“OUR STORY is one that is driven by our yearning to have real impact on our clients, science, and society. This impact is a byproduct of the operational programs we support, as well as our propensity to contribute to our profession.”
Suzanne Tsacoumis, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
When I think about the elevator pitch for HumRRO, it really comes down to measuring human capabilities in high-stakes settings.
David Dorsey, Ph.D.
Vice President
Meet RRObot
In 2023, we developed a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) platform called “RROBot,” playing off our HumRRO name.
This generative AI application allows us to leverage the efficiencies of AI without risking the security of our research or client work. We implemented a comprehensive AI policy that establishes ethical guidelines and strategic frameworks for leveraging AI technologies responsibly throughout our operations.
OUR GROWTH stems from wanting to do good for as many different organizations as we can. Being a nonprofit is a game changer because it means we are completely driven by meeting the client’s specific needs. It allows us the freedom to provide solutions specifically tailored for our clients, rather than focusing on profit margins. In the end, everybody wins—the clients win, science wins, and HumRRO wins because we get to do really interesting and impactful work.
Suzanne Tsacoumis, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Contributions to Society
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
STRUCTURED INTERVIEW TRAINING. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) awarded HumRRO a five-year contract to provide assessment development and validation, organizational health consultation, and other general advisory services. This partnership represents our continued commitment to supporting federal agencies with evidence- and merit-based human capital solutions. In 2024, we delivered significant value by transforming the Border Patrol Agent Structured Interview training program from a traditional synchronous model to a more efficient, less costly asynchronous format, enabling standardized delivery of structured interview techniques across the agency, which dramatically accelerated the training process. At the heart of this transformation is an engaging 10-module video series specifically designed for mission-critical Border Patrol Agent positions. This streamlined process ultimately strengthens CBP’s capacity to maintain secure and well-managed border entry points, advancing their core mission of protecting our nation’s borders while facilitating lawful trade and travel.
NATIONAL SECURITY
CAREER EXPLORATION. For more than three decades, HumRRO has supported Defense Testing and Assessment Center (DTAC)’s mission-critical work on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and, more recently, its Career Exploration Program (CEP). The ASVAB and CEP are critical programs for acquiring and engaging new talent for the U.S. military—enabling the services to recruit and access hundreds of thousands of applicants each year. We continue to support DTAC in maintaining and enhancing the ASVAB CEP through website hosting and sustainment, updating the databases underlying both the ASVAB CEP and Certified Information Technology Manager (CITM) websites, updating and developing ASVAB CEP marketing materials, creating quarterly newsletters, continuing communications and outreach efforts, and developing ASVAB CEP training materials for a variety of audiences.
We have deep experience working with both the military and federal civilian agencies. We understand their culture, their practices, and their policies. The assessment work we do promotes national security and helps the agencies we serve to carry out their missions more effectively. Our work has purpose and meaning.
Gary Carter, Ph.D.
Vice President
PRIVATE SECTOR
SKILLS ANALYSIS. HumRRO performed comprehensive workforce research to support the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) Foundation’s research, workforce development, and education goals. The research methodology combined qualitative data from focus groups and quantitative information from a national survey to address five key research questions about employee backgrounds, perceptions of the field, performance elements, certification value, and certification decision factors. While the project remains in progress, preliminary findings have revealed unexpected insights, particularly regarding interpersonal skills, which participants identified as the most appreciated and challenging aspects of their jobs. These skills were also cited as the primary differentiator between good and excellent performance. Based on these findings, the Foundation is exploring the development of an assessment tool focused on interpersonal skills, with HumRRO continuing as a research partner.
Most credentialing programs have some level of stakes about them—whether it’s in health care, finance, or heavy construction—it’s in places where you don’t want incumbents to make a mistake. So, it’s critical to get the assessment right.
Tim McGonigle, Ph.D.
Vice President
CREDENTIALING SOLUTIONS
CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS. Peer Support Specialists (PSS) play a critical role in the prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery process for individuals living with mental health and substance abuse disorders. The California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) contracted with HumRRO to complete a thorough job analysis of its PSS, develop a new blueprint for the Medi-Cal PSS certification exam and build two test forms. The exam was launched in late 2022, and efforts to replenish the item bank began in early 2023. In February 2024, CalMHSA contracted with HumRRO to deliver the exam on our proprietary survey platform throughout the California prison system, fielding both English and Spanish language versions. This certification program allows incarcerated individuals to become PSS professionals, which will help them reintegrate into the community upon their release.
HumRRO staff contribute back to the mission of HumRRO and to science and society in everything they do, every single day. When HumRRO is brought into a project and when our expert staff evaluate that work and sign off on the quality of that work, that’s a significant stamp of approval that we’re very proud of.
Harold Doran, Ph.D.
Vice President
EDUCATION
EVALUATION FRAMEWORK. The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) is the nation’s largest investment in community schools. This “whole child” educational approach is based on collaboration between school staff, families, and community partners to support robust, relevant learning. The California Department of Education (CDE) asked HumRRO to conduct a formative evaluation of the CCSPP and develop tools to support the schools with CCSPP grant funding to use in their internal assessments to guide the implementation and improvement of community school features and activities. Our expert team is crafting a multi-dimensional evaluation framework that leverages existing data sources while gathering rich qualitative insights through strategic interviews and immersive site visits. By identifying critical information gaps and developing customized assessment tools, we’re equipping CCSPP with resources and tools for self-evaluation that will help maximize their impact on students, parents, teachers, and the community.
Contributions to Science
PUBLICATIONS
Routledge International Handbook of Automated Essay Evaluation
DAVID DORSEY, Ph.D., Vice President
HILLARY MICHAELS, Ph.D., Education BD Director
STEVE FERRARA, Ph.D., Principal Scientist
CHAPTER: “Validity Argument Roadmap for Automated Scoring,” 2024
Journal of Educational Measurement
HAROLD DORAN, Ed.D., Vice President
TETSUHIRO YAMADA, Ph.D., Research Scientist
TED DIAZ, Ph.D., Principal Scientist
EMRE GONULATES, Ph.D., Senior Scientist
VANESSA CULVER, Senior Web Designer
“A Generalized Objective Function for Computer Adaptive Item Selection,” 2024
Contributions to the Profession
Leadership Positions
Committees
Academic Journal Reviewers
HumRRO Vice President Tim McGonigle, Ph.D. (center) received the lifetime honor of becoming a Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Fellow in 2024 for his significant contributions to the I-O field. Also pictured are HumRRO’s Gavan O’Shea, Ph.D., (left), who was inducted as a SIOP Fellow in 2022, and Kevin Bradley, Ph.D. (right).
HumRRO Principal Scientist Michael Walker, Ph.D., served as the 2023-2024 President of the National Council on Measurement in Education, a professional organization for individuals involved in assessment, evaluation, testing, and other aspects of educational measurement. In that role, he also served as a member of the NCME Executive Committee and presided over its Annual Meetings.
Amy McKee, HumRRO’s Business Development Director, Talent Management and Credentialing, (back row, second from left), served as Chair of the Certification Network Group’s Board of Directors in 2024. HumRRO headquarters welcomed the CNG Board for their annual meeting to celebrate their successes.
GIVING BACK
FELLOWSHIPS
Over the past 25 years, the HumRRO Fellowship in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology has become one of the most prestigious awards in the fields of human resources and organizational behavior. It has made a significant impact on recipients and their research. A non-renewable $18,000 stipend is given to a graduate student demonstrating exceptional research skills.
In 2024, we created a new fellowship—the HumRRO Fellowship in Educational Measurement and Evaluation—awarded to a doctoral candidate in educational measurement and evaluation or a closely related discipline. A non-renewable $18,000 stipend is given to a graduate student demonstrating exceptional research skills.
I-O PSYCHOLOGY
2024 Recipient
ASHLEY SYLVARA,
Kansas State University
2023 Recipient
CHU CHU,
University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
INTERNSHIPS
Each summer, HumRRO welcomes four graduate and doctoral-level students for paid internships in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Educational Measurement and Evaluation or related fields. The students work on a variety of projects and find the experience rewarding.
VOLUNTEERING
HumRRO staff helped serve meals and spread holiday cheer at Safeway’s Feast of Sharing in Washington, D.C. Each year, more than 5,000 community members enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, live entertainment, free health screenings, and more!
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Department of Defense
$82,916,551 (65%)
- Private Sector
$29,619,776 (23%)
- Other Federal Government
$10,721,568 (8%)
- State/Local Government
$5,191,915 (4%)