Meet the Team behind nexxus
At Nexxus, our strength lies in bridging disciplines. Where technical expertise meets strategy and leadership — solving your most complex challenges.
Stephen Murphy Ph.d
Managing ParTNER
Areas of Expertise
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IRT modeling
Equating
Scaling
Standard setting
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Leadership development
Executive coaching
Organizational design
Sustainable change management
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Business growth strategies
Vendor support
Government relations
RFP solutions and response
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TAC support
Study and research design
Technical documentation
Peer review evidence
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Market analysis
Strategies for competitive advantage
AI, ML, & driving innovation
Mergers & acquisition
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.
At Nexxus, Stephen leads work in business development and relations, leadership and expanding capacity, psychometrics and technical services, assessment operations, and research and evaluation, bringing a steady hand and innovative mindset to projects that require both precision and vision.
“As a psychometrician, I believe the best systems balance technical precision with practical implementation. My time at Harvard, combined with years in executive leadership, reinforced that lasting impact also requires authentic leadership and clear strategy.”
Maria D’Brot
Managing ParTNER
Areas of Expertise
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Systems design
Compliance
Peer review evidence
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Transparency frameworks
Data quality
Accountability reporting
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Validation of automated scoring
Emerging measurement technologies
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Assessment systems
Student engagement
Program improvement
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Assessment & item design
Transition planning
Readiness
Sustainability
Maria D’Brot is a seasoned education leader whose career spans the classroom, district office, state agency, and vendor sector. With over two decades of experience, she brings a rare combination of practical knowledge, policy expertise, and research skill to every engagement. Her work reflects a lifelong commitment to improving systems in ways that genuinely serve students and educators.
Maria began her career as a math and science teacher, where she learned firsthand the importance of student engagement and meaningful feedback. She went on to serve in district leadership before becoming a Deputy Superintendent at the state level, where she oversaw accountability systems, peer review, and data governance. In the vendor sector, she has partnered with states and organizations to design and transition large-scale assessment programs, lead professional learning, and strengthen organizational capacity.
Currently completing her PhD in Research, Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics (REMS), Maria’s dissertation focuses on large-scale accountability systems and their relationship to student engagement. Her research underscores her belief that accountability must not only meet compliance standards, but also reflect what matters most in education: supporting students in meaningful, equitable ways.
At Nexxus, Maria leads work in strategy, policy, accountability, leadership, and capacity building, helping clients align technical systems with real-world impact. Known for translating complexity into clarity, she partners with states, districts, and vendors to design solutions that are rigorous, practical, and sustainable.
“As a former deputy superintendent, I’ve seen firsthand how the right strategy can transform an organization. At Nexxus, we bridge vision and execution—aligning people, policy, and practice to deliver results that matter for the communities we serve.”
Our Approach
Collaboration
We know the best solutions are built together. That’s why our work emphasizes close partnerships with clients and stakeholders, grounded in iterative design that tests, refines, and improves over time. Through this collaborative process, we co-create strategies and systems that are practical, sustainable, and trusted by the people who use them. Our role is not just to advise, but to walk alongside organizations—building the confidence, capacity, and clarity needed to achieve measurable impact.
Connection
At Nexxus, we believe true progress happens at the connection point between vision and action. Our approach is rooted in data-informed decision-making and integrated solutions—linking policy, leadership, and operations into cohesive systems that work in practice, not just on paper. By turning complex information into clear, actionable insights, we help leaders bridge the gap between compliance requirements and meaningful results, ensuring every decision drives long-term success.