Professional Summary
Amota Ataneka Merang is a doctoral candidate in Quantitative Research Methodologies. His research focuses on developing and applying quantitative methods for causal inference, particularly in settings where important variables are not directly observed but are measured through tests, surveys, or questionnaires. These include constructs such as achievement, burnout, motivation, depression, self-efficacy, trust, belonging, and quality of life. His dissertation brings together ideas from psychometrics, causal inference, and machine learning to develop methods that account for measurement error while allowing for nonlinear relationships, interactions, and other complexities in the data.
His dissertation is supported by the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship, and paper that provides part of the methodological foundation for this work has been accepted for publication pending minor revisions at Psychological Methods (July 2026). Amota is currently extending his methodological work to item response theory (IRT), developing a data-adaptive framework for estimating causal effects when variables are measured using binary or categorical test and survey items.
A second area of his research focuses on the design of studies examining treatment effects, mediation, and moderation effects in multilevel and multisite settings. His work in this area considers questions such as how many participants, clusters, or sites are needed to detect effects with adequate statistical power. This includes developing methods for study planning under clustering and mediation, as well as estimating design parameters from large-scale datasets that researchers can use when planning future studies.
Amota is also contributing a chapter on cluster randomized trials to the Oxford Handbook of Impact Evaluation. He presents his research at conferences including the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Modern Modeling Methods (M3), the American Evaluation Association (AEA), and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE).
Education
Bachelor of Economics: University of Queensland Australia, 2011
Master's of Public Administration (MPA): University of Hawaii USA, 2017 (Data Envelopment Analysis)
Ph.D. (Quantitative Methodologies): University of Cincinnati Ohio, 2027 (Causal Machine Learning, Psychometrics)
Ph.D. (Education): James Cook University Australia, 2025 (Evaluation)
Positions and Work Experience
- Teaching Assistant: Graduate-level Research Methods Courses: Course Title: EDST8086 Causal Inference for the Social Sciences; Where: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), Institute for Social Research (ISR), University of Michigan, USA; When: Summer 2024 ,
- Teaching Assistant: Graduate-level Research Methods Courses: Course Title: EDST8086 Experimental & Quasi-experimental Research for Causal Inference Where: School of Education, College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. When: Fall 2023; Spring 2024; Fall 2024,
- Teaching Assistant: Graduate-level Research Methods Courses: Course Title: EDST8089 Structural Equation Modeling Where: School of Education, College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA When: Spring 2025,
- Workshop/Professional-Development Instructor:1. Workshop Name: PD25-10 Designing Adequately Powered Cluster and Multisite Randomized Trials to Detect Main Effects, Moderation, and Mediation Where: American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Denver, Colorado, USA. Link When: April 2025, https://tinyurl.com/28cpmdee
- Workshop/Professional-Development Instructor:Workshop Name: Designing Adequately Powered Cluster and Multisite Randomized Trials to Detect Main Effects, Moderation, and Mediation. Where: American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Chicago, IL, USA. Link When: April 2023 Notes: Participants paid $90 on top of conference registration fee to attend this workshop,
- Workshop/Professional-Development Instructor:Workshop Name: Designing Adequately Powered Cluster and Multisite Randomized Trials to Detect Main Effects, Moderation, and Mediation. Where: Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), Indianapolis, USA. When: October 2023 Notes: Paid workshop; Link , https://eval23.eventscribe.net/fsPopup.asp?PresentationID=1282613&mode=presInfo
- Workshop/Professional-Development Instructor:Workshop Name: Designing Adequately Powered Multilevel Studies Cluster Randomized Trials to Detect Main Effects, Moderation, and Mediation. Where: Northeastern Educational Research Conference (NERA) Conference, Trumbull, Connecticut, USA. Link When: October 2023 Notes: Paid workshop, https://www.nera-education.org/annual_conference.php,
Research Support
Grant: #1760884 Investigators:PIs: Benjamin Kelcey, Nianbo Dong National Science Foundation (NSF) Designing Multisite Mediation Studies to Track Teacher Development Processes in Mathematics Role:Collaborator $499,996.00 Completed Type:Grant
Grant: #1552535 Investigators:PIs: Benjamin Kelcey National Science Foundation (NSF) Multilevel Mediation Models to Study the Impact of Teacher Development on Student Achievement in Mathematics. Role:Contributor $679,105.00
Grant: #2321191 01-01-2024 -12-31-2026 U.S National Science Foundation (NSF) An Explanatory Machine Learning Framework for Teacher Effectiveness in STEM Education Role:Contributor $349,999.00 Active Type:Grant
Investigators:McLean LE, Youngs P, Bartell T, Kelcey B, Jones ND The Impacts of Pre-service Supervised Field Experiences on Elementary Teachers Retention and Effectiveness in Mathematics Role:Contributor $1,493,082.00 Type:Grant
Grant: #Dissertation Fellowship Award 09-01-2026 -08-31-2027 Spencer Foundation Amota Ataneka - Causal Machine Learning with Reflective Latent Variables: A Latent Deep & Targeted Learning (LDTL) Architecture Role:PI 27500.00 Awarded Level:Non Profit
Grant: #Dissertation Fellowship Award 09-01-2026 -08-31-2027 Spencer Foundation Amota Ataneka - Causal Machine Learning with Reflective Latent Variables: A Latent Deep & Targeted Learning (LDTL) Architecture Role:PI 27500.00 Awarded Level:Non Profit
Publications
Peer Reviewed Publications
Bai, F., Xie, Y., Kelcey, B., Ataneka, A., McLean, L., & Phelps, G. (2024). Design Parameter Values for Planning Mediation Studies with Teacher and Student Mathematics Outcomes. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2024.2349670
Ataneka, A., Bai, F., Xie, Y., Kelcey, B., McLean, L. (2026. ) Evaluations of Literacy-Based Programs: Empirical Values for Designing Studies Probing Mediation.Eavaluation Review, , 0 (0 ) , More Information
Ataneka, A., Doyle, T., Tomas, L., (in progress). ‘Red-Dirt Thinking’ of School Performance Evaluation: A CritQuant Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in Queensland State Primary Schools.
Bai, F., Kelcey, B., Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Cox, K., & Dong, N. (2025). Designing Multisite Randomized Trials to Detect (Conditional) Mediation Effects. American Journal of Evaluation. More Information
Bai, F., Kelcey, B., Xie, Y., Ataneka, A., Cox, K., & Dong, N. (2025. ) Design and Analysis of Multisite Cluster-Randomized Trials Targeting (Conditional) Mediation Effects.The Journal of Experimental Education , , More Information
Bai, F., Kelcey, B., Ataneka, A., (in-progress), Missing Data in Multilevel Structural Equation Models: A Multilevel Structural-After-Measurement Estimation Approach, Link
Ataneka, A., Kelcey, B., McLean, L., Youngs, P., (under review), Evaluating the Causal Effect of Teacher Mental Health Induction Program on Teacher Burnout, Depression and Anxiety, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Link
Ataneka, A., Kelcey, B Causal Machine Learning with Latent Outcomes .Psychological Methods, ,
Other Publications
Ataneka, A., Kelcey, B., Dong, N., Bulus, M., & Bai, F. (2023. ) Power-Up Shiny App User Guide 0.9 .https://www.causalevaluation.org/power-analysis.html,
Ataneka A., (2016. ) Evaluating the efficiency of public hospitals in the State of Hawaii .
Hawaii public Hospitals Efficiency
Book Chapter
Ataneka A., Kelcey B., (2026 ) Cluster Randomized Trials (CRT) Oxford Handbook for Impact Evaluations .Oxford Press
Presentations
Invited Presentations
Bai, F., Ataneka, A., Kelcey, B., & Xie, Y (2023. ) Designing Adequately Powered Multilevel Studies Cluster Randomized Trials to Detect Main Effects, Moderation, and Mediation .University of Connecticut, Trumbull, Connecticut, USA, https://www.nera-education.org/annual_conference.php. Workshop. . Level:Regional
Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Bai, F., Kelcey, B., & Dong, N. (Oct 2023). Symposium Title: Exploring Variation in Populations and Outcomes: Challenging Design Conventions in Study Parameters, Paper Presented: Design Parameter Values for Multilevel Mediation Studies of Teacher Development. Northeastern Educational Research Conference (NERA) Conference 2023, Trumbull, Connecticut, USA. Link
Xie, Y., Bai, F., Ataneka, A., & Kelcey, B., (2024), Symposium Title: Design and Analysis for Causal Inferences in and across, Paper Presented: Moderation in Multisite Partially Nested Trials: Estimation, Inference, and Design Studies, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Link
Poster Presentations
Bai, F., Kelcey, B., Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Dong, N., (April 2025), Experimental Power for Mediation Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Bai, F., Kelcey, B., & Dong, N. (Oct 2023). Design Parameter Values for Multilevel Mediation Studies of Teacher Development. Effects in Multisite Studies, Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA), Tru Colorado, USA. Link
Colloquium
Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Bai, F., Kelcey, B., & Dong, N. (04-2024). Design Parameter Values for Planning Mediation Studies With Teacher and Student Mathematics Outcomes. . Spring Conference, Louisville, Kentucky. Conference. Level:Regional
Paper Presentations
Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Bai, F., Kelcey, B., & Dong, N. (05-2023. ) Design Parameter Values for Planning Mediation Studies With Teacher and Student Mathematics Outcomes. .Chicago. Conference. Level:National
Ataneka, A., (2017. ) Examining the Efficiency of Public Elementary Schools in the State of Hawaii: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis .California. Conference. Level:National
Bai, F., Xie, Y., Kelcey, B., Ataneka, A., McLean, L., Dong, N., & Phelps, G. (10-2023. ) Design Parameter Values for Multilevel Mediation Studies of Teacher Development. .Connecticut. Conference.
Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Bai, F., Kelcey, B., & Dong, N. (09-2023. ) Design Parameter Values for Multilevel Mediation Studies of Teacher Development. .Arlington Virginia . Conference. Level:National
Ataneka, A., Kelcey, B., McLean, L., Youngs, P., (April 2025), Evaluating the Causal Effect of Teacher Mental Health Induction Program on Teacher Burnout, Depression and Anxiety, Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Denver, Colorado, USA, Link
Kelcey, B., Ataneka, A., (April 2025), Explanatory Machine Learning Methods for Teacher Effectiveness, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Denver, Colorado, USA, Link
Ataneka, A., Xie, Y., Bai, F., Kelcey, B., & Dong, N. (Oct 2023). Design Parameter Values for Multilevel Mediation Studies of Teacher Development. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), Indianapolis, IN. USA, Link
Kelcey, B., Xie, Y., Bai, F., & Ataneka, A. (November 2023). Moderation in Multisite Partially Nested Experiments: Estimation, Inference and Design. Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Fall Conference 2023, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Kelcey, B., Bai, F., Cox, K., Xie, Y., & Ataneka, A. (April 2024). Structural After Measurement Estimation With Missing Data in Structural Equation Models. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting 2024, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Link
Kelcey, B., Bai, F., & Ataneka, A. (April 2024). Structural After Measurement Estimation of higher order and (non)linear in n-level Structural Equation Models, American Evaluation Association (AEA) Annual Meeting 2024, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Link
Kelcey, B., Bai, F., Ataneka, A., & Xie, Y. (April 2024). Experimental Design and Analysis of Multiple Group Individually-Randomized Group Trials. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting 2024, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Ataneka, A., Doyle, T., Engel, L., (2021), ‘Red-Dirt Thinking’ of School Performance Evaluation: A CritQuant Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in Queensland State Primary Schools. CASE HDR Conference, Cairns, Australia
(2026. )
(2026. )
Symposium
Ataneka, A., Cox, K., Kelcey, B., Bai, F., Luce, Hannah., (10-2022. ) Detecting Moderation Effects in Cluster Randomized Trials with Partially Nested Data .Washington DC. Conference. Level:International
Ataneka, A., (Discussant) (11-2022. ) Principles of Estimation, Inference & Design in Partially Nested Regression Discontinuity Studies .New Orleans, Louisiana. Conference.
Professional Affiliation
2022 -2025: Official Member AERA (American Educational Research Association) , Washington DC
2022 -2025: Official Member AEA (American Evaluation Association), Washington DC
2022 -2025: Official Member APPAM (Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management), Washington DC
2022 -2025: Official Member SREE (Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness), Washington DC