Vishesh Kumar

Postdoctoral Researcher

Vishesh kumar

I work on designing and studying activities that center social agency and fun in learning. Working in design across museums, libraries, makerspaces, and games, I want to help people learn and think deeply (across domains like computing, science, civic values, and more)!

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Marcelo Worsley

Principal Investigator

I am an assistant professor of Learning Sciences and Computer Science at Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy and the McCormick School of Engineering. The goal of my research is to advance society's understanding of how students learn in complex learning environments by forging new opportunities for using multimodal technology.

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Graduate Students

JaCoya Thompson

JaCoya is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at Northwestern University. She graduated from Fayetteville State University (FSU) with a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics and a Masters of Science degree in Mathematics. She’s currently building and using current technologies that allow 6-12th grade students to create, learn, and engage with data science. Her area of interest includes using technologies to improve and enhance methods of instruction and investigating instructional strategies that promote equal access to individuals from culturally diverse populations.

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Michael Smith

Michael Smith is a Computer Science and Learning Sciences PhD student at Northwestern University, and a National GEM Consortium PhD Fellow. Some of his research and project interests include exploring the intersections of technology & education, formal and informal learning, computing culture, new media and community, and games.

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Natalie Melo

Coming from Malden, MA, Natalie is a Ph.D. student in Computer Science and Learning Sciences. She graduated with a Computer Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania as both a Questbridge Match Scholar and Janey Scholar. Natalie has a passion for empowering students. Her interests lie in identity, collaboration, and belonging.

Sarah Lee

Sarah is from West Rogers Park, Chicago. She is a PhD student in Learning Sciences. She is currently interested in the microacts of teaching, learning, and identity development through hands-on making and in intergenerational communities.

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Stephanie Jones

Stephanie is a Ph.D. Student in Computer Science and Learning Science from the Philadelphia area. She's a graduate of Villanova University where she studied Computer and Electrical Engineering. She is interested in increasing access to STEM for underrepresented youth through informal learning opportunities. She is additionally interested in the intersections of socio-cultural theories, constructionism, and multi modal analytics. When not doing research she can be found laughing at her own jokes, watching YouTube, or using Slack reacts.

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Khalil Anderson

Born in Bronxville, New York and raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, Khalil, a UMBC Alum, is a Computer Science PhD student with interests in Machine Learning. More specifically with interests in Reinforcement Learning, NLP, and how Machine Learning can help augment, not necesarily replace, humans in task and jobs such as driving, learning, manufacturing, and any other area.

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Herminio Bodon

I am a PhD student in Computer Science and Communication Studies at Northwestern University. My research focuses on understanding learning in sports spaces and designing technologies and experiences that support sports performance and learning.

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Adia Wallace

I am a student in the Joint PhD program in Computer Science and Learning Sciences at Northwestern University. I am originally from Jackson, Mississippi and lived in Boston, Massachusetts for several years. The opportunity to do both computer science and learning sciences is what brought me to Northwestern. I was first introduced to computer science as a 2nd-year college student at Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically-Black university in New Orleans, Louisiana. After a master’s degree and years in STEM/ Computer Science educational outreach, I found my way into the classroom. I spent a few transformative years as a CS teacher before getting back into academia. Now, I want to work to address some of the key problems that surfaced while engaging in those spaces.

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Ashley Quiterio

Ashley is a Learning Sciences PhD student at Northwestern University. Originally from California, she graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Data Science. Their research interests include data science education, storytelling, identity, and ethics.

Tochukwu Eze

Tochukwu Eze is from Enugu, Nigeria. He is a PhD student in Computer Science at Northwestern University and His interest lies at the intersection of System design and Learning Science. His current research is focused on Collaboration Literacy, Multi-modal Learning Analytics and building systems for collaborative learning and skill acquisition.

Victoria Chavez

Victoria (they/she) is a Chicago-born and raised Chapine (Guatemalan) educator, scholar, and engineer. Currently, they’re a Joint PhD student in the Computer Science + Learning Sciences Program at Northwestern University. Victoria’s research interests stem from asking "How can we make computer science a safe and joyous experience for Black, Disabled, Indigenous, and Latine/x college students?". They are also interested in issues of accessibility, civic tech, equity, and social justice.

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Meg Butler

Meg Butler Hotdog

As a disabled researcher and educator, Meg is particularly interested in educational dignity. Her work seeks to challenge the deficit-based views of human learning that are complicit in the reification of normatively powered dynamics and push beyond the practices that maintain and enact ableism to a dynamic coexistence of multiple ways of seeing and knowing. She enjoys riding her bike, hanging out with animals, and eating Albanese gummy bears.

Aziza Mirsaidova

Originally from Uzbekistan, Aziza is a first-year Master’s student in Artificial Intelligence at Mccormick. She is interested in learning and researching computational approaches that enable computers to understand human language and break down communication barriers between people and language technologies. In particular, she is exploring areas such as Deep Learning, NLProc and Understanding, and Model Interpretability. At Tiilt, she is contributing to the Blinc team. Outside of academics, she is an epee fencer, and a language learner (currently Arabic).

Yamini Ulaganathan

Yamini is a Master’s student studying Computer Science. She is passionate about using computer science for social good, with particular interest in the intersection of sports technology, AI in fashion and technology for equity and inclusion. In her free time, she models, runs, plays her electric guitar, and chills at the beach. She’s a member of the SportSense team, where she focuses on artistic data visualization and interaction.

Vedant Apte

Vedant is a Master's student studying Computer Science. He is interested in artificial intelligence, specifically natural language processing, and its applications in practical domains. As an Independent Study Researcher in the TIILT Lab, Vedant is focusing on applying sentiment analysis and topic modeling to large sets of user data, in order to identify and analyze trends in this data. In his free time, he enjoys engaging in various different sports such as soccer and football, working out, and exploring the city of Chicago.

Undergraduate Students

Naomi Wu

Naomi is a junior studying Computer Science and Asian American Studies from Chinatown, Chicago. She is interested in the intersections between social justice and computer science, with particular interest in how education, race, and gender affect accessibility to/within the technology field. In her free time, she enjoys biking, thrifting, and buying little plants. She is part of the MusicNU Team.

Marco Wang

Marco is a second year at Northwestern University from Hong Kong currently studying computer science and physics in WCAS. He is interested in exploring how machine learning can be applied in education and related fields. In his free time, he enjoys learning about new technologies, playing squash and video games. He is currently part of the Blinc team in the lab.

Saahas Parise

Saahas is a high school senior attending Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas. He is interested in promoting educational equity by exploring the crossroads of computer science—specifically artificial intelligence—and the arts. Outside of computer science, Saahas enjoys playing tennis, eating wings, and playing Indian classical guitar.

Sengdao Inthavong

Sengdao is a second year McCormick student majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Data Science. He is interested in the crossroads of data visualization and human-computer interaction, as well as how enhanced insights can be used to solve the challenges of online communities. Outside of class, Sengdao is the Webmaster for Northwestern's chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE NU) and runs an online scholastic-based chess league.

AnnaRose

Hi I’m AnnaRose. I’m a first year computer science major in Weinberg. I’m working on the BLINC project and I’m interested in multimodal learning and using technology to enhance everyday life.

Tyler Nanoff

Hey I’m Tyler James Nanoff, I am a fifth year undergrad in the Mechanical Engineering school at Northwestern. In TIILT, I’m working on the SportSense team as well as the Majic team. I love doing research on ways in which we can help lift up people in need, but more so love interacting with and getting to know new people through the work that we do. With my mechanical engineering background I tend to do more of the tech development side of things in TIILT (I love to build stuff), but also enjoy getting involved in whatever!

Julie Park

Julie is a second year undergraduate student at Northwestern majoring in Computer Science and Learning Sciences. She is interested in cognition and how technology can be implemented to aid human cognition. Outside of TIILT, Julie enjoys coaching diving, hiking, and playing with cats!

Audrey Benitez

Hi I’m Audrey Benitez (she/her)! I am a sophomore at Northwestern University majoring in computer science in Weinberg. I am interested in ensuring a broader racial and ethnic participation in CS. My focus centers around showing youth connections between computer science and their interests. In the Sportsense team I examine different multimodal tech devices that serve as means to engage computer learning through the lens of sports. Outside of the lab I like to dance, read and go on walks along the lakefill!

Ethan Piñeda

Hey there! My name is Ethan Piñeda and I’m a second-year undergraduate student studying pursuing my Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science at Northwestern University. I currently work within the BLINC project. My research focuses on utilizing multi-modal learning analytics to empower educators and students in the classroom. Outside of my work, I am very passionate in teaching and empowering first-generation and low-income students to pursue higher education and careers in STEAM.

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Nicole Tartakovsky

Hi I’m Nicole Tartakovsky, and I am a second year undergraduate studying Computer Science in McCormick. I am a member of the SportSense team, and I am passionate about the intersection of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and inclusive learning. In my free time, I love playing tennis, discovering new music, and dancing.

Zoe Lewis

Zoe (she/ her) is a learning sciences undergraduate student concentrating in the design of learning spaces. She is passionate about creating learning opportunities that are equitable and are transformative in nature for students. She is curious about how tech and stem as a whole works into this vision of learning.

Lucas Zurbuchen

Lucas is a third year Computer Science major in McCormick and Double Bass Performance major in Bienen. He’s a member of the BLINC team, and his work centers around data visualization with the hopes that he can use his work to help other people. In his free time, he enjoys going on runs, playing his bass, and expanding his Rubik’s Cube collection.

Ethan M. Chan

Ethan is a third year studying Computer Science at Northwestern with a minor in Data Science and Engineering. He is a member of the data-science and music team, and he is particularly interested in developing tools that augment/gamify the process of learning. Outside of class, he enjoys watching the GS Warriors, learning Mandarin, and playing piano.

Siddhartha Saha

Siddharth is a sophomore from Kolkata, India studying Computer Science in the McCormick School of Engineering. He is passionate about the intersection of technology, social justice, and the environment. In his free time, he likes to discover new music, learn about other cultures, and play with dogs. He is involved with the musicNU project.

Aryan Mahajan

Aryan is a high school senior attending Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas. He is interested in exploring the crossroads of technology – specifically artificial intelligence – and social justice to enhance accessible and inclusive learning interfaces and environments. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and guitar, biking, and speedcubing. He is involved with the musicNU project.

Alumni

  • David Bar-El, PhD
  • Emily Q. Wang, PhD
  • Connor Bain, PhD
  • Kit Martin, PhD
  • Joy Hsu
  • Kevin Mendoza
  • Sydney Simmons
  • Marc Jiang
  • Beck Mallwitz
  • Nathaniel Hardy
  • Seth May
  • Priya Kini
  • Mitchell Zhen
  • Jeremy Libretti-River
  • Alexander Redding
  • Justin Jia
  • Sophie Rollins
  • Andy Ko
  • Kelia Human
  • JooYoung Jang
  • Neil Vakharia
  • Harrison Pearl
  • Andy Moran
  • Judy Lee
  • Jordan Nishina
  • Aimee van der Berg
  • Alex Gist
  • Sam Arrants
  • Kya Suzuki
  • Elana Stettin
  • Shankar Salawan
  • Deniz Sagnalakar
  • Gabe Rojas-Westall
  • Nathan Summer Reiff
  • Melissa Escamilla Perez
  • Timothy Mwiti
  • Eric Mertz
  • Tom Large
  • Edward Kang
  • Durell Gill
  • Kira Furuichi
  • Simeon Charles
  • Bobbie Burgess
  • Aaron Karp
  • Audrey DeBruine
  • Avi Vaid
  • Caroline DeMarco
  • Emily Blackman
  • Haley De Boom
  • Jaiveer Kothari
  • Jimmy Song
  • Joonyong Rhee
  • Lindsay Rawitscher
  • Michael Chen
  • Robert Bell
  • Sebastian Perez