Edward Wolfe holds the inaugural Iowa Testing Programs Faculty Chair at the University of Iowa College of Education, a position established through a generous gift from the Iowa Measurement Research Foundation (IMRF).

Wolfe was formally invested during a Faculty Chair Investiture Ceremony on Sept. 4 in the Old Capitol Senate Chambers, marking a significant milestone for both Iowa Testing Programs (ITP) and the College of Education.

A highly accomplished scholar in educational measurement, Wolfe joined the College of Education in January 2026. He also serves as associate director of the ITP and professor of Educational Measurement and Statistics (EMS) in the College of Education.

His research focuses on using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve educational testing and assessment. Wolfe studies how AI can help score tests, create test questions, and support human evaluators while ensuring assessments are fair, accurate, transparent, and trustworthy. His work combines expertise in measurement, learning, and AI to build reliable testing systems that can be used on a large scale.

Wolfe brings extensive research and development experience from both academia and the private sector. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership and research positions at Pearson, Riverside Insights, and ETS. He has also provided consulting and evaluation support for numerous national and international assessment programs and professional organizations.

His scholarly work includes more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, several major grants as principal investigator, and numerous presentations at national and international conferences. He has been recognized with multiple research and scholarly awards and was appointed an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford.

The endowed faculty chair was established through a gift from the Iowa Measurement Research Foundation to support faculty leadership within Iowa Testing Programs. The IMRF created the Iowa Testing Programs Faculty Chair Fund in recognition of the critical role faculty leadership plays in advancing the mission and impact of Iowa Testing Programs.

In remarks at the investiture ceremony, Wolfe shared that though he originally had plans to retire from his career at Pearson, he was approach by Iowa Testing Program Co-directors, Steve Dunbar and Catherine Welch, to consider joining the College of Education.

"Two of my advisors, Jon Twing and Jenn Dunn, encouraged me to take Iowa seriously because it brought together nearly every aspect of my career: research, large-scale assessment, innovation, leadership, and mentoring," Wolfe says. 

Wolfe adds that it is a tremendous honor and deeply humbling to hold the named chair position.

"For nearly a century, Iowa Testing Programs has shaped assessment through the Iowa Tests, scoring innovation, and generations of influential researchers and practitioners," Wolfe says. "To hold the Iowa Testing Programs Faculty Chair within that tradition is genuinely humbling."

Wolfe says he is grateful for the recognition and trust that accompany this appointment, but that he is equally conscious of the responsibility. 

"To me, the value of this chair is not simply what it recognizes about work already done," Wolfe says. "Rather, the value is what it makes possible next: meaningful research in large-scale assessment and preparing the next generation of measurement professionals. That is especially appropriate given IMRF’s longstanding support of measurement research, faculty, and graduate students, and I am deeply grateful for its support of this chair."

College of Education Alumnus and Professor Emeritus, H. Dee Hoover, who is also the chair of the IMRF Research Committee, also accepted a medallion on behalf of the Iowa Measurement Research Foundation in gratitude for its commitment to endow the Iowa Testing Programs faculty chair in the College of Education.

The IMRF was established in 1970 under the provisions of the Iowa Nonprofit Corporation Act. Its primary mission is to advance knowledge and improve practice in the field of educational measurement by providing financial support to the University of Iowa, the College of Education, ITP, and the graduate programs in Educational Measurement and Statistics.

Founded by alumnus and pioneering educational measurement scholar E. F. Lindquist, ITP has served Iowa schools for more than 90 years by developing high-quality assessments and promoting the valid use of results.

IMRF's investment provides a sustainable framework for faculty support and contributions while helping ensure continued excellence and leadership in educational measurement. The endowed position also includes support for a graduate assistant, reinforcing the program's commitment to student mentorship, research, and academic development.

Hoover shares that this is the third chaired professorship the IMRF has established, and the foundation annually supports about 50 graduate research assistants.

"The primary reason for the Iowa Measurement Research Foundation is really just to help educational measurement and the College of Education," Hoover says. 

Hoover adds that another testament to the program's strength is that for the past 35 years, 12 of the National Council on Measurement in Education presidents have been either graduates of the Educational Measurement and Statistics (EMS) program or University of Iowa faculty in the program.

"That's why this is probably the most famous place for educational measurement in the United States," Hoover says. "I'd like to congratulate Ed.....and say that it's been an honor for me to be part of both the Iowa Testing Programs and the Iowa Measurement Research Foundation for the last 62 years."

That legacy of excellence in educational measurement is one the IMRF is committed to carrying forward. Through its support of faculty leadership, research, and graduate education, the foundation continues to invest in the people and programs shaping the future of the field. Wolfe’s appointment to the endowed chair represents the latest chapter in that commitment, connecting Iowa’s longstanding tradition of leadership in educational measurement with its continued investment in innovation and excellence.

"This endowed chair reflects our commitment to sustaining strong leadership in educational measurement and assessment," says IMRF President and Professor Emeritus Tim Ansley. "We are pleased to support Professor Wolfe's work and the continued success of Iowa Testing Programs."