Dr. Larry Hedges stands as a preeminent figure in the field of educational statistics and policy research, currently holding the distinguished position of Board of Trustees Professor of Statistics and Social Policy at Northwestern University. He serves as a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research and maintains joint appointments in the Department of Statistics and Data Science, the School of Education and Social Policy, and as Professor of Psychology and Medical Social Sciences. After completing his doctoral studies at Stanford University in 1980 under the guidance of Ingram Olkin, he established himself as a leading methodologist during his tenure at the University of Chicago where he held the Stella M. Rowley Distinguished Service Professorship across multiple departments. Dr. Hedges joined Northwestern University in 2005, bringing his extensive expertise in statistical methodology to advance the university's research capacity in social policy evaluation. His interdisciplinary approach has enabled him to bridge the gap between rigorous statistical theory and practical policy applications throughout his distinguished career.
Dr. Hedges has pioneered transformative methodologies in meta-analysis, developing sophisticated statistical techniques for synthesizing evidence across multiple empirical studies in education, social sciences, and medicine. His seminal work, including co-editing The Handbook of Research Synthesis in 1994, established foundational frameworks that have become standard practice for evidence-based policy making worldwide. His research on effect size estimators, statistical aspects of the replication crisis, and the design and analysis of social experiments has profoundly influenced how researchers evaluate educational interventions and social programs. With numerous journal articles and eight influential books to his name, his methodological innovations have enabled more precise assessments of educational disparities, including studies examining gender differences in mental test scores and the black-white achievement gap. The practical application of his statistical methods has significantly enhanced the rigor of policy evaluation across multiple domains of social science research.
As an elected member of the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Statistical Association, American Psychological Association, and American Educational Research Association, Dr. Hedges has shaped the methodological standards of multiple disciplines through his leadership roles. He served as president of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness and was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Board of Directors for the National Board for Education Sciences, where he provided critical guidance on federal education research policy. Recognized with the prestigious Yidan Prize for Education Research in 2018, the world's largest education prize, his contributions continue to influence global education research practices. Currently co-directing the STEPP Center with Beth Tipton, he leads active research projects supported by major grants from the National Science Foundation, US Institute of Education Sciences, and other prominent funding organizations. Dr. Hedges remains at the forefront of advancing statistical methodology to address contemporary challenges in education policy and social science research.
