Team

Our Team
Director Josh Bookin
Josh Bookin
Director, Instructional Support and Development
 

My main focus is on supporting equitable and excellent instruction at HGSE. In doing so, I assist faculty members and teaching fellows in solving their dilemmas of practice to best meet the learning needs of their students. I facilitate a wide variety of learning opportunities including one-on-one consultations, one-off workshops, and on-going professional learning communities (PLCs). I currently serve as a Co-Chair for the Anti-Racist Teaching and Advising (ARTA) Initiative, as well as a facilitator for two ARTA-related PLCs. I am embedded in various working groups for the redesigned Master’s program, focusing particularly on helping the school-wide Foundations courses train and support a cohort of instructors. My responsibilities also include serving as the Project Lead for Instructional Moves (IM), an institutional endeavor aimed at capturing multimedia portraits of practice of excellent and equitable teaching across Harvard. The IM Project is one of the ways I showcase instructional innovations happening here and interact with colleagues in the field to ensure that HGSE stays on the leading edge of higher education teaching and learning.

Prior to this role, I served in a similar position as the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). During my time at HKS, I built a diverse portfolio of work with faculty members, developed the school’s first-ever training program for teaching fellows, helped develop case-based assets, engaged in action research to inform classroom practice, and assisted in the redesign of the Master’s in Public Policy Program. In other work at Harvard, I co-authored with Richard Elmore a report on innovative pedagogy to help guide the university’s capital campaign planning and designed and taught Microeconomics courses for HKS Mid-Career Master’s students. I have also served as an adjunct professor at Boston University’s School of Education, where I focused on teaching instructional methods to pre-service secondary school educators. I earned my Ed. M. in Learning and Teaching at HGSE in 2008, and I am delighted to have returned to this wonderful institution in a role shaped around this essential work that I love.

Contact Josh Bookin

Josh Bookin
Senior Learning Designer Portrait of Haejung Chung
Haejung Chung
Senior Learning Designer
 

I joined the Teaching and Learning Lab (TLL) as a Senior Learning Designer in February 2020. In this role, I collaborate with the TLL team and our stakeholders in creating effective learning experiences for HGSE courses.

I come to HGSE with more than fifteen years of experience leading national and organization-wide pedagogical innovation initiatives in higher education. Most recently at Tufts Medical Center, I was Manager of Instructional Design for Tufts Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) where I directed a portfolio of NIH-funded professional learning programs for health researchers and their teams from 40+ partner institutions in New England. There I led the strategic planning and development of the Institute’s new I LEARN learning platform, medical partners’ research coordinator training initiatives, and federal-industry-academic collaborative investigator training programs. Before that, I led Tufts University’s Provost-funded learning innovation projects, including creating the University’s Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) on edX.org in partnership with the Open Education Consortium (OEC) and implementing the iPads for Education Program. I also worked as Instructional Technology Analyst at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles, where I collaborated with catholic school educators on the School of Education-wide adoption of one laptop per teacher (1:1) computing, educational podcasts, and digital ethnography.

I grew up in South Korea and earned my M.A. in Instruction of Technologies and Media at The Ohio State University. I enjoy partnering with faculty in operationalizing their innovative ideas to action. I do so by leveraging design thinking and evidence-based uses of media and technology to the collaborative design process.

Haejung Chung
Pedagogy and Assessment SpecialistKatherine Farrar
Katherine Farrar
Pedagogy and Assessment Specialist
 

As a member of the TLL team, I support faculty in creating inclusive, learner-centered experiences. I advise the Student Experience Team, a terrific group of master’s students who partner with the school to bring student voices into the design of HGSE experiences. I also partner with instructional coaches to facilitate professional learning communities for faculty, develop resources for teaching, and deepen our commitment to humanizing, equitable, and antiracist practices. It is a joy to collaborate with such caring and creative educators as they deepen learning at HGSE.

I joined the TLL after receiving an Ed.M. from the Learning & Teaching Program at HGSE. Prior to that I spent nearly a decade in higher education, including engaging in biomedical research, undergraduate teaching, education research, and faculty professional development. While pursuing a degree in biomedical science (looking at bacteria under a microscope is as magical to me as looking up at the night sky!), I discovered how much I value working with other educators. Educators are learners, too, and I enjoy creating spaces to explore the reflective, personal, and relational aspects of teaching.

Katherine Farrar
Learning DesignerKelley Hirsch
Kelley Hirsch
Learning Designer
 

As a Learning Designer, I collaborate with the TLL team and support faculty in creating effective, engaging, and active learning experiences for HGSE courses. I enjoy bringing faculty visions to life with our tech tools, and strive to design inclusive, humanizing learning experiences.

I have nine years of experience as an educator, working in a variety of contexts including K-3 literacy, museum education, and adult online professional development. Before coming to the TLL, I created MOOCs and SPOCs for K-12 teachers and staff at the MIT Teaching Systems Lab and as part of Harvard Business School Online’s Certificate in School Management and Leadership. I particularly enjoyed designing for a global audience and collaborating with media producers on videos for these courses that featured educators’ stories and explored their problems of practice. Before shifting to online education, I worked in a museum education department. Highlights from my time there included teaching a distance learning lesson for students in the Arctic Circle, assisting with “touch tours” for blind and visually impaired visitors, and making many jello brains for workshops about ancient Egyptian mummification.

I have an Ed.M. from HGSE’s Technology, Innovation, and Education program. As a relatively new New Englander, I enjoy learning about interesting local foods like javaberry frozen yogurt and contemplating the virtues of Maine- vs. Connecticut-style lobster rolls.

Kelley Hirsch
Learning DesignerAlyshia Keys-Harris
Alyshia Keys-Harris
Learning Designer
 

I’m a passionate Learning Designer with 10+ years of experience creating engaging and effective dynamic instructional systems. I believe learning is essential to any kind of progress, in any endeavor, and on every level, so I work to ensure all my designed solutions are aligned with the goals of the educator. Heralded as an innovative problem solver who masters new skills quickly, I am energized to collaborate with stakeholders to bring organizational goals to life, on every level.

After serving 10 years as a Secondary Science Educator, most recently in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, I completed my Master’s in the Digital Age Learning and Educational Technology (DALET) Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Forging these experiences, I am uniquely positioned to work with instructional staff to create the most effective learning experiences.

Alyshia
Learning DesignerGabe Lamanuzzi
Gabe Lamanuzzi
Learning Designer
 

Hi there! Thanks for clicking on my face. I believe that learning should be applicable, empowering, and joyful. Education can be reshaped to be a creative adventure without compromising standards, sacrificing substance, or forfeiting rigor. I am passionate about applying cognitive science and student-centered principles to the redesign of learning materials, environments, methods, and products.

As an educator I have spent ten years co-designing learning experiences with students in Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles, American Samoa, Korea, and Boston. I have worked with nearly every stage of human development (from elementary through middle and high school, college students, and adult learners). I am thrilled to now be innovating at a greater scale here at HGSE. As a Learning Designer, my work ranges from analyzing instructional challenges and advising on technology use to building courses and producing media for trainings.

On a more who-am-I-outside-of-work note -- sign me up for a nature romp over a day in the city any time. Goals of mine include maintaining a lifetime average of 3.7 bad puns per day, 10 great hugs per week, and maybe also changing the world. I’m a fan of storytelling and dancing. My favorite shape is a rhombus.

Gabe Lamanuzzi
Online Learning Fellow Tian smiling directly at the camera with a denim button up with bright floral accents
Tianxinyi Liu
Online Learning Fellow
 

I’m Tianxinyi (pronounced “Tee-an-shin-yee”), an Online Learning Fellow (OLF) in the Teaching and Learning Lab (TLL) at HGSE. I am a digital enthusiast and a passionate educator who has been exposed to different educational systems at a relatively young age. My goal is to teach and design high-tech courseware using cutting-edge multimedia software and to spread the transformative power of education on a global scale.

I am a multicultural individual who has spent over seventeen years studying, working, and living in Africa, America, Europe, and Asia. I received a Master’s degree in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship program from Harvard University (class of ’23) and attended Carleton College as an undergraduate with a major in Political Science/International Relations. Prior coming to HGSE, I worked in the education field as an entrepreneur, course content designer, teacher, and consultant for more than seven years in urban and rural settings. My specialty is creating courseware while experimenting with the latest technology to achieve the best learning outcomes. I’ve created original programs for years that have been enhanced through my use of digital tools.

I have an almost infinite capacity for work and cannot wait to delve into creating new courseware. I am extremely excited to be joining the TLL team and the opportunity to meet similarly motivated peers!

Tianxinyi Liu
Director Becca Miller
Becca Miller
Director, Curriculum Design and Assessment
 

Within the TLL I lead two distinct yet interrelated initiatives: the development and design of master’s-level curricula and learning experiences, and a program of internal and applied research on teaching and curricular innovation.

In the area of curriculum design, I partner with faculty leaders, staff, research assistants, and TLL colleagues to devise and create innovative learning opportunities at HGSE that are grounded in research on learning and instruction in higher education. This work encompasses initial conceptualization—including crafting literature reviews, learning objectives and outcomes, curricular maps, and design frameworks—as well as the development of content, pedagogical approaches, and assessments. The research portion of my portfolio involves the design, execution, analysis, and dissemination of studies that inform the development and evaluation of TLL projects as well as studies that contribute to the academic literature on postsecondary learning and teaching.

I joined the TLL after receiving my Ed.D. from HGSE and following more than a decade of experience in postsecondary curriculum development, teaching, and academic writing and editing. My doctoral research interests centered on the intersection of scientific knowledge and educational endeavors, both broadly defined, with a particular interest in postsecondary STEM pathways, experiences, and identities.

Becca Miller
Curriculum and Assessment SpecialistNicole Nash
Nicole Nash
Senior Curriculum and Assessment Specialist
 

As a Curriculum and Assessment Specialist at the TLL, I support curriculum development at the master’s level and work collaboratively to assess ways to strengthen learning outcomes for HGSE students. I am passionate about fostering continuous growth for both students and educators.

I began my career as a kindergarten and special education teacher in Chicago. Since then, I’ve been privileged to spend eight years teaching, coaching, and leading in charter schools in Chicago, Boston, and Providence. Prior to my work at the TLL, I served as Assistant Director of Professional Learning for Harvard’s Reach Every Reader initiative and have also worked with Sposato Graduate School of Education as a coach, MET evaluator, and adjunct instructor since 2017. I hold an Ed.M. in Learning, Teaching, & Instructional Leadership from HGSE, a M.A. in Special Education from Michigan State University, and a B.A. in Psychology, Education, and Child Policy Research from Duke University.

Nicole Nash
Senior Media Producerportrait of Michael Oliveri
Michael Oliveri
Senior Media Producer
 

As a multimedia producer in higher education for the last 10 years, I am passionate about leveraging digital media to promote communication and to enhance learning outcomes. This is why I am so excited to have joined the TLL team in July, 2021 as their Senior Media Producer.

In my time in Higher Ed, I have gained extensive experience working with faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, and staff to help them achieve their media production goals. I also get enormous satisfaction in teaching multimedia skills (videography, photography, video editing, audio capture and audio editing), whether in courses, small groups, or one-on-one. The goal for me is to promote multimedia and digital storytelling as a means to help expand our vocabulary of communication to meet the needs of the 21st century world in which we live.

I come into this role with a B.A. in English from Colorado College and a Professional Music Diploma in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music. In my previous position I was a media producer and media manager for the Harvard Bok Center's Learning Lab studio.

Michael Oliveri
Learning TechnologistPortrait of Hope O'Rourke
Hope O'Rourke
Learning Technologist
 

I joined the TLL team full-time as a Learning Technologist in March 2022 after holding the same title at Harvard Law School for 5 years. As a technologist I help educators discover and implement technological solutions to enrich their curriculum. I am currently enrolled in the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology concentration of the Ed.M. program at HGSE and am set to graduate in the Spring of 2023.

Hope O'Rourke
Senior Instructional Coach Allison Pingree
Allison Pingree
Associate Director, Instructional Support and Development
 

As a coach, I partner with faculty to enhance teaching and deepen learning across HGSE. I work with faculty teams as they plan and execute new learning experiences for multi-section courses; consult individually on course design, innovative pedagogical and assessment methods, inclusive teaching strategies, and interpreting and responding to student feedback; and co-create and deliver collaborative faculty learning opportunities (including an institute for new faculty, regular faculty professional development sessions, and thematic professional learning communities).

My career has been devoted to practicing, supporting, innovating and leading in higher education teaching and learning. A continuous thread in that work is my commitment to helping others learn and grow through deep listening, skilled facilitation, and reflective practice. In 2018-19, I served as Director of Cross-School Programming at the Harvard Initiative for Learning & Teaching, overseeing the annual conference, Teaching & Learning Consortium, and Into Practice, and piloting a program for formative peer observation. Prior to that, I was Director of Professional Pedagogy with SLATE at the Harvard Kennedy School for 7 years, preceded by 13 years as Director of Vanderbilt’s university-wide Center for Teaching.

My research interests include interdisciplinary teaching, learning and collaboration; leadership and organizational change; and contemplative pedagogy. My passion as an educator lies in cultivating ways to integrate cognitive, affective, and embodied forms of learning to promote individual and social change. I hold a Ph.D. in English & American Literature and Language from Harvard, and have taught in English, History & Literature, and Expository Writing at Harvard, and in American Studies and in Leadership, Policy & Organizations at Vanderbilt.

Allison Pingree
Director, Learning Design Prusko
Patrice Prusko
Director, Learning Design
 

As Director of Learning Design within the TLL I oversee the design, development and project management of online and technology enhanced courses in the TLL portfolio. My team thoughtfully incorporates LX design, UDL, learning theory, and instructional design practices to create courses that are inclusive and designed for our diverse student population.  We use innovative learning strategies in support of enhancing student learning experiences and access to HGSE courses.

Prior to joining the TLL team I worked as an Instructional Designer at Cornell University in the Center for Teaching Innovation, and as a faculty member at State University of New York, Empire State College, Center for Distance Learning and International Programs. My current research focuses on using complexity theory to look at higher education as a human system, finding the weak signals and developing human centered solutions that will create conditions where all students can thrive. Through my research I look to develop course and systems level structures that support inclusive, transformational learning experiences for all students, especially first generation and underrepresented student populations in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  I'm passionate about increasing global access to STEM education for all women. I believe by increasing access to education for women we can enable more communities across the globe to thrive and flourish. 

I have 15+ years progressive and multi-faceted experience with design and curriculum development, specializing in: developing innovative pedagogical approaches using multiple modalities including open educational resources and virtual meeting tools. I’ve led several design thinking studies focused on reimagining the way we deliver education, evaluate inclusive initiatives and create educational ecosystems. I hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.), and Business Management (MBA) from Union College, and Curriculum and Instruction (Ph.D.) from University at Albany.
 

Patrice Prusko
Project LeadStephanie Shantz
Stephanie Shantz
Senior Project Lead

As Senior Project Lead within the TLL my focus is on project management for the TLL team with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships and organizational tools to support and promote project outcomes. Main projects I oversee include How People Learn, an asynchronous online course focused on connecting the science of learning and human development to professional practice in education across roles, with a focus on hiring and facilitation. Other projects I oversee include the transition of in person Master’s courses to robust online versions as well as smaller scale TLL initiatives.

Prior to coming to HGSE I spent my career focused on best practices in online education and promoting the use of remote learning tools to meet the needs of students nationally. My passion lies in empowering educators to use remote learning tools to connect with diverse populations of students and increase learning outcomes. As a previous Director of Instruction and Instructional Supervisor with a focus in K-12 public, charter, and for-profit sectors of education I have shifted that knowledge base to graduate level education. I hold a degree in Secondary Mathematics Education (B.S.) from Penn State University and a Master’s of Education from Cabrini College.

Stephanie Shantz
Online Learning FellowElva smiling in a pink button up
Elva Si
Online Learning Fellow
 

Hi, I’m Elva Si. I am an Online Learning Fellow at TLL. I assist the TLL team in enhancing digital experiences for students and faculty through learning design and project management support. Working at the intersection of learning, media, and technology, I’m passionate about creating playful and educational experiences that engage, delight, and inspire learners of all ages…especially youngsters!

Before joining TLL, I received my Ed.M. degree from the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology program at HGSE. Prior to HGSE, I worked as a curriculum developer for English Literacy courses in an EdTech setting. I also hold a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Child Studies from Tufts University. Outside of work, I like to do portrait photography, play with my cat, and explore tasty food around cities.

Elva Si
Online Learning FellowNina smiling with thick glasses and an orange shirt
Nina Villanova
Online Learning Fellow
 

I am an Online Learning Fellow (OLF) here in the TLL. As an OLF I support the design and implementation of courses in the Online Education Leadership (OEL) program. I am passionate about creating engaging and impactful learning experiences for students, and I enjoy having the opportunity to assist faculty in bringing those experiences from vision to reality.

I joined the TLL shortly after receiving my M.Ed. from HGSE in the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology program. I am a big fan of education (including my own). I hold an M.A. from College of the Holy Cross, where I rowed on the varsity crew team, an M.B.A. from the Isenberg School at UMass Amherst where I was a David Gaunt Entrepreneurship Fellow, and I hold a J.D. from Suffolk University. I am licensed to practice law here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I have practiced law, worked for almost a decade in retail management for EILEEN FISHER, and taught middle and high school math. I have also served my community both as a member of the Hingham Maritime Center board of trustees and as a volunteer on the Hingham Conservation Commission. Throughout all of these experiences, the common thread has been my desire to educate students, co-workers, community members, and customers, among other groups, to improve their overall experiences.

While my love of education runs deep, I do have a few other interests. When I’m not at work, you’ll find me running, reading, playing pickleball or tennis, baking, birdwatching, traveling, or taking photographs, to name a few things.

Nina Villanova
TLL Directorportrait of BIll Wisser
Bill Wisser
TLL Director and Lecturer in Education
 

I oversee the TLL portfolio and ensure that the focus of the TLL remains aligned with the strategic initiatives of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I represent the department to HGSE administrators and faculty and help guide conversations about new opportunities to increase the reach and impact of faculty research and practice.

I earned my Ph.D. in Latin American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a dissertation that examined the rise of a political print culture in early nineteenth-century Brazil. After teaching World History and Modern Latin America at several universities, I realized that my real interests lay in teaching and faculty support for teaching. Before coming to HGSE I was the Associate Director for Faculty Development and Support at Simmons College where I led the Sloan Foundation-funded Blended Learning Initiative. In that role I oversaw the development of two blended programs and one fully online program while also supporting the effective integration of technology in the traditional classroom.

Since arriving at HGSE I have helped numerous faculty members consider how technology can be leveraged to help them meet their learning outcomes. I have also been involved in the development of several new online courses and programs that help increase the reach of HGSE faculty research and practice. In 2017 I co-chaired the Harvard Initiative on Learning and Teaching (HILT) Teaching and Learning Collaborative and have published and presented on issues related to alternative credentials and electronic portfolios.

Bill Wisser
TLL Cradles to Crayons
 
Team-Based Approach

The TLL is a collaborative, process-driven organization. All project planning begins with a detailed needs analysis that includes stakeholders and outlines roles, responsibilities, timeline, and budget. Once approved, projects are led by a TLL staff member who maintains a project plan and ensures deadlines are met and all members of the project team stay in close communication. All projects in the TLL are developed through a team-based approach that leverages the expertise of relevant TLL staff members and other HGSE stakeholders to create an efficient, collaborative process.

 
Professional Expertise

The TLL team includes expert practitioners with experience in classroom and online teaching, multi-modal course design, product and media development, and educational research. The broad range of expertise allows the TLL to support the holistic development of learning experiences and assets, from initiation and design to development and deployment, and through assesment and improvement. We provide guidance to faculty members and teaching teams as they incorporate new assets and practices into their teaching.