The University of Nebraska–Lincoln recently presented the 2011 Outstanding Postdoc Award to Ji Hoon Ryoo, a postdoctoral research associate with the CYFS-housed National Center for Research on Rural Education (R2Ed).
The award recognizes exceptional postdoctoral scholars for their comprehensive efforts in research, teaching, mentoring, innovation and service to UNL or the community. Ryoo received the honor during the Nov. 2 UNL Research Fair. He was nominated by mentor James Bovaird, director of the CYFS Statistics and Research Methodology Unit and associate professor with UNL’s Department of Educational Psychology.
Ryoo earned his doctorate in quantitative methods in education from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Educational Psychology in June 2010. Since joining R2Ed in August 2010, he has applied his expertise in psychometrics, longitudinal modeling and educational evaluation as a methodologist and data analyst on numerous research projects.
Ryoo has published three peer-reviewed journal articles in the last year, including a solely authored paper in the top-tier journal Multivariate Behavioral Research. As a postdoctoral researcher, he has also presented eight papers at numerous conferences, including the International Meeting of the Psychometric Society and the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association.
In late 2010, Ryoo presented on the concept of longitudinal measurement invariance as part of the CYFS Research Methodology Series. During the spring 2012 semester, he will teach a longitudinal data analysis course for the Department of Educational Psychology.
Ryoo expressed gratitude for the professional guidance provided by Bovaird, CYFS Director Susan Sheridan and CYFS Research Assistant Professor Greg Welch, who also endorsed Ryoo’s nomination.
“Personally, this award is a milestone indicating a starting point for my research career,” Ryoo said. “But it would not have been possible without tremendous support from my mentors, as well as other members of CYFS. I ascribe this honor to all of them and thank them for that support.”
Welch noted that Ryoo’s stellar performance should herald even greater achievements down the line.
“The sky is the limit for Ji Hoon, and he has demonstrated this through his work in the center,” Welch said. “He is the epitome of what a postdoctoral researcher should be.”