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Amon Millner CV
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Curriculum Vitae                              Amon Millner                                Fall 2024        


Amon D. Millner

1000 Olin Way, Milas Hall Room 258, Needham, MA 02492

       amon.millner [at] olin.edu    ::    +1-781-292-2527

EDUCATION


Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ph.D. Media Arts and Sciences, advisor: Dr. Mitchel Resnick

2010

M.S. Media Arts and Sciences

2005

Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S. Human Computer Interactions

2003

University of Southern California, B.S. Computer Science

2001

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS


Olin College of Engineering

Senior Advisor to the President for Community Strategic Initiatives

2021 - present

Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation

2019 - present

Assistant Professor of Computing and Innovation

2015 - 2019

Visiting Assistant Professor of Computing Innovation

2012 - 2015

Computing Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow

2010 - 2012

Tufts University

Mechanical Engineering Department Advisory Council member

2024-present

Research Affiliate

2022-present

Visiting Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

2021

MIT Media Lab

Research Affiliate / Visiting Scientist

2010 - 2020

PROFESSIONAL AND ADVISORY POSITIONS


Unruly Studios - A startup producing Splats - programmable light-up tiles

Founding Advisor, Professor of Unruliness (Dr. Splat)

2015 - present

Mighty Picnic - Producer of PBS Kids show Lyla in the Loop

Curriculum Director

2020 - present

Founding Advisor

2016 - present

The Clubhouse Network - Over 100 after-school centers across 19 countries

Board of Directors member

2018 - present

Board Chair

2020 - 2024

Modkit - Creators of blocks-based coding tools for Vex Robotics & more

Co-Founder, Learning Lead

2010 - 2015

Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn Program at the South End Technology Center

An empowerment program hiring teens who teach ~700 peers per year

Advisor, Co-coordinator, Founding Mentor

2004-2019

IBM TJ Watson Research Center

Collaborative User Experience Group Graduate Research Intern

2002

Intel Corporation

ASIC Graduate Technical Intern

2001

PATENTS


  1. “System of Distributed Interactive Objects” inventors: Leeming, B., Ozick, D., Millner, A., Kunitz, D. Provisional Patent # US 12,097,424 (9/24/24).
  2. “Energy-Generating Scooter-Mounted Apparatus” inventors: Kaun, K., Pitter, A., Julio, S., Tiefel, S., Nwankwo, E., Andrade, L., Lye, L., Millner, A. Patent # US 9,755,481 (9/5/2017).
  3. “Identifying and Providing Physical Social Actions to a Social Networking System” inventors: Ryan, T., Huang, J., Booth, P., McKay, J., Moon, S., Seger M., Millner, A., Deng, P., Marra, C., Thompson, S., Marra, G. Patent # US 9,621,602 (4/11/2017).

COMMERCIALIZED TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS


HONORS AND MILESTONES


  • Scratch related
  • World’s largest coding community for kids - surpassed 100 million registered users.
  • Unruly Splats / Unruly Studios related

2022

  • Future of Educational Technology Conference Pitchfest winner.

2023

  • Tech &         Learning Best Remote & Blended Learning Tools.

2021

  • Mass Tech Leadership Council’s Digital Transformation in Education Award.

2019

  • BostInno 50 on Fire!        

2019

  • Startup of the Year Top 15 finalist.        

2018

  • MAKE Editors’ Choice Award / Education Award at Maker Faires for Unruly Studios, Modkit or Fab Lab related booths I ran.

‘16, ‘11, ‘10, ‘08

  • Lyla in the Loop related

  • 135 million streams reached in 8 months after launch.        

2024

  • 13 million game plays February - June,
  • #1 PBS Kids game played in February: Vacuum Hockey.

2024

  • STEMcees related

2021

  • Individual

  • Fulbright Specialist Roster Grantee.

2014

  • Computing Research Association Computing Innovation Fellow.

2010 - 2012

  • MIT Center for Bits and Atoms Fellow.

2004 - 2009

  • National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering & Science Fellow / GEM Fellowship.

2003 - 2008

  • Intel (graduate) Fellow.

2000 - 2003

  • Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society initiate, Nu Beta chapter.

2001

  • Order of Omega Honor Society initiate, Omega Phi chapter.

2000

  • Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

1999

HANDS-ON CREATING EFFORTS


 

Settings for Cultivating and Showcasing Creativity

Hands-on Making via Interactive Exhibits and Demonstrations

Professional Development Workshops


PUBLICATIONS


Notes:

Undergraduate co-authors are underlined.

* Collaborating research participants and/or community partner co-authors are next to *s.

Journal Articles

  1. Gravel, B. E., Millner, A., Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M. C., & Wagh, A. “Weebles wobble but they also commit to lifelong relationships”: Teachers’ transdisciplinary learning in computational play. International Journal of STEM Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00373-9 (2022).
  2. Champion, D.N., Tucker-Raymond, E., Millner, A., Gravel, B., Wright, C.G., Likely, R., Allen-Handy, A. and Dandridge, T.M., "(Designing for) learning computational STEM and arts integration in culturally sustaining learning ecologies", Information and Learning Sciences, Vol. 121 No. 9/10, pp. 785-804. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-01-2020-0018 (2020).
  3. Shaer, O., Millner, A., Hummels, C. “Trajectories in TEI: Reflecting on the Evolution of Ideas, Innovators, and Interactions.” ACM Interactions. XIX.6 November+December. 12-17 (2012).
  4. Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernandez, A., Rusk, N., Eastmond, E., Brennan, K., Millner, A., Rosenbaum, E., Silver, J., Silverman, B., Kafai, Y. "Scratch: Programming for All." Communications of the ACM. 52(11). 60-67 (2009).

Conference Publications

  1. Mabour, C., Gravel, B., Tucker-Raymond, E., Alvarado, A., Millner, A., Wright, G., & Allen-Handy, A., "Sustaining Relationality and Self-expression in a STEM+Hip-Hop Making Space." International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS). Buffalo, NY. (2024).
  2. Wright, C., Gravel, B., Tucker-Raymond, E., Champion, D., Allen-Handy, A., & Millner, A. "Learning in Culturally Sustaining Assessments of Computational Explorations." American Educational Research Association (AERA). Philadelphia, PA. (2024).
  3. Gravel, B., Tucker-Raymond, E., *Hovhanessian, C., *Fitzpatrick, C., Millner, A., & Olivares, M. "Building Meaningful Education with Engineering to Foster Care and Relationality." The National Association for Research on Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference. Denver, CO. (2024).
  4. Gravel, B., Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M., & Millner, A. "Multiple Relationalities in Critical Making Research." Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Chicago, IL. (2023).
  5. Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Wright, C., Gravel, B., Millner, A., & Allen-Handy, A. "Making in Afrocentric Learning Ecologies." Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Chicago, IL. (2023).
  6. Gravel, B.E., Tucker-Raymond, E., Millner, A., Fair, S., & Alvarado, A. “‘They Know, but they Don’t Know’: Expanding Relationality through Hip Hop Making.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Diego, CA. (2022).
  7. Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M.C., Gravel, B., & Millner, A. “Expanding Science Teacher Learning through Critical Relationality.” National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST). Vancouver, BC. (2022).
  8. Champion, D., Wright, C., Tucker-Raymond, E., Allen-Handy, A., Likely, R., Gravel, B., Millner, A. “Designing Hip Hop Ecologies for Learning: Relational Approaches to Computation.” Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Virtual (2021).
  9. Champion, D., Wright, C., Tucker-Raymond, E., Allen-Handy, A., Likely, R., Gravel, B., Millner, A. “Designing Hip Hop Ecologies for Learning: Relational Approaches to Computation.” Science Education for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice (SEEDS). Virtual (2021).
  10. Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Wright, C. G., Millner, A. D., Gravel, B. E., Allen-Handy, A., Likely, R., & Dandridge, T. “Exploring Computational Making through the Sounds of Hip Hop.” International Conference of the Learning Sciences.Nashville, TN / Virtual. (2020).
  11. Gravel, B., Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M., & Millner, A. "Re-Making STEM through Computational Making and Critical Relationality." International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS). Nashville, TN / Virtual. (2020).
  12. Gravel, B.E., Millner, A., Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M.C., & Wagh, A. “Characterizing Relationships Between Play and Computation in Computational Making Activities.” Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA / Virtual. (2020).
  13. Wright, C.G., Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Gravel, B.E., Millner, A., Allen-Handy, A., Likely, R. “Using Culturally-Sustaining STEM+C Learning Environments to Explore Computational Learning & identity. Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA / Virtual. (2020).
  14. Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M., Millner, A., Gravel, B.E., *Peruzzi, D., & Brown, L. “Centering Racialized Identities in Science Classrooms to Broaden Participation.” The National Association for Research on Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference. Portland, OR / virtual. (2020).
  15. Gravel, B., Olivares, M., Tucker-Raymond, E., Wagh, A., Gouvea, E., Millner, A., Ren, A. “Teachers’ Emerging Disciplinary Questions in the Context of Computational Play.” National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference 2019. Baltimore, MD. (2019).
  16. Leeming, B., Dietch, M., Grody, P., Borsky, C., Coffman, B., Wei, J., Ozick, D., Millner, A. “Moving and Making: How JumpSmart Programmable Floor Tiles Promote the Active Side of Interactive Games.” Abstract at Scratch@MIT Conference. Cambridge, MA. (2016).
  17. Baafi, E., *Klimczak, S., Reisdorf, C., Millner, A. “Modkit.io: a Text-based Environment Inspired by the “When” Hat from Scratch.” Poster at Scratch@MIT Conference. Cambridge, MA. (2016).
  18. Dietch, M., Leeming, B., Millner, A. “JumpSmart: A Platform for Communal Making and Physical Engagement in Programming.” Demonstration/paper at the Constructionism 2016 Conference. Bangkok, Thailand (2016).
  19. Millner, A. “Computer as Chalk: Supporting Youth as Designers of Tangible User Interfaces.” Proceedings of the Constructionism 2012 Conference. Athens, Greece (2012).
  20. Millner, A., Baafi, E. “Modkit: Blending and Extending Approachable Platforms for Creating Computer Programs and Interactive Objects.” Proceedings of the 2011 ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference. Ann Arbor, MI (2011).
  21. Baafi, E., Millner, A. “A Toolkit for Tinkering with Tangibles & Connecting Communities.” Proceedings of the 2011 ACM Tangible Embedded & Embodied Interaction Conference. Madeira, Portugal (2011).
  22. Millner, A. “Supporting Children as They Program to Make Physical and Virtual Objects Interact.” Proceedings of the 2008 ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference. Evanston, IL.(2008).
  23. Barron, B., Kafai, Y., Josephs, D., Pinkard, N., Resnick, M., Martin, C., Schatz, C., Shapiro, B., Millner, A., Peppler, K., Chiu, G., and Desai, S. “Clubs, Homes, and Online Communities as Contexts for Engaging Youth in Technology Fluency Building Activities.” Symposium and proceedings published in the 2006 International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Bloomington, IN. (2006).
  24. Zigelbaum, J., Millner, A., Desai, B. & Ishii, H. ”Bodybeats: Whole-body, Musical Interfaces for Children.” Work-in-progress/poster paper in Proceedings of the 2006 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (2006).

Book Chapters and Encyclopedia Entries

  1. Millner, A., Baafi, E., *Klimczak, S. Cultivating Community Change while Creating Construction Kits: Launching Scratch, Modkit, and L2TT2L.” Constructionism in Context. Editors Kafai, Y., and Holbert, N. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA (2020).
  2. Millner, A. “Fab Labs.” The SAGE Encyclopedia of Out-of-School Learning. Editor Peppler, K. Sage Publications, Inc. Thousand Oaks, CA (2017).
  3. Millner, A. “Interface Designs with Hook-ups.” The Computer Clubhouse: Constructionism and Creativity in Youth Communities. Kafai, Y. Peppler, K., Chapman, R., eds. Teachers College Press. New York, NY. 58-70 (2009).
  4. Millner, A., Daily, S. “Creating an Educational Ecosystem for Design, Personal Fabrication, and Invention.” Communities of Practice: Creating Learning Environments for Educators. Kimble, C. & Hildreth, P., eds. Information Age Publishing. Charlotte, NC, USA. 403-428 (2008).

Theses

  1. Millner, A. “Computer as Chalk: Cultivating and Sustaining Communities of Youth as Designers of Tangible User Interfaces.” Media Lab Ph.D. dissertation. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA (2010).
  2. Millner, A. “Hook-ups: How Youth Learn Through Creating Physical Computer Interfaces.” Media Lab master’s thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (2005).

Refereed Workshops

  1. Millner, A. Busa, A., Leeming B. “Promoting Unruly Programming with Random Blocks and Physical Play.” Blocks and Beyond Workshop. IEEE Visual Languages / Human-Centered Computing Conference 2017. Raleigh, NC (2017).
  2. Millner, A., Huang, W., *Corbett, C. “Creating Opportunities for Young Learners with Hearing Impairments to Program, Design, and Learn Language in New Ways.” Workshop on Designing for and with Children with Special Needs in Multiple Settings. ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference 2013. New York, NY (2013).
  3. Millner, A. “The Hook-ups Initiative: How Youth Can Learn by Creating Their Own Computer Interfaces and Programs.” SIGGROUP Bull., 24 (3), 85-89 (2005).

GRANTS AND SPONSORED PROJECTS


Projects with (Sub)Contracts Supporting my Olin College Activities

  • Reach Every Reader: Phase 2 (Co-PI)
  • With PI Yaacov Petscher, Florida State University and Co-PI Hank Fien, Boston University. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Subcontract to Boston University.

2024-2029

$6,000,000

total award

  • Supplements to Reach Every Reader: Phase 2
  • Boston University Wheelock Institute for the Science of Education and Red Hat capstone support 2024.

$60,000

  • ADVANCING KnowlEDGE—Engineering Deans’ Gender Equity—Initiative: Aligning Systems to Ensure Inclusion and Equity in Advancement of Diverse Women Engineering Faculty (Co-I)
  • With PI Caitryn Lynch, Olin College; and Olin College Co-Is: Jessica Townsend, Chhavi Goenka, and Lynn Stein. American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Subcontract to ASEE from (NSF) HRD ADVANCE Partnership award #2204520.

2024-2026

$20,000

  • Shade is Social Justice Public Art Competition - MIRROR Innovative Shade Structure Installation (Competition Winner 1 of 6)
  • With Lead organization Buildingways, and collaborating organizations: Citizens of the World, Equity Roadmap, Pheuhaus, & Obuchi Lab. Cambridge Arts Council. Site of temporary Installation: Donnelly Field, Cambridge, MA 7/1/24 to 9/30/24.

2024-2025

$27,000

  • Code-Switching in the Digital Age: Analyzing Child-AI Conversations and Its Implications on STEM Participation (Co-PI)
  • With PI Nermeen Dashoush, Boston University; and Boston University Co-PIs Sen Wang and Kathleen Corriveau; and Mighty Picnic Co-Is Dave Peth and Nneka Bolden. The Theresa and Frank Caplan Foundation. Subcontract to Boston University.

2024-2025

$49,998

total award

  • MIRROR - Movement to Invest in Reciprocity and Re-imagine Outreach Relationships Project Directed Gift (Project Director)
  • Support for STEM Slams and MIRROR Initiatives. MathWorks.

2023

$58,000

  • MIRROR - Movement to Invest in Reciprocity and Re-imagine Outreach Relationships Project Directed Gift (Project Director)
  • Support for STEM Slams and MIRROR Initiatives. Rogers Family Foundation.

2022

$100,000

  • Collaborative Research: Using Culturally-sustaining STEM+C Learning Environments to Explore Computational Learning and Identity (Co-PI)
  • With PI Eli Tucker-Raymond, Boston University; and Co-PI Chris Wright, Drexel University; Brian Gravel, Tufts University; and Dionne Champion, University of Florida. National Science Foundation. STEM+C DRL #1842278, #203472. Subcontract to Boston University.

2019-2021

$1,700,000

total award

  • Collaborative Research: Integrating Computational Making Practices in STEM Teaching (Co-PI)
  • With PI Eli Tucker-Raymond, Boston University; and Co-PI Maria Olivares, TERC. National Science Foundation. STEM+C DRL#1742091 & #1932802. Subcontract to TERC.

2017-2021

$1,200,000

total award

  • Supplements to Collaborative Research: Integrating Computational Making Practices in STEM Teaching
  • Research Experiences for Undergraduates 2019 $13,402 DRL #1932802; Research supplement 2018 $51,512 DRL #1841777; Research Experiences for Undergraduates 2018 $13,190 DRL #1831156.

$78,104

total supplements

  • Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship - Community Development: Coahoma Mobile Education Trailer (Co-PI)
  • With PI Kofi Taha, MIT D-Lab and Olin College; and Co-PI Benjamin Linder. Ford College Community Challenge (C3).

2017-2019

$25,000

  • Supplements to Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship - Community Development: Coahoma Mobile Education Trailer
  • Ford C3 10th Anniversary supplement 2017.
  • 4.0 Schools Tiny Fellowship 2017.
  • Community Foundation of NW Mississippi Tiny Grant 2017.

$20,000

$10,000

$7,000

  • Digital Design Trajectories Directed Gift (Project Director)
  • Autodesk.

2013 - 2015

$20,000

  • Supplements to Digital Design Trajectories
  • Autodesk general project supplement 2014.
  • Autodesk and Autodesk Foundation Olin Capstone support 2015.

$30,000

$100,000

  • Connecting and Catalyzing Innovation in K-16 Education: Invention/Innovation Convenings Directed Gift (Project Director)
  • With Co-Directors Ela Ben-Ur, Innovator’s Compass; and Stephen Brand, Babson College. Lemelson Foundation.

2014

$94,250

  • Computing Innovation Fellows (Postdoctoral Fellow)
  • With PI Lynn Stein, Olin College. Computing Research Association (CRA). Subcontract CIF-B-63 to CRA as part of NSF Award #1019343.

2010-2012

$267,500

Projects with (Sub)Contracts Supporting my Consulting+External Leadership

  • Generative AI-infused Interactive Storybook Explorations Directed Gift (Consulting Curriculum Director)
  • With Mighty Picnic Production Studio. Google.org in partnership with PBS Foundation. 

2025-2028

$1,485,480

  • Learn Together: Connecting Children’s Media and Learning Environments to Build Key Skills For Success (Consulting Curriculum Director)
  • With Mighty Picnic Production Studio. US Dept of Education Award # S295A200004. Subcontract to PBS Kids and CPB Ready to Learn - to Launch Lyla in the Loop Season 1.

2020 - 2025

$50,000

  • Seminar and Workshop series on Digital Fabrication Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Techniques (Fulbright Specialist)
  • Fulbright Commission of Colombia.

2014

$30,000

  • Ready for Robotics: The Missing ‘T’ and ‘E’ of Early Childhood Education (Technical Consultant / Prototype Lead)
  • With PI Marina Bers, then Tufts University. National Science Foundation DRL #1118897.

2011-2014

$408,000

total award

  • Computer Programming Tools in Schools: Is Now the Time? (Senior Personnel MIT Visiting Scientist)
  • With PI Eric Klopfer, MIT; and Co-PI George Reese, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. US Department of Homeland Security, Award #BAA09-07.

2011 - 2012

$170,000

  • Scratch and Share: Collaborating with Youth to Develop the Next Generation of Creative Software (Visiting Scientist)
  • With PI Mitchel Resnick, MIT. MacArthur Foundation.

2010 - 2012

$190,000

Advisory Roles for Funded Research

  • Collaborative Research: The Smart Playground: Computational Thinking through Robotics in Early Childhood (PI Rogers, C. & Co-PI Cross, J. on DRL#2301249) 2023 - 2027 ($699,960).
  • Facilitating Computational Tinkering: Design-Based Strategies to Engage Children and Families in Creating with Code, National Science Foundation (PI Rusk, N. on DRL# ) 2020-2023 ($652,667).
  • RCN: EquityMaking Network: Coordinating Research for Critical Making Cultures and Practices, National Science Foundation (PI Tucker-Raymond, E. with Co-PIs Olivares, M., Castek, J., Tan, E., and Graville, C. on DRL#2005898) 2020 - 2024 ($499,985).
  • STEM Literacies, Learning, and Identities Through Cascading Models of Near-Peer Mentorship, National Science Foundation (PI Tucker-Raymond, E., with Co-PIs Olivares, M., Frankel, K. on DRL#2000511) 2020-2023 ($757,388).
  • Using Conversational Agents to Foster Preschool Children's Science Learning and Engagement from Interactive Science Videos, National Science Foundation (PI Warschauer, M. with Co-PIs DeWitt, S., Bustamante, A., Jenkins, A. On DRL#1906321) 2019-2022 ($300,000.00).
  • Design Squad Maker: Researching How to Support Upper Elementary School Children's Sustained Engagement and Participation in Engineering Design Projects across Out-of-School Settings (Digital, Maker/Museum, Home), National Science Foundation (PI Haggerty, M., with Co-PIs Wolsky, M., Latimore, S., Wells, D., Letourneau, S. on AISL 1811457) 2018 - 2021 ($1,799,130).
  • Investigating STEM Literacies in Maker Spaces, National Science Foundation (PI Tucker-Raymond, E. with Co-PI Gravel, B. on DRL 1422532) 2014-2017 ($978,000).
  • Bits-2-Bites: Youth Applying STEM Content and Computational Thinking to Learn about Nutrition and Advocate for Food Justice, National Science Foundation (PI Adamji, J. with Co-PIs Braafladt, K. on DRL 1312282), 2014 - 2017 ($1,199,539).
  • Strategies: Bridging Math Literacy and Digital Media Creation: Students as Learners, Teachers, and Leaders of STEM Content, National Science Foundation (PI Milner, C. on Award DRL#1031633) 2010 - 2014 ($1,097,974).

Other Grants and In-Kind Contributions

  • Use of space or furniture for youth-led community engagements
  • East Meets West Bookstore,  The Simon Group, and The Broad Institute.
  • Software, cloud credits, or hardware
  • Amazon Web Services, littleBits, and Autodesk.
  • Youth program funding
  • Massachusetts Cultural Council and American Honda Foundation.

 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS


Conference Presentations

  1. “Sketching in Cartoons.” Sketching in Hardware Conference. Virtual. October 2021.
  2. “Bringing Politics and Power into Computing Education.” For the “Flattening Hierarchies and Collaborating with Communities in Computer Science Education” Symposium at the Connected Learning Summit. Virtual. July 2021.
  3. “How to Increase Engagement through Playful Teaching.” Computer Using Educators (CUE) Spring Conference. March 2021.
  4. “Culturally Sustaining Assessment - ‘Just Like a Test, I Cram to Understand’. Exploring Approaches for Designing Culturally Sustained Ways for Assessing Computational Thinking & Making.” with Wright, C.,. Gravel, B., Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Allen-Handy, A. Science Education for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice (SEEDS) Annual Conference. Virtual. 2021.
  5. “Opening Doors to and through Code.” Sketching in Hardware. Detroit, MI. September 2019.
  6. “Unruly Approaches to Empowerment, Play, and Programming.” Eyeo Festival. Minneapolis, MN. June 2019.
  7. “Infusing Hip-Hop Elements into the Design of Physical Computing Experiences.” Sketching in Hardware. Detroit, MI. July 2018.
  8. “Five Things to Try as you Shape your Story in STEM.” Emoti-Con keynote. New York, NY. June 2018.
  9. “How to Make Room for All to Make.” Haystack Mountain School of Craft Summer Conference. Deer Isle, ME. July 2017.
  10. “Moving and Making: How JumpSmart Programmable Floor Tiles Promote the Active Side of Interactive Games.” Scratch@MIT. Cambridge, MA. August 2016.
  11. “Finding what you Love; Leaving behind Labels.” TEDxBeaconStreet (Youth), Brookline, MA. November 2015.
  12. “Fab Youth Reproducing Results, Remixing Examples, and Reaching Out.” How to Make Almost Anything Symposium at FAB 11, Boston, MA. August 2015.
  13. “Computer as Chalk,” Constructionism 2012, Athens Greece. August 2012.
  14. “Creating Constructions Kits for Kids,” With Tseng, T., Sketching in Hardware 5, Portland, OR. July 2012.
  15. “M-powerment: Motivating the Masses to Make with Modkit.” With Baafi, E., Sketching in Hardware 4, Philadelphia, PA. July 2011.
  16. "FabFolk," Building Community Session at International Fab Lab Conference, The Netherlands. August 2010.
  17. "Reimagining Scratch, Reimagining Learning," keynote address with Resnick, M., Brennan, K., and Monroy-Hernandez, A., Scratch@MIT Conference, Cambridge, MA. August 2010.
  18. “Teens, Fab Labs, Scratch and Arduinos.” With Baafi, E., Sketching in Hardware 3, Providence, RI. July 2008.
  19. “Learning In and From Fab Labs,” Symposium on Digital Fabrication, Tromso, Norway. August 2005.

Conference Panel Appearances

  1. “Colleges, Companies, and Community Organizations Collaborating to Elevate All” panel with Coleman, J., and DesPortes, K. Connected Learning Summit. Virtual. October 2023.
  2. “Tech for Equity: Reducing Societal Issues and Empowering Marginalized Communities” panel with Walker-Hannon, L., Gilliam, R. Black Is Tech. Virtual. August 2023.
  3. “Making in Afrocentric Learning Ecologies” panel with Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Wright, C., Gravel, B., and Allen-Handy, A. American Educational Research Association (AERA). Chicago, IL April 2023.
  4. “Design/Ecological Findings--Designing and Learning in Culturally Sustaining Spaces through Hip Hop, STEM, and Computing.” panel with Tucker-Raymond, E., and Champion, D. Science Education for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice (SEEDS) Annual Conference. January 2021.
  5. “Making and Hip Hop.” Panel for FabLearn Conference with Champion, D., Dando, M., De La Cruz, S., Edwards, D., and Rowsey, J. Virtual. October 2020.
  6. “Making XR a Reality for Teaching Culturally-Relevant STEAM Concepts” Panel moderated by Cheeks, L. with Oyekoya, W., and Aning, K. at ACM SIGGRAPH - virtual. August 2020.
  7. “Constructionism in Context.” Panel moderated by Berland, M. and Holbert, N. with Kafai, Y., Fields, D., and Roque, R. at Connected Learning Summit. Cambridge, MA. August 2018.
  8. “Equity in Engineering and Maker Literacies.” Discussant: Millner, A. at American Educational Research Association (AERA)  Annual Meeting. New York, NY. April 2018.
  9. “Where are the Black Scientists?” Panel moderated by Dorsey, R., with Moses, B., Harron, P., Shaakir-Ansari, Z. Data 4 Black Lives Conference. Cambridge, MA. October 2017.
  10. “Messing with entrenched frameworks.” With Buechley, L., Faludi, R., Maw, C. at Sketching in Hardware. Detroit, MI. July 2017.
  11. “STEAMing Ahead: Strategies for bringing STEAM learning to all students.” With Rogers, C., Moriarty, E., Daily, S. 8th Annual Breakthroughs in Education event. Cambridge, MA. December 2015.
  12. “Open Innovation: How Companies Innovate with Makers.” With Dougherty, D., Hatch, M., Nolan, K., Harder, F., Millner, A. MakerCon. Queens, NY. September 2015.
  13. “Digital Fabrication in Academia.” With Rast, K., El-Zanafly, D., and Montalvo, J. Autodesk University - Education track. Las Vegas, NV. December 2014.
  14. “Design Differently.” With Liebson, B., Bhattacharya, S., Hill, D., Lempart, A., Beach, D., Ranger, J., and Nwankwo, E. Autodesk University - Education track. Las Vegas, NV. December 2014.
  15. “Making Makers.” With Thomas, A. et al. World Maker Faire. New York, NY. September 2014.
  16. “Envisioning the Classroom of the Future in the Cloud.” With Alie, L., Baron, J., Katz, G. Campus Tech Education Technology Conference 2013, Boston, MA. July 2013.
  17. “Are Badges the Answer? Perspectives on Motivation for Lifelong Learning.” With Rusk, N., Kaplan, A., and Resnick, M., Digital Media and Learning Conference 2012, San Francisco, CA. March 2012.
  18. “Constructionists Under Construction.” Panel at Constructionism 2010, Paris, France. August 2010.
  19. “The Computer Clubhouse Learning Model: Learning Inquiry, Collaboration, and the Development of 21st-Century Skills in Informal Learning Spaces.” Symposium with Peppler, K., Kafai, Y., Rusk, N., Beals, L.,  Bers, M., Breslow, G., Chapman, R., Martin, C., Barron, B., Wise, S., Rusk, N., Resnick, M., Cooke, S.,  Sylvan, E., & Cole, M., at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. April 2009.
  20. “Promoting the Success of Minority Graduate Students.” With Gilbert, J., da Silva, D., Chapman, R., Love, N., & Daily, S., panel moderator at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)  Annual Meeting, Boston, MA. February 2008.
  21. “Informal Introduction to Computing for Children.” With Schanzer, E., Slater, D., Garber, R., Monroy-Hernandez, A., & Silver, J., Informatics, Mathematics, and ICT conference, Boston, MA. June 2007.

Broadcast Media Appearances

  1. “Increasing Pathways for All People to Develop and Reap the Benefits of Technology.” Video lecture recorded for the Duke University Initiative for Science & Society and the Duke Center for Computational Thinking Digital Intelligence (DQ) series. September 2022.
  2. "Playfully Mixing Performing Arts with Computer Code" Interview by Sara Hendren for the Sketch Model Podcast Series. September 2022.
  3. “Celebrating Black STEM Education Researchers with Dr Amon Millner” Podcast with Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI) group. April 2022.
  4. Innovation Showcase interview on Newton’s NewTV station. Newton, MA. October 2015.

Invited Non-Conference Talks and Panels (Seminar Series etc)

  1. “Shaping Computational Toolkits Across Ages.” Wellesley Family STEAM Night. May 2024.
  2. “Community Investments” with Beard, K., Stringfellow, E., and Thompson, D., at National Academies Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Virtual. September 2022 (panel).
  3. “From Frederick Douglass to Facebook.” Self Enhancement Inc Summer School students and staff kickoff address. Portland, OR. June 2022.
  4. “Careers in STEM” panel for Prospect Hill Academy students and families. Virtual. March 2022 (panel).
  5. “The Future of Creative Teams,”  with Gross, M., Borogove, M. HCI Future of Work and Wellbeing Summit. Virtual. June 2021 (panel).
  6. “Thinking about Hair and Skin in Cartoons, Commercials, and  Computer Vision Systems.” PBS Kids and CPB Ready To Learn Meeting. May 2021.
  7. "The Arc of The Innovators' Compass - from Promoting Youth Invention to Designing for Social Justice." with Ben-Ur, E. Tufts University ME Colloquium. Virtual. April 2021.
  8. “Designing and Implementing Hands-on STEM Learning Experiences—Implications for Computing and Technology.” Panel moderated by Gilbert, J. with Peppler, K., Brahms, L., & Cheeks, L., at The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine workshop on “The Role of Authentic STEM Learning Experiences in Developing Interest and Competencies for Technology and Computing.” Washington, DC. November 2019 (panel).
  9. “What it Means to Move the Crowd.” New England Learning Scientists - virtual. December 2020.
  10. “Integrating Maker Spaces and Higher Education.” Harvard / LASPAU STEM+Humanities Consortium. Sao Paulo Brazil. May 2019.
  11. “Mel King Influences on Learning and Making.” Mel King Festschrift. Cambridge, MA. June 2018.
  12. “Cutting, Computing, and Community Development as Complementary Activities.” Design Squad Global Summit for Informal Educators. Boston, MA. February 2018.
  13. “How to Make Room for All to Make.” Haystack Mountain School of Craft Summer Conference. Deer Isle, ME. July 2017.
  14. “Urban Manufacturing and Academic Institutions.” At the Urban Manufacturing Alliance Somerville Gathering. Somerville, MA. May 2017 (panel).
  15. “From Building Blocks to Bits: Stories of Creativity from Kindergarten through College.” Innovation, Creativity and the Entrepreneurial Mindset course, Union College, Schenectady, NY. May 2017.
  16. “Learning to Love Testing Your Ideas.” Digital Promise FilmMaker webinar series, January 2017.
  17. “Disrupting: Social Justice & Inclusion using the Arts, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship.” Babson College Re-imagine Inclusion series, Wellesley, MA. November 2016.
  18. Creative Computation panel moderated by King, E., at The Make Education Forum. Queens, NY. September 2016 (panel).
  19. “Bits and Blocks out of the Media Lab.” Bits of Wisdom talk series at littleBits, NY, NY. April 2015.
  20. “Frameworks for Invention Education.” With Dahl, C. and Imran, M. Lemelson Foundation Invention Education Workshop 2014, Washington, DC. May 2014 (panel).
  21. “The Role of Rapid Prototyping in Creating a Culture of Making, Innovating, and Inventing,” Universidad Autonomo de Occidente School of Engineering, Cali, Colombia. May 2014.
  22. “Everyday Things + Technology to Foster Innovation for All,” Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Science, Cambridge, MA. September 2013.
  23. “Tangible Interfaces and Learning in the Age of Digital Everywhere,” New Jersey Institute of Technology Information Systems Department, Newark, NJ. February 2013.
  24. “Emerging Makers, Emerging Markets,” Addressing Skill Gaps through Media Event, Providence, RI. February 2012.
  25. "My Path Through a 2-year Postdoc, Part 2.” Alternative Career Path at the Academic Workshop for Underrepresented Junior Faculty and Senior Graduate Students, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. February 2012 (panel).
  26. “Designing Learning Experiences.” With Peth, D. and Boni, M., Refresh Boston, Cambridge, MA. September 2011 (panel).
  27. “My Path Through a 2-year Postdoc.” Alternative Career Path at the Academic Workshop for Underrepresented Junior Faculty and Senior Graduate Students, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. February 2011 (panel).
  28. "All-Around Engineering," Technology and Culture Seminar Series at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, MA. November 2010.
  29. "Young People Developing as 'Hook-ups' Designers: Transforming Trash into Interactive Experiences by Hooking up Physical and Digital Media," Center for Engineering, Education, and Outreach Seminar Series at Tufts University, Medford, MA. February 2010.
  30. “Meet a Maker” brown-bag lunch seminar, Department of Art at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. October 2007.
  31. “How and Why Kids Around the World Make Hook-ups.” With Silver, J., & Monroy-Hernandez, A., Omar Dengo Foundation, San Jose, Costa Rica (January 2007)
  32. “Making a Difference in Many Learning Settings,” 20th Anniversary Alumni Reunion, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA. October 2005.


PROFESSIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SERVICE


Advisory Boards

Advisory Workshops

Reviewing Activities for Agencies and National Organizations

Conference Chair and Program Committee Positions

 

Journal and Conference Reviewing

Manuscript Reviews

 

External Engagement

 

Campus Service

TEACHING


Courses Designed and Taught

Course (co-)Taught

Advising and Subject Matter Expert (SME) Service for Capstones and Courses

External Curriculum Development

Graduate Student Advising

 

Undergraduate Independent Study, Research

From Olin College unless otherwise noted.

* An underlined name indicates that I supervised the student on a project.

Guest Lectures