HEDW 2026 Conference Keynote Speaker
HEDW is proud to present Dr. James G. Scott as the 2026 HEDW Conference Keynote speaker.
Dr. Scott is Professor and Department Chair of Statistics and Data Sciences at the The University of Texas at Austin.
Leaders in higher education now have access to an unprecedented volume of digital traces, from LMS activity to advising records, and with it the hope of finally answering the question: what works in actually educating students? Yet this abundance of data can create a seductive illusion of transparency. In practice, determining whether an educational intervention truly works requires careful measurement, along with a clear sense of what conclusions the available evidence can actually support.
Using this question as a guide, Dr. Scott will lead a conversation about informational humility: how institutions can match data governance to the real strength of their evidence, label metrics by intended use, and avoid mistaking highly audited compliance measures for actionable insight. He will also explore how to protect and learn from informal but highly informative local signals that often matter most for timely intervention, even when they are not formal enough to fit neatly into reporting systems.
Drawing on his experience as a statistician, department chair, and award-winning university teacher, he will offer a practical framework for thinking more clearly about educational measurement, institutional decision-making, and the kinds of evidence colleges rely on when they claim to know what is helping students learn.
For more information. Dr. Scott's bio is located here.