Stephen Murphy is a proven leader and expert psychometrician with more than two decades of experience designing, implementing, and improving assessment systems across industries. Known for blending deep technical expertise with practical operational insight, Stephen has supported state and local education agencies, vendors, and institutions in building programs that are both rigorous and sustainable.

Stephen holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and earned a Certificate of Management Excellence from Harvard Business School, completing programs in Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, Disruptive Innovation, and Authentic Leadership Development. This unique combination of technical expertise and leadership training informs his ability to guide organizations through complex challenges with both rigor and vision.

Before co-founding Nexxus, Stephen served in senior leadership roles where he led EdTech, assessment design, psychometric research, and the integration of new technologies, including the use of AI in scoring, content generation, and data and reporting. His work has spanned large, multi-year contracts, B2B, B2C, program oversight and design, technical research and documentation, standard setting, test security, and support of Technical Advisory Committees (TACs), always with a focus on ensuring validity, reliability, and fairness for all learners.

Stephen’s approach goes beyond data science and analytics. He is skilled at translating complex psychometric concepts into language that policymakers, educators, and stakeholders can understand and act upon. Clients value his ability to ensure technical excellence while keeping systems aligned to broader educational goals.