Community

Principal Investigators

Jeremy Roschelle
Digital Promise

Pei Zhu
MDRC

Mark Angel
Amira Learning

Neville Ryant
University of Pennsylvania

Mark Liberman
University of Pennsylvania

Lyle Ungar
University of Pennsylvania

R&D Center Staff

Evan Chuu
Digital Promise
Project Manager

Danny Collum
Amira Learning
Engineering Project Lead

Denise DiPersio
University of Pennsylvania
IRB and Data Sharing Lead

Ximena Dominguez
Digital Promise
Learner Research Lead

Judi Fusco
Digital Promise
Educator Communities Lead

Alan Gee
Amira Learning
Data Scientist

Richard Hendra
MDRC
Senior Quantitative Analyst

Peter Jungwirth
Amira Learning
Engineering Lead

Danae Kamdar
Digital Promise
Early Learning Researcher

Seth Kulick
University of Pennsylvania
Linguistics/NLP Researcher

Tiffany Leones
Digital Promise
Early Learning Researcher

Ran Liu
Amira Learning
Data Liaison Lead

Gabrielle Lue
Digital Promise
Communications Lead

Jaclyn Ocumpaugh
University of Houston
Learning Analytics Lead

Bennett Otten
MDRC
Researcher

Margaret Perkoff
University of Pennsylvania
Researcher

Adam Porsch
Amira Learning
Operations Lead

Kristin Porter
MDRC
Data Manager

Yenda Prado
Digital Promise
National Leadership Lead

Pati Ruiz
Digital Promise
National EdTech Lead

Byeong Hyeon So
MDRC
Researcher

Stefani Pautz Stephenson
Digital Promise
Teacher Research Lead

Kirk Vanacore
University of Pennsylvania
Researcher

Xin Wei
Digital Promise
Senior Quantitative Researcher

Jonathan Wright
University of Pennsylvania

Reading Science, Ethics, and National Leadership Advisors

Ryan Baker
Adelaide University

Ana Taboada Barber
University of Maryland

María Carlo
University of South Florida

Nell Duke
Stand for Children

Tanya Wright
University of Michigan

Marianne Bakia
Innovation Partners in Education LLC

National Leadership Educator Cohort: Current Members

The U-GAIN Reading National Leadership Educator Cohort is a dynamic group of educational practitioners representing a broad range of communities across the country. The cohort meets regularly to share knowledge and discuss the current challenges of reading instruction in an age of AI, while championing recommended practices, examples, and research at the local, state, and national level.

Patricia “Patt” Dennis
Orange Public Schools, NJ
School Library Media Specialist

Brooke Falck
Indian Prairie School District, IL
ESL Teacher

Kristen Flores
Westminster School District, CA
Reading Intervention Teacher

Denise Gimenez-Duvall
Cabarrus County Schools, NC
ESL Teacher

Morgan Herman
Talladega County Schools, AL
Technology Coach

Danielle Hinkel
Iowa City Public Schools, IA
ELL Teacher

Orchid Rocha
Westminster School District, CA
Dual Immersion Teacher

Melissa “Missy” Smith
Allentown School District, PA
ED of Learning & Teaching

U-GAIN Reading Alumni

Katherine Adler
Orcutt Union School District
Teacher on Special Assignment

Brooke Mabry
Amira Learning
Product Design Lead

Lauren Rosado
Allentown School District
Reading Specialist

Kristen Vargo
Quakertown Community School District
Instructional Coach

Madison Jacobs
Edtech Equity Project

Erin Mote
InnovateEDU

Nidhi Hebbar
Edtech Equity Project

Kristina Ishmael
Ishmael Consulting

Institute of Education Sciences’ National Research and Development (R&D) Centers

• National Center on Generative AI for Uplifting STEM+C Education (GENIUS Center)
• AmplifyGAIN: Generative AI for Transformative Learning
• Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI): Innovating Beginning Reading Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners

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