Work
Technology design, development, & research consulting, primarily for SRI International, where I was a senior cognitive & computer scientist for two decades (see former SRI Bio). Past clients include Digital Promise, where I was Director of Learner-Centered Design Research for a couple of years (see former DP Bio), and the University of California-Berkeley with Michael Ranney on climate change education. I also consult pro bono with my brother at the University of California-Davis around models for analyzing social behavior.
Generally, I enjoy working with multidisciplinary teams to design, develop, and study technology for research and learning (see example projects.) I've been PI/co-PI for a dozen NSF grants and co-authored 50+ publications on topics including online community, collaborative technology, STEM & CS learning, and critical thinking/reasoning. In grad school at Berkeley I led undergrad sections in cognitive science and programming, and interned in HCI research groups at Apple, IBM, and Xerox PARC. I've also mentored girls in computer science and encouraged more inclusion in computer science and engineering.
Education
Ph.D. in cognition and learning and an M.S. in computer science from the UC Berkeley. My dissertation focused on modeling and aiding scientific reasoning through an integration of theory-based cognitive simulations, experimental studies, and instructional curricula (see, for example, Ranney & Schank, 1998). My masters degree was in computer science (artificial intelligence), and my thesis focused on computer science education. My undergrad degree is from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where I double-majored in mathematics and computer science, and was a student mentor/consultant for the math and computer science departments.
Fun and Interests
Lots of hobbies and interests - and now, as a consultant, I finally have time :)
- a cappella singing with my hubby - and maybe someday, some arranging,
- social dance with my hubby - especially salsa, rotary waltz, and hustle
- vegan cooking and sharing recipes with my pal Judi, and following the research on nutrition and longevity
- exercise through dance, long walks, strength training, and fitness classes - it's essential, not optional, for longevity
- pair programming with my hubby - coding WITH others is much more fun!
- managing and blogging about Schank Farm in Nebraska, where I grew up and manage our farm with my brother, with Dad's helpful advice
- financial planning - save in low-cost index funds, like Vanguard's, as much and early as you can, to take advantage of compounding
- talking with my brother about his research on the evolution of fairness & other social behavior (e.g., last 10 minutes of This American Life podcast, Things I Mean To Know) - and helping redesign his Agent-Based Models site,
- thinking and working with my former advisor and pal Michael Ranney on climate change education (e.g., on how global warming works)
- and of course, just hanging with family and friends