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Dr. Kevin McGrew is an expert psychologist and co-authored the Woodcock-Johnson test, widely used across K-12 schools to assess strengths and weaknesses and inform IEPs to struggling students. He also influences state and national policy, as well as being a highly requested expert witness for psychological assessment. But in all of his success, McGrew hasn’t lost what drove him in the first place.

“I just want to make a difference in the lives of kids and individuals with disabilities, and those on the margins. Knowing I’ve done that is enough for me.”

Kevin McGrew is being recognized with Minnesota State Moorhead’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni award, not only for his extensive and impactful career, but for his embodiment of the core values of what it means to be a Dragon.

Finding purpose and passion

McGrew originally attended Moorhead for pre-engineering before learning it wasn’t right for him. He then decided to try a wide variety of classes to see what interested him, knowing only that he enjoyed the scientific method.

“I found the act of developing hypotheses, gathering data, and making conclusions intriguing—it simply fits the way I think.”

It was an introductory psychology class that piqued his interest. At the time, Moorhead housed a student-run animal research lab, where psychology students could conduct experiments. It was here that McGrew spent a significant amount of his time.

“I found my people there, who thought about research the same way I did. We would spend time debating, arguing, disagreeing, laughing, and discussing. It was a place for us to let our guards down and have a good, open discussion.”

After graduating, McGrew knew what he loved most was experimental psych, but positions in that field were hard to come by, so he stayed at Moorhead to attain a master’s in school psychology. McGrew worked as a school psychologist for a decade, but after work, he would research and write on intelligence testing and assessment.

“I found research to be my calling, but I still loved working in a school with students.”

McGrew pursued and completed his Ph.D. in educational psychology, and found purpose in becoming a professor at St. Cloud State. His decade of instructing allowed him to work with students and conduct further research, the two things he was passionate about.

This time also allowed him to co-write several federal grants, and work with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) at the University of Minnesota. This work advocated for students with learning disabilities, making sure they are properly represented.

During his time at the NCEO, it was the national voice for No Child Left Behind reforms. These educational reforms aimed to reduce disparities between lower-performing and higher-performing students and districts.

“In a policy paper for the NCEO, I was able to prove empirically that children with intellectual disabilities can be high achievers with proper guidance,” says McGrew.

While a professor, he had a fortuitous encounter with Dr. Richard Woodcock, which would change the trajectory of his career, leading to some of his proudest accomplishments.

Serendipitous moments

McGrew was researching the Woodcock-Johnson (WJ) test, developed to assess IQ and provide individualized education plans (IEPs) to students who are struggling. “I was one of the few school psychologists in the country publishing on Dr. Woodcock’s work,” he says.

After spotting Dr. Woodcock at a conference in Minneapolis, McGrew worked up the courage to introduce himself. Over time, he and Woodcock became close. This mentorship relationship led to McGrew being asked to co-write the first revision of the test. Through this opportunity, he also crossed paths with John Horn and Jack Carroll—two of the three creators of the CHC Theory of Intelligence—which guided the revision of the Woodcock-Johnson. This theory is the consensus model of the structure of human intelligence.

“Horn and Carrol developed a table of human cognitive ability allowance,” McGrew says. “I did a lot of writing to bridge the gap between the theory and practicing it.”

In applying the CHC theory to the revisions of the Woodcock-Johnson test, and his extensive personal research on the topic, McGrew became the authoritative international scholar on the CHC Theory of Intelligence.

McGrew has co-authored the third, fourth, and fifth editions of the test, conducting data analysis and writing the technical manual for them.

Lending expertise when the stakes are high

Being an expert in intelligence assessment, McGrew has been called to provide expert consultations on dozens of court cases throughout the years. Most of these cases needed to test the intelligence of the convicted. This has been a crucial step in high-profile cases since 2002, when a landmark case (Atkins v. Virginia) caused the U.S. Supreme Court to outlaw the death penalty for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

“I was naive about the quality of work some psychologists do for these lucrative court cases. I saw some interpretations of the test that were unprofessional and not well-researched,” McGrew says. “I set out to be the new sheriff in town to make sure, at the very least, when they see my name on the other side they would double-check their assessments.”

McGrew was frequently called on, and often answered the call pro bono, feeling a conviction to provide his expertise in these momentous Atkins cases.

“I felt I had a responsibility to educate the judges, since they don’t know much about the psychological assessments. These are high-stakes cases, so I want the psychologists to do stellar work and the data to be correctly interpreted.”

Continued research and impact

For the last few decades, McGrew has continued personal research through his Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP). McGrew also inspires students at various universities, sharing why purpose, passion, and serendipity are “the cornerstones of what got me to where I am.” He encourages practicing what he calls probability-enhanced serendipity, reflected in Louis Pasteur’s observation that chance favors the prepared mind.

“The more you study and become knowledgeable, the more you can increase the chance of serendipitous encounters––lucky accidents,” he says.

McGrew’s research, authorship, advocacy, consulting, and teaching all go back to the same place: his desire to make a difference in the lives of the marginalized.

“I’ve always had a place in my heart for kids with disabilities. The reward is knowing I’ve made a difference through the test and the NCEO, along with the personal connections I’ve made with students.”

Kevin McGrew is the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Alumni award for his enormous contributions to the field of intelligence theory and testing, his heartfelt advocacy for students with intellectual disabilities, and his willingness to lend expertise in high stakes.

Congratulations, Dr. McGrew.