Dr. Qiwei Britt He
Who had the greatest influence on your education and/or career path?
Becoming a professor has been my dream since childhood. All my great teachers from different educational phases are exceptional role models. From elementary school to graduate school, the teachers inspired me through this path to become a person just like them. Their passion, persistence, and care for students deeply attracted me to dedicate myself to the education field. Even though I started my career as a researcher, not directly as a professor, the research field is still related to education and testing. I really enjoy accurate measurement for latent structures.
What drew you to psychometrics and adaptive measurement?
To measure people’s latent ability with big data is very cool. The whole process arouses my great curiosity. Everybody experiences tons of assessments from childhood to adulthood, but people seldom understand why the test could make accurate and precise predictions. The adaptive measurement is magic, using shorter tests, and different tasks for different people, but could measure even more accurately for people’s latent abilities.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
To work with students is the most enjoyable work in the world, especially to attract more students into the measurement field, which is a very promising but understated area so far. I feel very proud of my students who succeed in their academic and future careers, and surely proud of myself for being a great mentor to help the younger generation find the most optimal path for their further growth.
What’s the first piece of advice you would give to a DSAN student?
Don’t read with your eyes closed. Open your eyes and mind, there are a lot of opportunities around you. Get well prepared for the coming opportunity.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I was a core member of the Artistic Gymnastics Varsity Team in college, and we won the National Championship in China.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Practice makes perfect.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
My superpower will send me anywhere on my wish list within one hour because time is so precious and should be saved to enjoy the destination.
What 3 things would you want with you on a deserted island?
I will bring my husband and two sons. The experience on a deserted island is so cool that I could not “enjoy” it by myself.