Language testing PhD student Olena Rossi has been selected as the winner of the best student paper award at the East Coast Organization of Language Testers, USA (ECOLT) 2020 conference, which was held online. The award committee stated:

The committee unanimously selected Olena Rossi as the winner of the best student paper award for her paper entitled: “The role of specifications and sample items in item writing: An empirical exploration.” The paper used an excellent mixed-methods approach to investigate an important, but oft-neglected, aspect of test design; namely, how effectively item writers use specifications, and how training in the specifications affects that efficacy. The presentation had a clear focus and was well-paced and logically oriented, with clean, clear slides. Rossi grounded her study effectively in the research literature, providing a concise yet detailed background. She also answered questions knowledgeably and effectively. The study is highly useful for test developers who need to train item writers. We congratulate Olena on her innovative and engaging paper.

Many congratulations to Olena on this wonderful recognition of the quality of her doctoral research and her excellent conference presentation!