Meet the team behind Innovating Learning and Education in the Era of AI.

MIT RAISE Team

We bring together diverse expertise from faculty, staff and students across all five schools of MIT.

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Faculty & Research Scientists
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Faculty and Research Scientists

Cynthia Breazeal
Cynthia Breazeal
Director, RAISE   Professor, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group Associate Director, MIT Media Lab Dean for Digital Learning, MIT Open Learning


Breazeal leads RAISE to advance research and innovation at the intersection of AI, social empowerment, and education and to foster diversity and inclusivity in an AI literate society.

Hal Abelson
Hal Abelson
Co-Director, AI Literacy & Technologies   Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, MIT CSAIL Founder, App Inventor


Abelson is a pioneer of constructionist learning and computational thinking.

Eric Klopfer
Eric Klopfer
Co-Director, Professional Development and Education Research   Professor, Comparative Media Studies/Writing Director, Eduction Arcade Co-Director, J-WEL World Education Lab


Klopfer is an expert in serious game design to promote student engagement and learning in STEM.

Hae Won Park
Hae Won Park
Co-Director, AI-Supported Learning  Research Scientist, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Hae Won Park is an expert in Social Robotics and is a Principal Investigator of the Social Robot Companions Program. Her

Sanjay Sharma
Sanjay Sarma
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Vice President, MIT Open Learning


Sarma is the VP for Open Learning at MIT, which includes the Office of Digital Learning, the MIT Integrated Learning Initiative

Mitch Resnick
Mitchel Resnick
Advisor, RAISE  Professor, Media Lab, Lifelong Kindergarten Group Founder, The Scratch Foundation 


Resnick is a world leader in constructionist approaches to creative learning. His team develops the Scratch


David Birnbach
David Birnbach
Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management


Birnbach's research focus is at the intersection of technology innovation, entrepreneurship, and vocational education. He is a faculty mentor in several Action Learning programs including

John Gabrieli
John Gabrieli
Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Director, Martinos Imaging Center, McGovern Institute Director, MIT Integrated Learning Initiative


John Gabrieli is a behavioral neuroscientist.

George Westerman
George Westerman
Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management Faculty Director, Workforce Learning, MIT Jameel World Education Lab


Westerman works at the nexus of executive leadership and


Robert Shin
Robert Shin
MIT Lincoln Lab, ISR Systems and Technology, Tactical Systems Director, Beaver Works at MIT


Shin is the Head of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Tactical Systems Division at MIT Lincoln

Irene Lee
Irene Lee
Research Scientist, MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program and Education Arcade


Irene Lee is a research scientist in MIT's Scheller Teacher Education Program and Education Arcade.

Glenda Stump
Glenda Stump
Education Research Scientist, Open Learning


Glenda Stump is a Research Scientist for MIT's Open Learning program. Her work examines student beliefs, learning



Student Research Assistants

Samuel Spaulding
Samuel Spaulding
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Sam Spaulding is a PhD graduate research assistant with the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. His research

Randi Williams
Randi Williams
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Randi Williams is a PhD graduate research assistant developing new technologies and curriculum for K-12 AI Literacy. She has developed

Huili Chen
Huili Chen
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Huili Chen is a PhD graduate research assistant in the Personal Robots group at the MIT Media Lab. Her research interests


Safinah Ali
Safinah Ali
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Safinah is a PhD research assistant in the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab.

Daniella DiPaola
Daniella DiPaola
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Daniella DiPaola is a MS graduate research assistant with expertise in human factors, user-centered design,

Jessica Van Brummelen
Jessica van Brummelen
Graduate Student, CSAIL, MIT App Inventor


Jessica is an EECS PhD graduate research assistant aiming to empower learners with technology to solve real world problems.


Ishaan Grover
Ishaan Grover
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Ishaan is a PhD graduate research assistant with the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. His research

Chessa Hoekstra
Chessa Hoekstra
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Chessa Hoekstra is an MEng student in the Personal Robots Group developing new tools and curricula for AI Literacy.

Nisha Devasia
Nisha Devasia
Undergraduate Researcher, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Nisha Devasia is an undergraduate research assistant with experience in game design and game adjacent backend engineering.


Stephen Kaputsos
Stephen Kaputsos
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Stephen P. Kaputsos is a graduate research assistant exploring augmentation of human-robot collaboration.

Xiajie Zhang
Xiajie Zhang
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Xiajie Zhang has worked on various projects in child-robot interaction with a focus on literacy education and has experiences in affective analysis,

Nada Hussein
Nada Hussein
Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Nada Hussein is an M.Eng student with the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab, focusing on real-time music analysis and accompaniment.


Nicole Pang
Nicole Pang
Graduate Student, MIT CSAIL


Nicole Pang is a MEng student and research assistant in EECS working with Personal Robotics Group and App Inventor.

Murielle Dunand
Murielle Dunand
Graduate Student, MIT App Inventor


Murielle Dunand is a MS graduate research assistant with projects in education, curriculum design, and visually accessible design.

Jimin Lee
Jimin Lee
Undergraduate Researcher, MIT App Inventor


Jimin Lee is an undergraduate researcher at MIT App Inventor majoring in EECS.



Daniel Kim
Daniel Kim
Undergraduate Researcher, MIT App Inventor


Daniel is a freshman at MIT studying Computer Science with Data Science and Finance. He joined the MIT App Inventor team in Spring 2020.

Elizabeth Hakavy
Elizabeth Hakavy
Graduate Student, MIT App Inventor


Elizabeth is a current Master's Student studying Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. Her undergrad was in Physics and Computer Science and is working on the crossover between Space and Conversational AI.

Xiaoxue Du
Xiaoxue Du
Postdoctoral Associate, MIT Media Lab, Personal Robots Group


Xiaoxue Du is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab. Her current research at MIT PRG focuses on K-12 Artificial Intelligence literacy in inclusive classrooms.




Staff

Jeff Freilich
Jeff Freilich
Program Lead, AI Literacy Project, MIT


Jeff has been at MIT for over twelve years working to develop and nurture research ties between industry and academia, as well as developing technical online courses.

Kristin Hall
Kristin Hall
Program Manager, RAISE, MIT Media Lab


Kristin has been at the MIT Media Lab for many years working as a liaison developing research ties between member organizations and researchers.

Alphonse Devasia
Alphonse Devasia
Educational Design Consultant, Dubai.


Alphonse Devasia is an independent consultant in Dubai.


Sarah Wharton
Sarah Wharton
Curriculum Designer


Sarah Wharton is a curriculum designer working in the Scheller Teacher Education Program.

Selim Tezel
Selim Tezel
Curriculum Designer, MIT App Inventor


Selim is a former K-12 mathematics teacher who has taught overseas and in the US for 22 years,

Robert Parks
Robert Parks
Curriculum Designer, MIT App Inventor


Robert is a curriculum developer, writer, and designer for the App Inventor team.




Grace Lin
Grace Lin
Assessment Scientist, Playful Journey Lab


As an assessment scientist, Grace Lin is particularly interested in measurement and playful assessments for and of learning.

Marisol Diaz
Marisol Diaz
Project Manager, MIT App Inventor


Marisol Diaz has been the Project Manager for MIT App Inventor since 2013 and has been at MIT for over 20 years.

Angie Zhou
Angie Zhou
Education Specialist, MIT App Inventor


Angie Zhou is part of the Education Team at MIT App Inventor. She has extensive experience teaching coding to young students.

Jeff Schiller
Jeff Schiller
Software Developer, Security Architect and Network Manager, MIT App Inventor


Jeff has spent more than 40 years building systems that have to work 24/7 with minimal human intervention.

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