research initiative, a project funded by the National Science Foundation to advance research capacity at HBCUs.
Lucy’s research focuses on designing adaptive assessment, learning analytics, process data analysis, and psychometric modeling. Her primary interest is to understand learning needs with the aim of providing targeted interventions to enhance learning strategies of measurement theory, research design, and statistical analyses in authentic contexts with real stakeholders and real constraints. Lucy believes that collectively, these experiences have augmented my academic preparation by bridging theory and practice and make me capable of managing complex projects from conceptualization through dissemination.
CPA By the Numbers
$1.3 MILLION+ in funding 30+ Contracts and Grants 15+ Technical Reports and Client Presentations 20+ Students Trained 10 Peer Reviewed Publications 5 Conference Presentations 5 Research/Statistical Workshops
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R. Jerome Anderson
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erome Anderson is a fourth-year doctoral student and a Research Assistant in the Center for Predictive Analytics. His primary interest is in finding new applications for use of the Rasch model in social and educational research. I have participated in two Center for Predictive Analytics (CPA) projects. One project was the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Evaluating an Innovative, Structured Teaching Assistantship Program: Impacts on Student Success and Career Readiness grant, awarded under the NSF’s Innovation in Graduate Education program. The CPA developed surveys of graduate students to ascertain how various programs affected their graduate school progress. My task was to analyze survey responses and assist in report preparation. His published works include an analysis of Liberian child nutrition data using the Rasch model. I also assisted Morgan State faculty members with grant proposals submitted to federal agencies such as the NSF. These proposals focus on the use of adaptive learning tools for pedagogy and assessment in STEM disciplines. The projects will assist STEM students at the nation’s HBCUs to more successfully complete their STEM education and enter graduate school and ultimately the STEM workforce.
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Real-World Problem Solving
CPA Project Contracts
MSU's Office of Assessment MSU Office of Assessment A Student Centered Entrepreneurship Development Training Model Evaluation MSU ASCEND Biomedical Center for Research M.O.M.I.E.'s Program Evaluation American Montessori International G.R.I.N.D Conference MSU School of Graduate Studies PERSIST MSU Biology Right Start, Healthy Start MSU Family & Consumer Sciences CGS Pathway MSU School of Graduate Studies Broadmead Broadmead Retirement Community College Discovery MSU Office of Community Service Career Pathways Initiative MSU Office of the Provost SGS Graduate Student Survey MSU School of Graduate Studies Biology 101 Study MSU Biology Department Peer Bears Evaluation MSU School of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences
Perceived Risk Hierarchy Theory MSU School of Community Health and Policy
Baltimore City Health Department (Baltimore vs COVID Evaluation) Baltimore City Health Department
National Science Foundation HBCU-UP Broadening Participation Research grant MSU School of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences Aleks Assessment MSU Mathematics Department Development of NoncognitiveInstrument or HBCU Students Educational Testing Service
Baltimore City Health Department (Baltimore vs COVID Childhood Expansion) Baltimore City Health Department
College Discovery MSU Office of Community Service Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Near Peer Mentor Evaluation Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Maryland Public Television Community-based Opioid Prevention Awareness Campaign Maryland Public Television MDPO Certification Examination Development Maryland Office of the Public Defender Pregnant women and women with children Children Medication Assisted Treatment Prescription Drug & Opioid Addiction Evaluation University of Maryland/SAMHSA
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
Flight Blight Baltimore MSU School of Social Work Innovations in Graduate Education School of Graduate Studies NSF HBCU UP: Structured Student Support Programs for Undergraduate Retention in Engineering (SPUR-E) Psychology Department Advanced Oncology Research Communities in Health University of Maryland Behavioral Health Administration Equity (ARCH) program University of Maryland School of Medicine Block grant data and training analysis: Substance Use Disorder Training Project University of Maryland Behavioral Health Administration PERSIST II - Pathways to Enhance Students Retention in Science Office of Undergraduate Research/MSU Biology Department
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CPA Publications and Presentations PUBLICATIONS Winborne D.G., Jackson J, Boyd B. (2024) Increasing COVID-19 Safety and Awareness for Ethnically Diverse Communities: Exploring Media Preferences and Messaging Effectiveness. J Health Care Poor Underserved, 35(3S):102-117. PMID: 39069930. Galiatsatos P, Levin MB, Ling C, Bryan J, Brown M, et al. (2025) Evaluating the HEAT Corps Medical-Community Engagement of a COVID-19-Themed School Curriculum. J Community Med Public Health 9: 528. https://doi.org/10.29011/25772228.100528 Brown, L.D., Winborne, D.G. (2025). Evaluating the impact of peer supplemental instruction on STEM course outcomes: A five-semester study at an HBCU. American Journal of STEM Education, 11, 9-26. https://doi. org/10.32674/4baf1w85
TECHNICAL REPORTS AND CLIENT PRESENTATIONS Reports of findings from AI in social work survey prepared by Dr. Duvon Winborne. #1) Title: AI in Social Work Education and Practice Survey – Graphic Analyses of Survey Responses for Demographic and Primary Substantive Items. #2) Title: AI in Social Work Education and Practice Survey – Data Management, Scaling, Statistical Analyses, and Interpretation for Research Questions #2 through #6. #3) Title: AI in Social Work Education and Practice Survey – Data Management, Scaling, Statistical Analyses, and Interpretation for Education and Practitioner Datasets. Evaluation Report for the Baltimore Versus COVID-19 Program Baltimore City Health Department Intervention Period – April 2021 to February 2022.
Woodruff-White, C., Brown, L. D., Rollins, C., Liamba, J., Nkwanta, A., & Winborne, D. (2019). Wedded bliss: Lessons learned from uniting math placement with math pathways. In D. Morgan, K. Feagin, & N. S. Shapiro (Eds.) Reforming mathematics in Maryland: Stories from the Journey (pp. 73-82). College Park, MD: University System of Maryland.
Biweekly Technical Reports Regarding Corona virus Immunization by Dr. Duvon Winborne. #1) Baltimore City vs COVID Project – Position Report: Apr. 1st to Apr. 15th of 2021. #54) Baltimore City vs COVID Project – Position Report: Jun. 16th to Jun. 30th of 2023.
Hollowell, G.P., Chatman, M.C., Jackson, A., & Talley, C. P. (2025). CareFull Scholars: A Model to Empower Black Women STEM Faculty at HBCUs. The Journal of STEM Leadership and Broadening Participation, 2(1). https://doi. org/10.58507/001c.137553
Technical report responses for Fight Blight Project Database Development Process by Dr. Duvon Winborne. #1) Database Development Phase I (Conceptualization), Phase II (Data Gathering), and Phase III (Summary & Formatting). #2) Phase III Details including substantive descriptions of indices and data field layouts.
Jackson, A., Henry, S., Jackman, K., Jones,L Kamangar, F., Koissi,N., Mehravaran, S., Oni,A., Perrino, C., Sheikhattari, P. Whitney,E., & Hohmann, C. (2023). A Student-Centered, Entrepreneurship Development (ASCEND) Undergraduate Summer Research Program: Foundational Training for Health Research, CBE—Life Sciences Education Vol. 22, No. 1 https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-11-0314
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Data analysis and technical content by Dr. Duvon Winborne for report entitled: “Transform Morgan Grant Report 2024.” The report was prepared by a consortium of faculty from the College of School of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences in conjunction with the CPA.
Real-World Problem Solving
Presentation to the Planning Committed for the “Supplementary and Ancillary Credentialing Initiative” by Dr. Duvon Winborne. The presentation detailed constructs, item formats, scaling methods, and instrument development timelines. Presentation of the symmetrical performance review instrument developed by Dr. Duvon Winborne. #1) Findings for instrument pilot study were presented to leadership, including item function data and reliability indices for embedded scales. #2) Deployment strategies were presented to campus-wide student worker supervisors for supporting federally mandated work-study review process. Technical report on evaluation research by Dr. Duvon Winborne, entitled “Evaluation Report for the PERSIST Summer Program.” The report details finding from the analyses of data gathered for participants during summer instruction activities of 2023 and 2024. Presentation of evaluation research for “Bridge to the Baccalaureate Program” by Dr. Duvon Winborne. The four-year college preparatory program was jointly sponsored by Morgan State University and Prince Georges’ Community College. #1) Summaries of focus group sessions with summer program participants and person-to-person interview responses from faculty members at PGCC #2) Summary of pre-post program quantitative data analysis based on gathered from the LAV Inventory; summary data from NRK Inventory was also presented. Presentation of evaluation research for “Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program evaluation Dr. Duvon Winborne. The program provides near- peer mentoring for first-year undergraduate students enrolled in STEM courses at Morgan State University. #1) Summaries of focus group sessions with “SI Leaders,” who are the near-peer support individuals for STEM courses. Response data were used by program proponents to improve instructional methods.
#2) Summary of comparative data analysis for SI model and non-SI model courses over for five semesters. Technical report on evaluation research for the ASPIRE Program entitled “Evaluation of the ASPIRE Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biomedical Science & Engineering: A Joint NIH-Sponsored IRACDA Program,” and prepared by Dr. Duvon Winborne. The report presents both qualitative and quantitative data on program participants, along with information from faculty mentors.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS Murphy, E., Jackson, A, and Rollins, T. (October 24, 2025). Measuring Abilities Supporting Student Success (MAS³): A Measure of Noncognitive Constructs Linked to Student Success. Maryland Association for Institutional Research (MdAIR) Fall Conference. Towson University, Northeastern Maryland, Bel Air, MD. Murphy, E., Jackson, A., and Rollins, T. (February 26, 2026). Measuring Abilities Supporting Student Success (MAS³): A Measure of Noncognitive Constructs Linked to Student Success. MSU Psychometrics Colloquium. Baltimore, MD. Murphy, E., Jackson, A., and Rollins, T. (March 16-18, 2026). College Board: A Dream Deferred™ Measuring What Matters: First-Year Student Traits and College Retention. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Conference 2026 Philadelphia, PA. Jackson, A, Murphy, E., and Rollins, T. (May 26-29, 2026). Noncognitive Constructs: Measuring Abilities and Supporting Student Success. 2026 AIR Forum. Washington, DC. Jackson, A, Murphy, E., and Rollins, T. (June 27, 2026) Measuring Abilities Supporting Student Success (MAS³): A Measure of Noncognitive Constructs Linked to Student Success. MSU Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success(EMASS) Update. Baltimore, MD.
Morgan State University Center for Predictive Analytics
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MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the CPA is to provide services of skilled psychometric faculty and students who design, analyze, and evaluate multidisciplinary research. Support and enhance business and community advancement and development through education and service.
VISION STATEMENT Provide future psychometricians with the methodological skills needed to develop and use culturally sensitive and appropriate assessment tools. Serve as an entrepreneurial model utilizing psychometric analyses for assessment and evaluation.
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Center for Predictive Analytics Behavioral & Social Sciences Center, Suite 510 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, Maryland 21251 443-885-3290
Real-World Problem Solving