LEARNING SCIENCES graduate Program

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Learning Sciences Graduate Students
Cohort One
Dr.Mike Dianovsky	Discipline:	Chemistry
	Entered Program:	August, 2006
	Degree(s):	Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Masters is Science in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ph.D. Learning Sciences.
	Hometown:	Hanover Park, IL
	Professional Goals:	I would like to work either at a community college teaching chemistry or work for the Regional Education Laboratories (REL) on science educaiton projects.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I am quite the movie lover. I also enjoy spending time with my pets and volunteering at local animal shelters.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Interested in how students learn chemistry and understanding various teaching methods used to teach students chemistry.
	Contact Information:	dianovsk@uic.edu 312-996-4606 4138 SES

Sara Marchlewicz	Discipline:	Chemistry
	Entered Program:	Fall 2008
	Degree(s):	M.S. Chemistry from UIC; B.S. Biochemistry from Oakland University
	Hometown:	Bay City, MI
	Professional Goals:	I came to graduate school to find out what I wanted to do when I grow up. I now know my passion is teaching and I would like to teach at a community college or small liberal arts college and work on developing undergraduate chemistry curricula. I also would like to continue working with after high school science programs such as After School Matters.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Cooking, volleyball, biking, puzzles, and hagding out with friends and family.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I believe that when you are a teacher of a subject, you are constantly conducting informal research to improve your teaching and the learning experiences for your students. Obtaining a formal training in the Learning Sciences graduate program will not only help me to improve my teaching and my students' learning experiences but also help me to inform others in the chemistry and learning communities about research I am conducting in my own classroom.
	Contact Information:	smarch2@uic.edu 312-996-4606 4138 SES

Kathleen Pitvorec	Discipline:	Mathematics Education
	Entered Program:	Fall 2007
	Degree(s):	MST from the University of Chicago, 2001. B.S., Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1987.
	Hometown:	Downers Grove, IL.
	Professional Goals:	To connect research about teaching and teachers.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Skiing; scuba diving; travel; biking; great books.
	Why Learning Sciences?	The emphasis on learning in communities; the role of semiotic systems; and situated learning.
	Contact Information:	kapitvor@uic.edu 312-996-9874 3168 SES

Dr.Stephanie Ryan	Discipline:	Chemistry
	Entered Program:	I entered the program before it ever existed because I believed that it would be the right program for me, whenever it started.
	Degree(s):	M.S. (with thesis) in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Mary's College. Ph.D. Learning Sciences.
	Hometown:	Hartford City, IN
	Professional Goals:	I would like to work in Assessment and/or Chemistry Education Curriculum Development. I want to find better ways to teach science to urban students.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I am a Notre Dame fan (football and basketball). I also love music, my iPod and going to concerts! I really enjoy traveling and being near large bodies of water!
	Why Learning Sciences?	I really like UIC's LS program because it is so different from the others out there. Rather than just talking about how people learn, we talk about how they learn different disciplines. It also seemed to fit into my interests perfectly, teaching and chemistry.
	Contact Information:	s.a.cunningham@gmail.com 312-996-4606 4138 SES

Cohort Two
They are no students in cohort two.
Cohort Three
Catherine (Cathy) Kaduk	Discipline:	Mathematics Education
	Entered Program:	Fall 2008
	Degree(s):	C.A.S. Mathematics Ed. @ National Louis Univ.; M.S. Ed. Psychology. @ Northern Illinois Univ.; B.S. in Elementary Education @ Northwestern Univ. (Evanston, IL)
	Hometown:	Wauwatosa, WI
	Professional Goals:	I hope to contribute to understanding and implementing how assessment can be used to improve students' thinking skills, problem-solving, & conceptual understanding, especially in mathematics.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I like to sew, draw and go to museums; to be with family especially.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Reading Jim Pellegrino's work on knowing what students know, meeting great faculty, valuing the present research projects, and sensing the potential to improve connections between researchers & practitioners are some of my reasons for joining this Learning Sciences community.
	Contact Information:	ckaduk2@uic.edu 312-996-5258 2064 BSB

Wenjuan Li	Discipline:	Mathematics
	Entered Program:	Fall 2008
	Degree(s):	BS in Mathematics and MS in Curriculum and Instruction.
	Hometown:	Hezhou, Guangxi, China
	Professional Goals:	To be a researcher in mathematics education.
	Hobbies & Interests:	swimming, music, travel.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Learning sceinces is an interdisciplinary field. It provides me with a broad foundation and strong motivation to do my research.
	Contact Information:	liwenjuan1023@gmail.com

Kim Richards	Discipline:	Language, Literacy, and Culture.
	Entered Program:	2008
	Degree(s):	M.Ed. - secondary education/history & social studies
	Hometown:	Skokie, IL
	Professional Goals:	Bring Web 2.0 technologies into K-12 schools in order to foster creativity, community, participation, play and access to disciplinary knowledge.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Yoga, laughing, improv, bring people and ideas together, collaboration, playing on teams and playing board games/card games.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Learning Sciences strives to be an interdisciplinary community that at it's best challenges existing paradigms.
	Contact Information:	kricha4@uic.edu 312-355-1323 2040 BSB
Cohort Four
Dave Becker	Discipline:	Museum Education; Conservation Psychology
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	B.A. Humaities & Psychology. Currently work as the Senior Manager of Learning Experiences for the Chicago Zoological Society; previous museum experience as Lead Exhibit Developer for DuPage Children's Museum, and additional professional experience as a Social Worker
	Hometown:	Adrian, Mi
	Professional Goals:	I am interested in research, program development, and conceptual design development in non-formal learning environments such as zoos, museums, aquariums, as well as other public spaces where informal learning occurs for children, youth, families, and communities.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Friends and family, visiting museums and nature centers, really dark beer, jogging from time to time with a marathon thrown in for good measure, and a bit of a world religion geek and active unitarian universalist
	Why Learning Sciences?	I really see learning as a fundamental part of human development that continues througout our lives and in many contexts. Learning Sciences is interested in the full range of learning experiences and learning environments- individual and public, formal and informal, school, home, museums, work. Learning Sciences isn't just about understanding learning though, it's about creating new opportunities and new environments; it's about enacting change.
	Contact Information:	dbecke4@uic.edu

Chandan Dasgupta	Discipline:	Human-Computer Interaction/Computer Science
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	M.S (Human-Computer Interaction) from Georgia Tech; B.E (Computer Science and Engineering, India)
	Hometown:	New Delhi, India
	Professional Goals:	After completing my doctoral program, I would seek an appointment that encourages interdisciplinary research across Learning Sciences, Human-Computer Interaction, and Computer Sciences. Such an appointment would enable me to draw on my doctoral research experience and pursue my goal of designing affordable educational tools, content, and learning environments. In this position, I would like to design innovative educational content and utilize distributed media (including television, interactive media, and community outreach) for delivering the content to members of various strata. I am hopeful that these accessible media would enable me to reach out to children from diverse backgrounds so that they can benefit from these innovations. My long-term career goal is to start and lead a non-profit initiative and focus on designing curriculum and educational tools for the socio-economically marginalized children in India. This initiative would build on local knowledge and culture to generate designs that are relevant to that region. The driving motivation behind this initiiative would be to create equal opportunities for all children so that they can pursue their dreams.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Landscape photography, Blogging, Travelling
	Why Learning Sciences?	I am interested in designing immersive learning environments for children using multiple media to provide an authentic experience. I want to gain a deeper understanding of how children learn, solve problems and form a community - both in informal and formal contexts. The inter-disciplinary nature of Learning Sciences allows me to explore different domain areas and get new perspective on my research interests.
	Contact Information:	dasguptachandan@gmail.com

Gabriela Groza	Discipline:	Mathematics Education
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	B.A. of Science in Finance, DePaul University. Licensed with Licenses Series 6,7,63,65,67, Life and Health.
	Hometown:	Constanta, Romania
	Professional Goals:	Research in mathematics education(US and International), interest in the design of mathematics formal or/and non-formal learning environments; Teach in a University where I can still do research
	Hobbies & Interests:	I love to travel, learn about different cultures, learn new languages, to be active; I am a big fan of any (especially ballroom) dance competitions. I like to cook for family and friends. I also love to teach math (especially to those who might not feel too passionate about the subject).
	Why Learning Sciences?	Learning Sciences allows me to learn about and explore all aspects of learning in my discipline (mathematics) while also encouraging and supporting interaction, collaboration, communication with people from other disciplines.
	Contact Information:	grozagabi@gmail.com 773-354-6554 SEL 2093

Emma Hospelhorn	Discipline:	Music and Literature
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	B.A. in English, Columbia University; B.M. in Flute Performance, CUNY Queens College
	Hometown:	Chicago, IL
	Professional Goals:
	Hobbies & Interests:
	Why Learning Sciences?	I have always been fascinated by the ways in which people understand stories as they are told through music, literature, and art, as well as the more practical aspects of music and literacy learning. UIC's Learning Sciences program is great because its interdisciplinary nature allows me to explore all of these things.
	Contact Information:	ehospe2@uic.edu

Matthew Lira	Discipline:	Biology
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	MA, Northwestern University: Learning Sciences BS, Ball State University: Biology
	Hometown:	Griffith, IN
	Professional Goals:	Informal/formal learning environment designer Educational Researcher.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Avocational: Music (Guitar/Singing/Songwriting) Weightlifting/Nutrition MMA Diablo III (eagerly awaiting its arrival) Vocational: Natural Sciences Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience Child Development Cognitive Development Epistemology Technology use & Artifact Design
	Why Learning Sciences?	My affinity for the learning sciences parallels the history of the field itself in some ways. While pursuing my degree in biology, I had the opportunity to work in a neurobiology lab, where I investigated experience-dependent, structural changes to the peripheral nervous system of mammals. The experience was priceless and it offered me insight into the structures that underpin computational approaches to thinking and learning, leading to my newfound interest in cognitive science. As I was developing this interest, I had the opportunity to teach the laboratory portion of a physiology course for undergraduates. Here, I began to see the challenges associated with creating an authentic and engaging learning environments. I wanted to better understand how learning happens "in the trenches" so I sought opportunities in formal (pre-K) and informal (Nature Museum) learning environments. These experiences prepared me for UIC's PhD program in the learning sciences and the program allows me to draw upon these experiences in the classroom and in the research lab. Moreover, my experiences in the classroom and the lab help reshape my conceptions of those experiences.
	Contact Information:	melira42@gmail.com

Jose W.Melendez	Discipline:	Urban Planning & Policy Concentration: Learning in community development
	Entered Program:	I first took Learning Sciences 512 in the spring of 2007, and was admitted into the program in Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	Oberlin, BA, History/Slavic Studies, Modern Dance/Choreography UIC, M.Ed., Educational Studies in Instructional Leadership, Concentration: Curriculum Studies outside school settings.
	Hometown:	Santa Ana, El Salvador, Raised in New York City
	Professional Goals:	My professional goals, seek to combine theoretical and practical solutions, working to create spaces where future leaders can be nurtured. Whether they be in community based organization, foundations, government or colleges, all involved an array of labors that are in critical need of a perspective that includes the current demographic shifts of U.S. society.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I consider myself queer from a cultural orientation perspective; as such I enjoy turning things upside down/inside out and stepping outside the box. I am a long time runner; enjoy travel throughout the states and around the globe, experiencing different cultures, people and ways of being. I have studied modern dance and love the theater and arts. Finally, I am a political junkie and enjoy riding my motorcycle when the weather is nice enough.
	Why Learning Sciences?	My approach to learning is centered around Lev Vygotsky’s work, specifically activity theory and sociocultural theory. I am studying the applicability and usability of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a theoretical framework that I believe would be useful to understand the learning occurring in the Participatory Planning. Specifically, I am researching the participatory budgeting process in the 49th Ward, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. My research seeks to shed light on how planners and policy makers who create these environments need to be knowledgeable and conscious about how certain processes, structures, language and decisions lead to participatory planning learning environments that tap into certain dominant knowledge domains, impacting both the learning and participation of those involved.
	Contact Information:	Jmelen5@uic.edu

Jackie Popp	Discipline:	Literacy
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	BA in Psychology and Education, University of St. Thomas
	Hometown:	St. Cloud, MN
	Professional Goals:	I would like to teach in-service and pre-service teachers at a college or university while continuing to do research.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I am passionate about photography, especially trying to capture emotion in people and animals. I am very active and enjoy sports such as volleyball, basketball, and swimming. My favorite social pastime is going out to eat with friends; I love good food, dark beer, interesting conversation, and trying new restaurants.
	Why Learning Sciences?	My broad study of interest is K-12 teacher knowledge and decision-making. More specifically, I study teacher thinking and learning as it relates to disciplinary literacy instruction, decisions about texts (e.g. source selection in history), and shared understanding about literacy assessment and instruction in professional learning communities. The LS program at UIC is a great fit for me because of the flexibility of the program and the diversity of perspectives among students and staff. Even though my current areas of interest are in formal school learning, I enjoy being part of a program that is open to learning in all contexts and domains. This broadens my perspective, provides access into areas I might not otherwise encounter and contacts with scholars I might not otherwise meet, and opens doors for possible future research outside my current domain.
	Contact Information:	jpopp4@uic.edu

Jessica Roberts	Discipline:	Social science/informal learning environments
	Entered Program:	Fall 2009
	Degree(s):	BS in Theatre Lighting Design, Northwestern University
	Hometown:	Quincy, IL
	Professional Goals:	I hope to work in (by which I mean run) a museum education department or some other informal/non-traditional learning environment.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I love running, watching football, camping/hiking/canoeing, road trips or really any travel, cheesy movies and music, and nerding out with my friends (preferably over a bourbon or Guinness)
	Why Learning Sciences?	I found Learning Sciences by asking the woman with the job I want how she got there. Once she pointed me to the program I immediately saw it was a great fit for me. I had been looking for a program with an interdisciplinary focus and just hadn't been able to find anything that matched my interests. Finding LS in general and UIC in particular was one of those great "AHA!" moments.
	Contact Information:	jrober31@uic.edu
Cohort Five
Michael Bolz	Discipline:	Literacy
	Entered Program:	Fall 2010
	Degree(s):	MA, Northwestern University, Learning Sciences; BA, Purdue University, English Education
	Hometown:	Hanover Park, IL
	Professional Goals:	Consulting, Publishing, & Community Development
	Hobbies & Interests:	I love cooking, baking, brewing with friends, fishing with family, traveling with my wife, designing, camping, going on adventures, and tinkering with technology. Largely, I enjoy anything that involves building relationships with others.
	Why Learning Sciences?	The Learning Sciences fulfills my primary interests in problems of teaching, learning, and design. LS offers a unique interdisciplinary lens that enables me to explore and pursue research interests in the design of learning environments, literacies, and cognition.
	Contact Information:	mbolz2@uic.edu

Lori Butler	Discipline:	Music & Math Education
	Entered Program:	Fall 2010
	Degree(s):	B.M. Professional Music at Berklee College of Music M.M.T. Music Technology @NYU Ed.M. Instructional Technology and Media @Teachers College, Columbia University
	Hometown:	North Carolina & Michigan
	Professional Goals:	My professional goals are entrepreneurial in nature. With a global initiative in mind, I would like to launch an educational enterprise that centers on developing innovative applications and content that server to build a person's cultural capital. A key branch of my company involves the use of new media and traditional technologies to foster one's musical skills and use music to make connections to formal learning. Reaching out to young people here and abroad, I seek to help them fulfill their dreams and reach their potential by raising awareness of the varied career trajectories relevant to their passions and abilities. My secondary goals include one of my songs becoming a hit and recording my own album. -(I am a bit ambitious.)
	Hobbies & Interests:	I enjoy practicing my saxophone, songwriting, watching sports (i.e. football, college basketball, and tennis, few others), traveling, hanging out with my husband, mentoring young people, and going to church.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I heard about Learning Sciences from Dr. Nichole Pinkard who referred me to Dr. Radinsky, my advisor. Learning Sciences is a field of study that is well suited for tending to my multiple interests in a coherent way. I'm fascinated with how people learn, musical performance, math learning, and educational design. The program allows me to bring together my varied interests in music, educational design, and mathematics education. I think the most valuable thing the program offers is research apprenticeship. There are major thinkers in education that I've admired from afar and now am able to study with at UIC. The institute as well as UIC departments bring in a number of academic "movers and shakers." There is a rich opportunity to meet people and talk about your research interests with colleagues and to dialogue with guest lecturers.
	Contact Information:	lbutle3@uic.edu

Katie James	Discipline:	Cognitive Psychology
	Entered Program:	Fall 2010
	Degree(s):	Harvard - Ed.M in Mind, Brain and Education; Northwestern University BA in Psychology
	Hometown:	Glen Ellyn, IL
	Professional Goals:	Establishing connections between cognitive psychology and learning sciences research to improve the design of learning environments in both formal and informal settings.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I spend most of my free time irish dancing, cheering for the Northwestern Wildcats, and going on adventures.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I'm studying Learning Sciences because it enables me to investigate the cognitive aspects of learning while considering how they play out in the real world.
	Contact Information:	kjames26@uic.edu

Natalie Jorion	Discipline:	Assessment and Educational Measurement
	Entered Program:	Fall 2010
	Degree(s):	MA, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University; BA French and Creative Writing / Math Minor, University of California, San Diego
	Hometown:	Southern California
	Professional Goals:	To work as a researcher in educational assessment, especially one that develops better means of measuring complex skills and conceptual understandings.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Traveling, vegetarian cooking, reading (especially post-modernist and/or science fiction), Bikram yoga, camping, hula hooping.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Learning Sciences is an exciting field to be a part of-- as the nature of "intelligence" shifts with the demands of a technocentric workplace, so too does the need for research on how to better facilitate learning in its authentic contexts. Learning Scientists seek to leverage cognitive psychology, design, and disciplinary knowledge to create new ways of understanding and assessing these changing notions of "intelligence."
	Contact Information:	njorio2@uic.edu

Lianne Schroeder	Discipline:	Chemistry
	Entered Program:	Fall 2010
	Degree(s):	MS - Chemistry; BS - Chemistry
	Hometown:	Colorado Spring, CO
	Professional Goals:	My goal is to both teach, and research learning in, introductory college chemistry.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Belly dance, Ren Faire, horses
	Why Learning Sciences?	I chose Learning Sciences over Science Education or Chemical Education because I see it as having more potential for creating the interdisciplinary dialogue needed to move chemical educational practices forward.
	Contact Information:	lschro6@uic.edu

Brian Slattery	Discipline:	Cognitive Science
	Entered Program:	Fall 2010
	Degree(s):	BA in Cognitive Science with minor in Philosophy from Indiana University - Bloomington
	Hometown:	Highland Park, IL
	Professional Goals:	I want to work in museum, zoo, aquarium, or other informal science setting, focusing on education or technology intergration. As far as research goes, my interests are in information science education, museums, technology, language, scientific reasoning & rationality (heuristics, biases), and cognitive sciences -- so I wish to continue to study these topics.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Constructed languages, gaming, reading, comics, nerd stuff, as well as traveling and exploring interesting places.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I've always been interested in ways we learn and how that can be affected by subject and context. Learning Sciences provides the most direct way for me to learn how to make our shared educational institutions stronger, and how to support enjoyable, lifelong intellectual development.
	Contact Information:	bslatt2@uic.edu
Cohort Six
Amanda Fisher	Discipline:	Mathematics
	Entered Program:	Fall 2011
	Degree(s):	BA in Elementary Education from North Central College in Naperville;MS in Mathematics from Roosevelt University in Chicago
	Hometown:	Bolingbrook, IL
	Professional Goals:	At this point, I would like to teach at the college level while pursuing my research interests at the K-3 level in the development of Base-10 understanding.
	Hobbies & Interests:	I am the props and costume designer for a suburban theatre company called Players, Please Theatre. I also love to get up on the stage and act when I have the time to do so. Reading, baking, and laughing are always at the top of my to-do list.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Education has always played a big part in my life. I the need to constantly learn new things, and I truly enjoy helping others learn, too. My experiences as a middle school math teacher opened my eyes to the difficulties teachers and students each face when navigating our educational system. Learning Sciences will allow me to explore both sides of the learning process while providing me with opportunities to connect math learning with that of other subjects.
	Contact Information:	afishe8@uic.edu
Cohort Seven
Jeremy Riel	Discipline:	Educational Technology
	Entered Program:	Fall 2012
	Degree(s):	B.A., Political Science, University of Oregon; M.A., Communication, Culture, and Technology, Georgetown University
	Hometown:	Springfield, OR
	Professional Goals:	Consulting and research of educational technology design and implementation within both formal and informal learning environments. For my research, I am specifically interested in virtual learning environment effectiveness and design (which includes online communities, video games, adaptive hypermedia, and virtual worlds). I will also design and develop digital tools, software, and hybrid online/in-person learning designs that leverage the possibilities of virtuality for formal and informal learning.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Electronics tinkering, video games, audio/video production, LEGOs, programming, reading, following politics and policy, camping, hiking, and being the first to play with new technologies and gadgets.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I believe that my work will increasingly require an appreciation of the nuances of complex systems and how digital tools are used by and can affect people differently. As my goal is to design technologies and tools that address the diverse needs of learners, the learning sciences community and its emerging methods provide an exciting possibility for researching the implications of today's unavoidable synthesis of technology and learning.
	Contact Information:	jriel2@uic.edu Twitter: @jeremyriel Website: www.jeremyriel.com

Theresa Carlton	Discipline:	Mathematics
	Entered Program:	Fall 2011
	Degree(s):	MS Applied Mathematics, Statistics Concentration, DePaul University, Chicago; BS Mathematics and Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago; Graduate Certification: Faculty Leadership in Teaching, Roosevelt University, Chicago.
	Hometown:	Chicago, IL
	Professional Goals:	I am currently a tenured Assistant Professor for the City Colleges of Chicago, Harold Washington College. I am hoping the Learning Sciences Program will provide me with the knowledge and research experience necessary to improve mathematics education in community colleges, specifically the education we provide to students in developmental mathematics courses. I am also interested in studying expert to novice communication with the goal of helping experts to provide clear, articulate and simple explanations to those who have no knowledge of their field, and also to help novices learn to ask questions and elicit information from experts.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Reading, music, movies, baking, traveling.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I love that the LS program is interdisciplinary, and that I am able to combine what I know about mathematics, psychology and education all into one degree. Learning sciences is also the only program I found that focuses on what it means to learn first, and then, as a result, what it means to teach.
	Contact Information:	tcarlt2@uic.edu

Kristen Vogt	Discipline:	Museum Education/Urban Anthropology
	Entered Program:	Fall 2012
	Degree(s):	B.A. Medieval Studies, 2008 (University of Oregon) M.P.A. Museum Administration, 2010 (Southern Illinois University)
	Hometown:	Chicago, IL
	Professional Goals:	Become a museum director and continue research on informal education.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Hiking, swimming, cycling, knitting, backpacking, good coffee, SCUBA diving, and attempting to find a surf hole in Lake Michigan.
	Why Learning Sciences?	As a museum educator and teacher, I found myself constantly questioning the role of the informal learning space for both students and visitors, especially in urban settings with students from a diverse socioeconomic background. Luckily for me, I met Dr. Lyons at the Association of Midwest Museums Conference, where I learned about the LSRI and the research that was conducted here. Within this program, LS allows me to understand how people of all ages learn and what museums and other places can have to offer to them and their communities.
	Contact Information:	kvogt4@uic.edu

Dane DeSutter	Discipline:	Chemistry
	Entered Program:	Fall 2012
	Degree(s):	B.S. Applied Physics, emphasis in Chemistry - Purdue University
	Hometown:	Racine, WI
	Professional Goals:	Persistence in STEM fields is an important challenge facing post-secondary institutions. In particular, certain courses like organic chemistry can present students interested in STEM careers with steep obstacles. Through my doctoral research and my career after defense, I hope to research ways to reduce this strain on students through carefully designed and implemented software interventions.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Playing piano; Baroque, late Classical, and early Romantic music; foreign languages; biking throughout Chicago.
	Why Learning Sciences?	Throughout my teaching experience, I have been inspired by ideas I believe hold great potential for improvement in the standard ways and means of science and math education. This career choice is in part a call to action from a fundamental tension: students frequently have access to excellent technological resources, but seldom have effective learning tools to use with these technologies. By becoming a Learning Sciences researcher, I can spend my career creating these software learning environments and providing students and teachers with improved learning outcomes and teaching practices.
	Contact Information:	ddesut2@uic.edu

Mirlanda Prudent	Discipline:	Science education
	Entered Program:	August 2012
	Degree(s):	Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
	Hometown:	Jersey City, NJ
	Professional Goals:	I would like to build educational software catered to under-served children of all ages. Through my software, I hope to equip students with the skills that are needed to become independent learners.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Movies, baking, hiking, camping, skydiving, and travel just to name a few.
	Why Learning Sciences?	I like the interdisciplinary aspect of learning sciences and believe that such an approach is the best way to address the many issues that surround education. Also, as technology improves and continues to redefine our lives, it becomes increasingly important to study its affordances and limitations in regards to learning.
	Contact Information:	mprude2@uic.edu

Raymond Kang	Discipline:	I am building myown.
	Entered Program:	Fall 2011
	Degree(s):	Master's of Arts in social science, UniversityofChicago, Bachelor's of Arts in Philosophy from UIC, Bachelor's of Science in Biological Sciences from UIC
	Hometown:	Carol Stream, IL
	Professional Goals:	I plan to build technology tools for assessment -- including professional development, as well as supporting teacher practices.
	Hobbies & Interests:	Playing music (jazz and classical). I play violin and guitar. Consuming media. I draw and take photos.
	Why Learning Sciences?	When I began my master's program, I was interested in the affects of learning on musical ability, and on the affects of learning on perception, but that shifted rather dramatically when I took job as a counselor in a residential treatment facility for kids with sever emotional and behavioral disorders. One of the things I noticed while I was doing that work was that we were making important decisions about these children's lives based on incomplete or insufficient evidence. For me, that translated into how we understand children (or people in general) and how they grow and learn.
	Contact Information:	rkang2@uic.edu