Joshua Danish has been named the Director of the Center for Research on Learning and Technology. Danish, professor of Learning Sciences, has also been selected as the new Barbara B. Jacobs Chair in Education and Technology.

“I’ve always believed in the potential of technology to support teaching and learning in new and exciting ways,” Danish said. “However, it’s never been more clear than in the era of AI that it is incredibly important to learn with and from expert educators as we think about how to develop and implement these technologies. That’s why I am so incredibly excited to take on these two roles and get to work with outstanding teachers to understand how they think about technology in the classroom, and to work with my amazing colleagues in the School of Education to design and develop the next generation of educational technology innovations.”

Danish is replacing Cindy Hmelo-Silver, who has led the CRLT for the past 10 years. Hmelo-Silver will move into a new role as the Associate Dean for Research and Development.

“My vision for this role is to help increase awareness of the research that School of Education faculty members are doing, and to help create new opportunities for collaboration and raise external support for research. I look forward to working as a research catalyst, helping to bring together interdisciplinary teams to contribute to better understanding of teaching and learning. Improving teaching, learning, and education across the lifespan is one of the largest impacts a school of education can make—both in terms of creating new knowledge and economic impacts,” Hmelo-Silver said, adding, “I love doing research. I especially enjoy supporting others in being successful in their research, particularly in research that addresses important problems and grand challenges in education.”