Evidence of Casper Effectiveness in Admissions
See how research shows that Casper adds a whole new dimension to admissions testing.
See How the Evidence Stacks Up for Casper
Study after study shows that Casper provides crucial, defensible data points in your review of applicants. We’re constantly evaluating our products and processes to ensure they are highly reliable and effective.
Valid
Casper results are predictable indicators of admissions performance and beyond.
Fair
Casper consistently shows 25-50% smaller demographic differences compared to academic assessments.
Reliable
Casper’s methodology provides consistent, highly reliable results compared to personal statements and reference letters.
Innovative
Casper’s unique open-response format enhances fairness and takes personal experience into account.
Case Studies
See how others have successfully implemented Casper in their admissions processes.
Partner with Our Research Team
Kelly Dore, Ph.D.
VP, Science & Innovation and Board Director
Learn More
Kelly Dore, Ph.D.
VP, Science & Innovation and Board Director
Dr. Kelly Dore is a Founder of Acuity Insights and creator of Casper, an innovation that helped change how higher education institutions assess applicants beyond academic measures. With a background in cognitive psychology, psychometrics, and medical education, Kelly has dedicated her career to connecting scientific research and best practices with practical solutions that help higher education institutions and learners succeed. An Adjunct Associate Professor at McMaster University, where Casper was originally developed, Kelly has helped bridge the worlds of academia and entrepreneurship. Today, as Acuity’s VP of Science and Innovation, she guides the exploration and development of new ideas, technologies, and approaches to assessment and program and learner success, helping shape the future of Acuity and the institutions it serves.
Alex MacIntosh, Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Research Services
Learn More
Alex MacIntosh, Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Research Services
As a Scientist and Senior Manager of Research at Acuity, my role is to ensure evidence is communicated effectively and fairly. I facilitate research engagements with academic partners and identify trends from academic fields to improve Acuity’s products.
I am a Biomedical Engineer by training. My previous work focused on incorporating feedback into learning paradigms through technology for children with disabilities in Canada and France.
Jillian Derby, M.A.
Director, Research
Learn More
Jillian Derby, M.A.
Director, Research
Jillian is Director, Research at Acuity Insights. Responsible for the team leading the studies and experiments done to evaluate and improve the Casper test, she collaborates with all stakeholders to ensure Casper is functioning and evolving ethically and with integrity.
Jillian holds an M.A. in Literatures of Modernity from Toronto Metropolitan University and possesses an extensive pedagogical background in assessment and curriculum development. She advocates for the innovative potential afforded by the blending of humanities and social sciences research methodologies, with particular focus on fair assessment development frameworks, as well as the impact of language and narrative context in assessment.
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Learn More
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Zafar is a Senior Research Scientist at Acuity where he contributes to the development of assessment content and improvement of practices and procedures. He also conducts research in collaboration with internal teams and external partner programs to ensure that our assessments are evidence-based, scientifically sound, reliable, and valid.
He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University, Canada, and earned a PhD in health professions education from Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has over 13 years of academic experience, primarily focused on the continuous improvement of assessment practices. His areas of research interest include assessment practices, selection and admissions, competency-based medical education, faculty development, and co-creation.
Rodica Ivan, Ph.D.
Manager, Research Innovation
Learn More
Rodica Ivan, Ph.D.
Manager, Research Innovation
Rodica is a research scientist at Acuity Insights specializing in Ethical AI, holistic admissions, and supporting improvements and innovations to Acuity’s products. She collaborates with internal teams and external research partners to responsibly refine our tools and strive for fair assessments and processes.
Rodica holds a PhD in Linguistics from UMass Amherst and her NSF-funded dissertation focused on the production and comprehension of pronouns. Her current research interests include human and natural language processing, ethical and responsible AI implementations, and fair tools and assessments more broadly.
Joshua Moskowitz, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Learn More
Joshua Moskowitz, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Joshua Moskowitz is a research scientist at Acuity Insights. He collaborates with programs in new markets (business education & engineering) to validate Casper and advise on how to incorporate it into their admissions. He also provides statistical, programming, and data engineering support on other research projects.
Josh holds a PhD in behavioral neuroscience. His research interests include assessment validity, decision making, and visual search.
Colleen Robb, M.A.
Senior Research Scientist
Learn More
Colleen Robb, M.A.
Senior Research Scientist
Colleen Robb is a research scientist at Acuity Insights focusing on the reliability, validity, and fairness of the Casper test. She collaborates with internal teams and external partner programs to research ways in which the Casper test can further evolve while maintaining high psychometric integrity.
Colleen holds an M.A. in psychology from Carleton University. Her research outside of Acuity Insights has focused on enhancing gender responsive services for justice-involved women and girls through psychometric work.
Gill Sitarenios, Ph.D.
Principal Research Scientist
Learn More
Gill Sitarenios, Ph.D.
Principal Research Scientist
Gill is the Principal Research Scientist at Acuity specializing in test development, research methodology, and psychometric analysis. He provides high-level consultation to the team, and his work helps ensure that our tools are scientifically sound and that our assessments are reliable and valid.
He completed his Ph.D. in General Experimental Psychology from York University, Toronto. His dissertation work focused on exploring new statistical methods for examining necessary and sufficient relationships. He has devoted most of his 30+ year career to test development work and led project teams that created 100+ assessments, such as the EQ-i.
Cole Walsh, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Machine Learning
Learn More
Cole Walsh, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Machine Learning
Cole is a research scientist at Acuity specializing in applications of ML and NLP to improve and expand Acuity’s products. His work helps higher education programs uncover insights about their learners from unstructured data.
He completed his Ph.D. in physics from Cornell University, focusing on science education research and how students develop scientific and critical thinking skills through undergraduate lab experiences.
Cynthia Au Yong
Research Data Analyst
Learn More
Cynthia Au Yong
Research Data Analyst
Cynthia is a research data analyst at Acuity Insights. She provides applied research and data analysis support to cross-functional teams that explores the efficacy and value of Acuity’s assessments products relative to the context of a given customer, as well as implements streamlined processes to improve the Research team’s operational efficiency.
Susha Suresh, Msc
Research Scientist, Machine Learning
Learn More
Susha Suresh, Msc
Research Scientist, Machine Learning
Yiyu Xie, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Psychometrician
Learn More
Yiyu Xie, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Psychometrician
Yiyu is a psychometrician at Acuity Insights. She collaborates with internal teams on quality assurance of Casper rating. She helps to facilitate and enhance the rating experience for raters through training and various research experiments. She also conducts psychometric analysis of Casper to ensure a reliable and valid assessment.
After completing her doctoral study in Quantitative Methods & Evaluation from UC Berkeley, Yiyu worked for years in K-12 testing, specializing in item calibration and test design with item response theory.
Contact Our Research Team
You don’t need to be an Acuity partner to be our research partner. We will work with you to answer your institution’s unique research questions, help execute quality assurance and quality improvement analyses, and assess your processes to improve your outcomes.
Explore Resources
Academic Publications
Explore Casper Research and Publications
Review peer-reviewed evidence and research supporting Casper’s use in admissions.
Reports and Guides
Casper Technical Manual
See the technical evidence behind Casper’s design, scoring, reliability, and validity.
Reports and Guides
Beyond Grades: Why Situational Judgment Tests Matter
Learn how situational judgment tests add meaningful evidence beyond academic metrics.
Request A Demo
Meet with our team to see how Acuity Insights can support your program.
- Get a personalized demo
- Learn more about our products
- Get pricing information
"*" indicates required fields
