The Black Scholars Index

Dr. Nichole Pinkard: Senior Research Associate @ University of Chicago

Posted on 14. Sep, 2009 by Leshell Hatley in Scholarly Celebrations

Dr. Nichole Pinkard is a senior research associate (assistant professor) at the University of Chicago’s Center for Urban School Improvement (USI), where she serves as director of technology for the center and as USI director of the Information Infrastructure System (IIS) project. Dr. Pinkard plays a leading role in USI’s engagement in the ongoing process of researching problems around the integration of advanced technology systems into urban schools. As lead designer of the center’s IIS project, she is leading the design and development of a knowledge management system that will better equip urban schools to provide ambitious intellectual work for all students.

Dr. Pinkard’s research interests focus on the development of visualizations to support teacher analysis of practice and student learning, the cultural context of learning and literacy, issues surrounding urban education and the relationship between gender and technology, and understanding how culture influences the design and use of learning environments by examining how designers’ design decisions constrain and/or afford users’ actions.

Dr. Pinkard has received a prestigious National Science Foundation Early Career Award and the AERA Division C Jan Hawkins Early Career Award. Prior to joining USI, she was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Education. She holds a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University, an MS in Computer Science from Northwestern University and a PhD in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University.

Dr. Pinkard is also the Director of Innovation for the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute (UEI) where she plays a leading role in UEI’s engagement in creating optimal learning environments that span school, home and community. Dr. Pinkard has led efforts to implement 1:1 computing in urban schools, integrate new media into core instruction, and create new media learning opportunities outside of the school day.

Here, her research interests include the design and use of pedagogical-based social networks, new media literacy learning outcomes, ecological models of learning.  With this, she is on the program founder of the Digital Youth Network, an after school and during school digital media project in Chicago.

She serves on the Advisory Board of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, and on the National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Games Research program.

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3. [ Newly_Tenured ] Dr. Sherri Frizell – Associate Professor @ Prairie View A&M
4. Valerie Jarrett: Senior Advisor to President Obama
5. Dr. Kimberley Gomez: Learning Sciences Researcher & Professor @ Pitt

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