Michael Kolen (BS '73, PhD '79), professor emeritus of Educational Measurement at the University of Iowa College of Education, has been named the recipient of the 2026 E. F. Lindquist Award, one of the most prestigious honors in the field of educational measurement.
The award was recently announced by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), which recognizes more than 20 distinguished scholars nationwide for excellence in education research in 2026. Recipients will be honored during the AERA Awards Ceremony Luncheon at the association’s annual meeting in Los Angeles on April 9, 2026, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The Lindquist Award is jointly presented by AERA and ACT in recognition of outstanding applied or theoretical research in the field of testing and measurement. Rather than recognizing a single study, the award honors a sustained body of influential research that advances educational assessment and measurement.
“We are honored to recognize the recipients of the 2026 awards, an outstanding and inspiring group of education researchers and leaders,” says Tabbye Chavous, executive director of AERA. “Their contributions continue to advance education research and positively impact countless students, educators, and the environments in which they live, learn, and work.”
Alumna Ye Tong (MA '02, PhD '05) , senior vice president of assessment operations at the National Board of Medical Examiners, nominated Kolen for the award for his profound and lasting impact on her career, countless students, and the field of educational measurement and statistics.
“As my master and doctoral advisor, Dr. Kolen shaped not only my scholarly foundation but also my values as a professional — just as he has done for countless students throughout his career,” says Tong, who received her Master of Arts and PhD in Educational Measurement and Statistics in 2002 and 2005 respectively.
Tong adds that Kolen’s impact is far reaching and embodies the spirit of E.F. Lindquist.
“His mentorship extends far beyond intellectual guidance; it reflects unwavering support, generosity, and integrity that continue to influence my career more than two decades later,” Tong reflects. “Dr. Kolen’s humility, rigor, and lifelong commitment to advancing educational measurement truly embody the spirit of E. F. Lindquist, making him an exceptionally deserving recipient of the 2026 E. F. Lindquist Award.”
Kolen, an alumnus of the University of Iowa College of Education, received his PhD in 1979 and Bachelor of Science in 1973 from Iowa, and his Master of Arts in 1975 from the University of Arizona. He began his academic career as a faculty member at Hofstra University from 1979 to 1981 before joining ACT, where he worked from 1981 to 1997. During his tenure at ACT, he served as director of measurement research from 1990 to 1997. He then joined the UI College of Education faculty in 1997, serving for 20 years with distinction until his retirement in 2017.
A leading scholar in educational measurement, Kolen has made significant contributions to research on test equating, scaling, and statistical methods in assessment. He co-authored the influential book Test Equating: Methods and Practices, published by Springer-Verlag, and has written numerous scholarly articles and book chapters on educational measurement and statistics.
Kolen has also played a major leadership role in the field. He served as president of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) and as editor of the Journal of Educational Measurement. He is a Fellow of Division 5 of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of AERA. In addition, he founded and served as editor of the NCME Applications of Educational Measurement and Assessment Book Series.
Throughout his career, Kolen has received numerous honors recognizing his contributions to the field, including the 1997 NCME Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution to Educational Measurement, the 2008 NCME Award for Career Contributions to Educational Measurement, and the University of Iowa College of Education Collegiate Teaching Award in 2011. Kolen was also a member of the Joint Committee for the Revision of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing in 2014.
The Lindquist Award is named for E. F. Lindquist, an Iowa College of Education alumnus and pioneering educational researcher whose innovations transformed large-scale testing. Lindquist founded the Iowa Testing Programs and led the development of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, later renamed the Iowa Assessments. He also invented the first optical test-scoring scanner, which allowed tests to be scored quickly and accurately by high-speed machines rather than by hand. In 1959, the Iowa Testing Programs helped launch the American College Testing Program, now known as ACT.