Aman Yadav, Co-Investigator, Consulting Researcher

Dr. Aman Yadav (he/him) is a Lappan-Phillips Professor of Computing Education in the College of Education and College of Natural Science at Michigan State University with extensive experience in research, evaluation, and teacher professional development in computer science education. He also serves as the Associate Director of Computing Education in the CREATE for STEM Center at MSU. His research and teaching focus on improving student experiences and outcomes in computer science and engineering at the K-16 level. His recently co-edited book, Computational Thinking in Education: A Pedagogical Perspective tackles how to integrate computational thinking, coding, and subject matter in relevant and meaningful ways.

Anthony Wheeler, Research Associate

Anthony Wheeler (he/him) is a Ph.D. Candidate in Urban Education at The Graduate Center, CUNY. In addition to his role as a Research Associate with the CITE Initiative, he currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty of Computer Science Education within NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching & Learning. His dissertation research focuses on the integration of Digital Humanities (DH) theory and practice into teacher education, particularly within the humanities disciplines. This work aims to explore the existing correlations between DH and K-12 computing, identify pathways for co-constructing teacher candidates’ computational and digital literacy in tandem with their disciplinary knowledge, and equip them with the skills to leverage these literacies both creatively and effectively in promoting equitable learning experiences and reducing the tech equity gap.

Jenia Marquez, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Jenia is a sophomore at Princeton University from New York City majoring in Linguistics with certificates in Vocal Performance, Conducting, French, and Translation Studies. She has specific interests in phonetics and phonology and linguistic anthropology, and currently works as a French translator for the Princeton University Language Project (PULP) and as a Fellow at the Writing Center. When she isn’t learning two-letter Scrabble words, she spends most of her time performing around campus as Manager of the Glee Club, Assistant Music Director of the Princeton Tigerlilies, and Music Manager of the Princeton University Players. She is particularly passionate about language and education justice, and is the co-Director of Communications of Diversimento, a summer concert series dedicated to fundraising for organizations that promote diversity in the arts and education.

Olamide Ogungbemi, Research Assistant

Olamide (She/Her) is a doctoral student and research assistant in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology (EPET) program at Michigan State University (MSU). She is a former computer science instructor in a K–12 school in Nigeria and a program manager in an international non-profit organization based in Nigeria. She has experience working on projects focused on teachers’ professional development, technology training for African women and girls, and equity-centered teacher education. Her research focuses on culturally relevant computing for black girls and justice-centered teacher education.

Rosa Calosso, Research Assistant

Rosa Angela Calosso (she/her/ella) is a doctoral candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center in the department of Urban Education. Rosa’s upbringing informed a strong understanding of immigration issues, Blackness, and gendered politics, leading her to serve as a participatory-action researcher  immigrant communities in the Bronx. She has served as an academic consultant for first and second-year college students and a social media curator for a social justice center. Her research focuses on Black Latinidad/Dominicanidad, gendered racism, digital media, communal pedagogy, and digital feminism.

Sara Vogel, Director, Computing Integrated Teacher Education

Dr. Sara Vogel (she/her) is a born-and-raised Brooklynite, a (teacher) educator, and an education researcher focusing on computing-integrated learning environments that center bi/multilingual learners, their literacies, and communities. Prior to joining the CUNY CITE team to lead faculty professional learning and research, she was faculty in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) residency program at Bank Street College and an Associate Research Scientist at New York University. She also supports the National Science Foundation-funded projects, Participating in Literacies and Computer Science (PiLa-CS), which centers bi/multilingual students in Computer Science for All initiatives, and CT to CS, which guides elementary teachers to incorporate computational thinking and CS into their subject areas. A former bilingual teacher and practitioner of innovative digital “out-of-school-time” programs for youth, she has a PhD in Urban Education from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Sarane James, Research Assistant

Sarane James (she/he) is a recent graduate of the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Hunter College, where she studied Creative Writing. Her creative and journalistic writing has been published in places such as the Girls Write Now annual anthology and Newsweek magazine. She is currently writing a novel and aims to use storytelling to provide a greater understanding of each other and bring us closer as human beings.

Tracey Pauline Albert, Data & Strategy Specialist

Tracey Pauline Albert brings over a decade of experience working at the intersection of education, technology, and social impact, including leadership roles across India, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda, and, more recently, the United States of America. She is a Data & Strategy Specialist at the Research Foundation of CUNY, where she leverages her expertise in program design, evaluation, and data-driven decision-making to advance teacher education initiatives across CUNY. Her work centers on improving learning outcomes through innovative uses of technology, evidence-based program management, and educator capacity-building. Formally trained as an engineer, Tracey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Anna University. She also earned a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University, where her studies focused on integrating artificial intelligence and other technology-driven solutions into sustainable development policy and practice in human-centered, meaningful ways.

Yeşim Akar Hozman, Research Assistant

Yeşim is a doctoral student and research and teaching assistant in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology (EPET) program at Michigan State University (MSU). She was formerly a software developer in private companies and completed her master’s degree in educational technology in Turkiye. Her research focuses on digital competencies of educators, the use of AI in education, and pre-service teachers’ practices and attitudes towards technology in education. 

Former Staff

Aankit Patel, Emeritus CITE Director

Aankit (he/him) is a creative bureaucrat. He is currently the University Dean for Technology and Computer & Information Sciences at CUNY and was formerly the Director of STEM Education Programs @cunyteachered leading the CUNY Computing Integrated Teacher Education initiative along with other programs to boost math and science instruction in NYC schools. He is formerly the Senior Director of Computer Science Academics at the NYC Department of Education Computer Science for All initiative, and an @NYU-ITP alum. Cares about #EthicalCS, accessible ways to talk to computers, and public education.

Anne Drew Hu, Research Assistant

Anne Drew Hu (they/them) is a PhD student at Michigan State University’s Educational Psychology and Educational Technology department, researching K-12 computer science education. Outside of the CITE project, their research focuses on integrating ethics in K-12 CS, including concepts like algorithmic bias, justice, and techno-solutionism. They have a double degree in CS and Education, Communities, and Organizations (ECO) from University of Washington in Seattle, where they were born and raised.

Jessica Velez Tello, Research Associate

Dr. Jessica Velez Tello (she/her), CITE Research Associate, is a recent graduate of the Urban Education doctoral program at The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is a former bilingual teacher and currently teaches at CUNY-Brooklyn in the Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education department. Jessica’s work focuses on equitable curriculum design and pedagogical practices of teachers and teacher candidates that center bi/multilingual students.

Nicole Walker, Research Assistant

Nicole Walker is a student in the English PhD program at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Consultants

Rafi Santo, Consultant

Rafi Santo, PhD (he/him), is a learning scientist focused on the intersection of digital culture, education, and institutional change. As principal researcher at Telos Learning, he partners with education institutions, foundations, intermediaries, coalitions and government agencies to generate insights through basic and applied research, develop novel strategies for impact, and create new designs for equitable, justice-centered learning. He’s collaborated with a range of organizational networks related to digital learning, computing, and technology in education including the Mozilla Hive NYC Learning Network, CSforALL, NASA, the City University of New York, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Rafi holds a PhD in Learning and Developmental Sciences from Indiana University.

David Phelps, Consultant

David Phelps, PhD (he/him), brings a holistic view of how young children learn and develop from his experiences working in a Reggio-Emilia preschool in Vermont, a community school in Peru, a care farm in the Netherlands, a philosophy for children program along the Ohio River, and a full-service community school in Seattle. He has spent the last 10 years designing equitable and rigorous inquiry-based learning environments for young children that privilege relationships to land, to community, and to play. His research on young children’s incredible yet under-recognized inquiry competencies has been published in academic journals, presented at academic conferences, and taught at district-wide PD workshops. Simultaneously, he researches how issues of power and equity are navigated by educational partners attempting to design and implement innovative learning environments. He received a PhD in Learning Sciences and Human Development from the University of Washington.

Colin Angevine, Consultant

Colin Angevine (he/him) is a networks and strategy consultant whose work is grounded in equity, design, and collaboration. His work at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the Connected Learning Alliance focuses on field-building by leveraging catalytic innovation programs, continuous improvement research, and data infrastructure. As a designer and facilitator at Onward, Colin supports the DEI initiatives of nonprofits and philanthropies, and prototypes new tools for developing skills to navigate racially stressful situations. Colin’s perspective draws from previous work experiences as an educator (in middle and high schools), a technologist (in edtech and legal tech startups), and as a researcher (in researcher-practitioner partnerships). In previous work, Colin was the project director for Challenge Collaboratives at Digital Promise, where he developed and facilitated new models for equity-driven R&D in education. Colin holds a B.A. from Dickinson College in Classics and an M.S.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania in Learning Sciences and Technologies. He lives in Seattle, WA.

Jean Ryoo, Consultant

Jean Ryoo, PhD (she/her), is a qualitative researcher focused on issues of equity and justice, specifically in STEM and computing education. Dr. Ryoo has experience working in research-practice partnerships elevating student voices, supporting school leaders in bringing computer science into their schools, improving teacher pedagogy, and collaborating with families to create equitable computing education opportunities for all. She recently published a graphic novel translating educational and computing research for broader audiences with MIT Press called Power On! (¡Conectados! in Spanish). She received a Ph.D. in Urban Schooling from the University of California, Los Angeles; a Masters of Education in Teaching from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa; and a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.

Indranil Choudhury, Consultant

Indranil Choudhury (he/him) is a media artist working in sound, sculpture and video. He taught at Hunter College and Marymount Manhattan College. He is a graduate of the MFA programin Integrated Media Arts at Hunter College, CUNY. As a Professional Learning Digital Producer, Indranil designs and develops resources like the Summer ’23 PD website to help faculty on their CITE journey.

Learn more at https://indranilchoudhury.com

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