About Us

Dr. Meier is the Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Technology and School Change and a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also Co-Chair of the University of the State of New York Council on Technology Policy and Practice, a panel appointed by the Regents to examine technology use in public schools, libraries, museums and other similar state agencies. She began her career as a teacher in a federal experimental school program in Minnesota with an interest in school reform and equity, and soon pursued school change issues more broadly in a succession of regional and national responsibilities. Over the past dozen years, in collaboration with the Center’s professional developers, she has shaped the Center’s successful approach for integrating technology, using a design process focused on essential questions. Dr. Meier also directs the Center’s numerous evaluation and research grants related to technology integration. She holds an Ed.D. in Leadership and Organization from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in English Education from the University of Iowa.

Caron is the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Center. She oversees several of the Center’s long-term projects, including funded initiatives from the National Science Foundation to study CTSC's Innovating Instruction approach. Caron often engages in project development through grant writing and consultations with educational agencies. She also manages the operations of the Center. Caron has prior experience as an elementary teacher and instructional specialist in both public and private school settings, and has worked at the Center since early 2005, as a facilitator and researcher. Caron's personal research focuses on issues of leadership surrounding innovation in schools. Caron holds an Ed.M. in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.S. in Computer Science from Boston College.

Karen Kirsch Page is the Senior Associate Director of Professional Development at the Center. Beyond working as a K-8 technology and STEM electives teacher in San Francisco, Karen has provided instructional support for K-12 teachers both in the U.S. and Africa where she founded a free annual education technology conference for underserved teachers now going into its eighth year. A filmmaker and music engineer/producer interested in creative digital and technical arts, Karen is passionate about helping schools and organizations around the world create a culture receptive to implementing technology for creative teaching and learning. She has worked with schools to design and launch coding, robotics, makerspace and visual design programs. With a B.A. in Broadcast Engineering from San Francisco State University and an M.A. in Instructional Technology and Media at Teachers College, Columbia University, Karen is now pursuing her doctorate at TC in Adult Learning and Leadership. Her research interests are at the intersection of equitable access to high quality learning, professional development, and the meaningful integration of technology in education.

Dr. Hakim is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Technology and School Change. In addition to supporting research and evaluation projects at the Center, she also provides professional development to K-12 teachers in designing and implementing STEM projects in their classrooms. She also supervises student teachers at Teachers College, Columbia University who are getting certified to become Educational Technology Specialists in New York State.  Dr. Hakim has experience teaching 9th-grade mathematics in New York City schools and working with K-12 New York City public school teachers in integrating technology projects into their classrooms. She graduated with her Ed.D. in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College, Columbia University where her dissertation focused on how prepared preservice secondary mathematics teachers are to integrate technology into the classroom. She received her M.A. in Secondary Mathematics Education from New York University. Her other interests lie in the use of computer manipulatives, apps, and digital tools for teaching and learning mathematics. Dr. Hakim is also interested in the role that educational technology specialists play in schools. 

Sarah Sreedhar is the Senior Administrative Associate at the Center for Technology and School Change. Sarah is involved with managing the Center’s budget and finances.  She provides technical and logistical support for multiple projects, meetings, conferences, and workshops.   Before coming to CTSC Sarah worked with various STEM and DoL grants.  Sarah holds a M.A. in Art History from Arizona State University and a B.A. in Art History from Northern Arizona State University.

Seth is a Research Associate at the center. Seth collects, codes, and analyzes qualitative data related to the Center’s research on facilitating inquiry-based learning environments. He is interested in educational change, intellectual equality, issues related to social class, and power relations in education. He holds a BSE in Social Studies Education, an MSE in Adaptive Special Education from the University of Kansas, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. He taught for eight years in Kansas City, Austin, Saint Louis, and Harlem. 

Madalina Ciocanu is an Education Specialist for the Center's International Projects. She analyzes mixed data and consults on aligning the Center's model in various international contexts. She is currently working on the Center’s consultancy with the National Plan for Educational Transformation 2030 (Plan Nacional de Transformación Educativa 2030) of Paraguay, the country’s national education reform efforts. Within the consultancy, she is working on the diagnostic analysis and the roadmap policy formation stages in terms of ICT integration in education.

Her interests lie in epistemological equity as facilitated by technology. Prior to joining the Center, she worked in grassroots initiatives and INGO environments pertaining to development and policy advocacy. Her independent research explores the implementation of pluriversal education models, through the case of Community-Based Indigenous Secondary Schools (Secundarias Comunitarias Indígenas - SECOIN) in Oaxaca (Ciocanu, 2020). Ultimately, Madalina hopes to explore the dialogical possibilities of multiliteracies in global education.

She received a Master of Arts in International Educational Development (concentration: International Policy and Planning) from Teachers College, Columbia University and a double BA in Anthropology and International Relations.

Jacqueline Pilati is a Professional Development Associate at the Center for Technology and School Change. Born and raised in Lenapehoking (New York City), Jacqueline is a teacher-educator and urban agriculturalist who sows and cultivates foundational skills for critical thinking and critical self-reflection, supporting students and teachers to understand science as a way to understand and make sense of their world. She is passionate about working at the intersection of science education, technology, food justice, and culture. Jacqueline brings over a decade of teaching experience in general and special education settings throughout New York City and Sonora, México. Jacqueline has a M.A. in Environmental Conservation Education from New York University and B.S. Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities from St. John's University. Her research interests include equity and intersectionality in science education and food systems, experiential education situated in historical literacy, and participatory organic plant breeding rooted in seed sovereignty and climate resilience.

Anusheh Hashim Byrne is a Professional Development Associate working at the Center. She holds a B.A. in psychology and a master’s degree in Learning Design and Technology from the University of Houston. Since 2008, she has worked closely with children in Montessori, public charter schools, and independent schools in Houston and New York. She is a strong advocate of access to high-quality, early childhood education for all families. Some of the most rewarding work of her career has been supporting teachers’ pedagogical growth to promote progressive learning environments in classrooms in the United States, South Africa, and Ghana. In her classroom, teaching and learning is guided by student curiosity rather than a standard curriculum. Anusheh believes that by giving students a voice in their own education, she can facilitate an organic learning process and help ensure an authentic level of engagement, strengthen intrinsic motivation, foster curiosity, and develop a thirst for knowledge and new experiences.

Jessica works on the Center’s research and evaluation team, assisting with several aspects of long-term grant projects that contribute to the Center's research-based model. Her areas of interest include the meaningful generation and use of student data, student agency in schools, and geographical shifts in educational access. Jessica has an M.A. in Communication and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a dual B.A. in Political Science and Television/Radio/Film from Syracuse University.

Jingru Zhang is a quantitative research assistant in the Center’s research and evaluation team, where she explores data-driven evidence that better inform stakeholders in education. Her work primarily involves experimental and quasi-experimental design, descriptive and exploratory investigation, and explanatory analysis such as causal inference for program evaluation in multilevel and longitudinal settings. She also engages in explaining and interpreting statistical results to reinforce program development at the Center.

Jingru is pursuing her Ed.M. degree in the Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is interested in developing statistical methods to probe into questions in educational research, serve better evaluation of programs, and further inform policies and practice.

Yanjun brings his hands-on experience with educational technology and educational reform to the Center. Yanjun believes it is essential to provide adaptive and customized learning opportunities to students with varying levels of academic knowledge so that they may internalize the knowledge and achieve their full potential. He graduated from Penn GSE with a Masters in Teaching, Learning & Leadership, and is now working on his Doctor of Education in the Instructional Technology & Media program.

In his free time, Yanjun goes hiking to keep in shape. Playing board games and attending Toastmasters International club are his favorite methods to relax his brain and make friends.

Yip is a graduate research assistant in the Center's research and evaluation team. Her work primarily involves experimental and quasi-experimental design for the Center's research-based model, collecting and managing program data, conducting quantitative analysis to explore program impact, and interpreting statistical results to support program development at the Center. Her research interests include educational equity, social network and collaborative learning, and program impact evaluation. Yip is a Ph.D. student in Measurement and Evaluation at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds an MPA in Development Practice from SIPA, Columbia University, and a B.A. in Biology and Economics from Macalester College. 

Xiaoxue Du is a Research & Evaluation Consultant for the Center’s Research Team where she works for a related National Science Foundation project. Xiaoxue is a doctoral graduate at the program of Instructional Technology and Media at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on exploring the complexity among professional development, assistive technology, and special education. 

Previously, Xiaoxue worked as a Technology Specialist and a Research Assistant at the Center for Technology and School Change. She also taught digital learning technologies (e.g., scratch, processing, Arduino, wearable technology), where she worked with students to come up with project ideas, learn to be empathic, and develop a sense of social awareness to support people in need in their communities. Xiaoxue graduated with Ed.M in Instructional Technology and Media, M.A. in Technology Specialist from Teachers College, Columbia University, and M.A. in Politics at New York University

Alex is a Professional Development Consultant at the Center specializing in curriculum design and interdisciplinary pedagogies. She taught 10th Grade Global Studies in Harlem as well as science in Brooklyn schools at the secondary level. Alex’s research interests lie within multimodalities, specifically the use of digital media in and out of the classroom. She is interested in the ways students use technology and digital media formally and informally to communicate their ideas and negotiate their identities. Alex received her doctorate from the Curriculum and Teaching department at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds an M.S. in Childhood Education from Lehman College and a B.A. in International Affairs from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Mahfood is a Professional Development Consultant at the Center specializing in the sciences. Her professional experiences are strongly engrained in the sciences and education that spans over a 10-year period. These experiences range in curriculum development, teaching science content in the areas of Physical, Life, and Earth Sciences & Mathematics, and science professional development for teachers. She has also participated in several after-school science/mathematics enrichment programs in chemistry, physics, robotics and engineering, statistics and data analysis at different schools and institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the School of Engineering at Columbia University. Dr. Mahfood holds a Ph.D. in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and is a member of the Mathematics, Science & Technology faculty. She also holds an M.S. in Science Education from New York University and a B.S. in Biology/General Science from The University of the West Indies in Trinidad.

Dr. Hollands has been conducting research in education, primarily on the impact of technology on K-12 teaching and learning, for over ten years. Fiona is also investigating successful models of education for disadvantaged students and the issue of how to scale up effective practices, including the provision of comprehensive support services for low income students. More recently, given the negative impact of a weak U.S. economy on education budgets, Fiona has been focusing on the cost-effectiveness of various educational interventions, including online and blended learning. Between finishing an M.A. in Sociology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University and beginning a Ph.D. in Politics and Education at the same institution, Fiona taught mathematics at Rice High School in Harlem, NY. Fiona was awarded her Ph.D. in 2003 and her dissertation focused on whether and how computer use allows for greater individualization of students’ learning experiences. Prior to entering the field of education, Fiona worked for several years in the international financial securities industry for JPMorgan in London, Paris and New York. Fiona completed her undergraduate studies at Oxford University, England where she earned a B.A. Honours Degree in Pure and Applied Biology.

Dr. Rita Sánchez is the former Associate Director for Professional Development at the Center for Technology and School Change. Her areas of specialization include designing for understanding, rethinking interdisciplinary approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), unpacking standards, and developing opportunities for authentic assessment. Before working with the Center, Rita worked as a mathematics and physics high school teacher in the Universidad de Monterrey for over eight years. She also served in a leadership position, as the Department Head, overseeing the development of curriculum for her division. Rita brings a unique perspective on international education to the Center team. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at Teachers College. Rita earned her B.A. in Industrial Engineering from the Technical Institute of Monterrey and her M.S. in Mathematics Education from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Dr. Budin is a Senior Lecturer in the Program in Computing and Education. He taught in New York City schools for ten years, and has worked with schools on integrating technology for over thirty years. Since 1983, he has directed the Intensive version of the M.A. program in Computing and Education, which brings teachers from all over the world to Teachers College for July class sessions, and in 2007 he started, and directs, an all-online version of this M.A. program. From 2000 to 2004 he directed the federally funded project Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology, which seeks to ensure that all prospective teachers at the College graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to use technology well in their teaching.