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

Olin College of Engineering

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 Post-Doctoral Fellow

2010 - 2012

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

Founding Advisor, Professor of Unruliness (Dr. Splat)

2015 - present

MIT Media Lab

Research Affiliate / Visiting Scientist

2010 - present

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

Board Chair

2020 - present

Board of Directors member

2018 - 2020

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

Co-founder, Learning Lead

2010 - 2015

Fab Folk Inc, non-profit - Connecting people+projects across all Fab Labs

Founding board member, President, former Vice President

2009 – 2016

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

1. “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).
2. “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

• Unruly Splats - http://www.unrulysplats.com
• Scratch - http://scratch.mit.edu
• Scratch Sensor Board / Picoboard - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10311
• Modkit for Vex - http://www.modkit.com/vex
• Modkit MotoProto Shield - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10018

• Mass Tech Leadership Council’s Digital Transformation in Education Award to Unruly Studios

2019

• BostInno 50 on Fire! Award to Unruly Studios        

2019

• Startup of the Year Top 15 finalist Unruly Studios                        

2018

• MAKE Editors’ Choice Award / Education Award at Maker Faire for Modkit , Unruly Studios, or Fab Lab related innovations

‘16, ‘11, ‘10, ‘08

• 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

2003 - 2008

• Featured instructables.com contribution “Make Skeeball-inspired Games Using Pizza Boxes, Party Favors, and a PC”

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

Journal Articles

1. Gravel, B.E., Millner, A., Tucker-Raymond, E., Maria C. Olivares, & Aditi Wagh (Under Reviews). “Weebles wobble but they also commit to lifelong relationships”: Disciplinary possibilities in computational play. For Journal of Science Education and Technology
2. Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Millner, A., Wright, C., Gravel, B., Likely, R., Allen-Handy, A., & Dandridge, T. “Designing for Computational STEM and Arts Integration in Culturally Sustaining Learning Ecologies.” Information and Learning Sciences. (in preparation).
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. Gravel, B.E., Millner, A., Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M.C., & Wagh, A. (accepted). Characterizing relationships between play and computation in computational making activities. Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA. (forthcoming 2020).
2. Wright, C.G., Champion, D., Tucker-Raymond, E., Gravel, B.E., Millner, A., Allen-Handy, A., Likely, R. (accepted). “Using Culturally-Sustaining STEM+C Learning Environments to Explore Computational Learning & identity. Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA. (forthcoming 2020).
3. Tucker-Raymond, E., Olivares, M., Millner, A., Gravel, B.E., Peruzzi, D., & Brown, L. (accepted). Centering racialized identities in science classrooms to broaden participation. The National Association for Research on Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference. Portland, OR. (forthcoming 2020).
4. 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).
5. 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).
6. 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).
7. 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).
8. Millner, A. “Computer as Chalk: Supporting Youth as Designers of Tangible User Interfaces.” Proceedings of the Constructionism 2012 conference. Athens, Greece (2012).
9. 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).
10. 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).
11. 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. 25-28 (2008).
12. 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. 1022-1028 (2006).
13. 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. 1595-1600 (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 (forthcoming 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).

• Collaborative Research: Using Culturally-sustaining STEM+C Learning Environments to Explore Computational Learning and Identity, 2019 - 2021 ($967,622) NSF DRL #1842278. (co-PI Millner, A. with co-PIs Wright, C., Allen-Handy, A., Gravel, B. et. al).
• Collaborative Research: Integrating Computational Making Practices in STEM Teaching, 2017 - 2019 ($556,325) NSF DRL #1742091. (co-PI Millner, A. with co-PIs Gravel, B., Tucker-Raymond, E. et al.).
• Ford Foundation, Tiny Grants, 2017 - 2019 $62K. (co-PI Millner, A., with co-PIs Taha, K., Linder, B. et al.).
• Digital Design Trajectories, Autodesk, 2013 - 2015 ($50,000 and in-kind software).
• littleBits construction kit and curricula expansion, littleBits, 2015 ($3,500 worth of bits and development kits).
• Made-by Café Maker Space, The Simon Group, 2013 - 2015 (granted use of 1000 sq ft storefront and parking for maker-led entrepreneurial experiments).
• Connecting and Catalyzing Innovation in K-16 Education: Invention/Innovation Convenings, The Lemelson Foundation (co-PI, with co-PI Brand, S.), 2014 ($94,250).
• Seminar and Workshop series on Digital Fabrication Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Techniques, Fulbright Commission of Colombia, 2014 ($30,000).
• Ready for Robotics: The Missing ‘T’ and ‘E’ of Early Childhood Education, National Science Foundation (Technical Consultant to PI Bers, M. on NSF DRL-1118897), 2011 - 2014 ($20,000 of $408,000).
• Computing Innovation Fellows Post-Doctoral Grant, Computing Research Association and National Science Foundation (subaward CIF-B-63 of NSF-1019343 with PI Stein, Lynn), 2010 - 2012, ($267,500).
• Computer Programming Tools in Schools: Is Now the Time?, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, (Senior Research Personnel, with PIs Klopfer, E. and Reese, G. BAA09-07), 2011 – 2012 ($170,000).
• The Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn program funding, various funding agencies such as the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the American Honda Foundation (with co-coordinators Klimczak, S., Baafi, E., King, M.), 2004 - 2012 ($10,000 to $75,000 per year).
• Scratch & Share: Collaborating with Youth to Develop the Next Generation of Creative Software.”, MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition (special collaborator to Resnick, M.) 2010 – 2012 ($190,000).
• Center for Bits and Atoms, National Science Foundation (Graduate Fellow on PI Gershenfeld, N. NSF CCR-0122419) 2001 - 2009 ($14,000,000).
• [Scratch:] A Networked, Media-Rich Programming Environment to Enhance Informal Learning and Technological Fluency at Community Technology Centers, National Science Foundation  (Graduate Research Assistant to Resnick, M., Kafai, Y., and Maeda, J. on NSF TR-0325828), 2003 – 2008 ($2,000,000).

Advisory Roles for Funded Research

• 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 (PIs Haggerty, M., 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 (PIs Tucker-Raymond, E. and 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 Anderson, K. on DRL 1312282), 2014 - 2017 ($1,200,000).
• Strategies: Bridging Math Literacy and Digital Media Creation: Students as Learners, Teachers, and Leaders of STEM Content, National Science Foundation (PI Milner, C. on ITEST Award-1031633) 2011 - 2014 ($351,000).

Invited Talks

1. “Opening Doors to and through Code.” Sketching in Hardware. Detroit, MI. September 2019.
2. “Unruly Approaches to Empowerment, Play, and Programming.” Eyeo Festival. Minneapolis, MN. June 2019.
3. “Integrating Maker Spaces and Higher Education.” Keynote presentation at Harvard / LASPAU STEM+Humanities Consortium. Sao Paulo Brazil. May 2019.
4. “Infusing Hip-Hop Elements into the Design of Physical Computing Experiences.” Sketching in Hardware. Detroit, MI. July 2018.
5. “Mel King Influences on Learning and Making.” Mel King Festschrift. Cambridge, MA. June 2018.
6. “Five Things to Try as you Shape your Story in STEM.” Emoti-Con keynote. New York, NY. June 2018.
7. “Cutting, Computing, and Community Development as Complementary Activities.” Design Squad Global Summit for Informal Educators keynote. Boston, MA. February 2018.
8. “How to Make Room for All to Make.” Haystack Mountain School of Craft Summer Conference. Deer Isle, ME. July 2017.
9. “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.
10. “Learning to Love Testing Your Ideas.” Digital Promise FilmMaker webinar series, January 2017.
11. “Disrupting: Social Justice & Inclusion using the Arts, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship.” Babson College Re-imagine Inclusion series, Wellesley, MA. November 2016.
12. “Moving and Making: How JumpSmart Programmable Floor Tiles Promote the Active Side of Interactive Games.” Scratch@MIT. Cambridge, MA. August 2016.
13. Innovation Showcase interview on Newton’s NewTV station. Newton, MA. October 2015.
14. “Finding what you Love; Leaving behind Labels.” TEDxBeaconStreet (Youth), Brookline, MA. November 2015.
15. “Fab Youth Reproducing Results, Remixing Examples, and Reaching Out.” How to Make Almost Anything Symposium at FAB 11, Boston, MA. August 2015.
16. “Bits and Blocks out of the Media Lab.” Bits of Wisdom talk series at littleBits, NY, NY. April 2015.
17. “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.
18. “Everyday Things + Technology to Foster Innovation for All,” Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Science, Cambridge, MA. September 2013.
19. “Tangible Interfaces and Learning in the Age of Digital Everywhere,” New Jersey Institute of Technology Information Systems Department, Newark, NJ. February 2013.
20. “Computer as Chalk,” Constructionism 2012, Athens Greece. August 2012.
21. “Creating Constructions Kits for Kids,” With Tseng, T., Sketching in Hardware 5, Portland, OR. July 2012.
22. “Emerging Makers, Emerging Markets,” Addressing Skill Gaps through Media Event, Providence, RI. February 2012.
23. “M-powerment: Motivating the Masses to Make with Modkit.” With Baafi, E., Sketching in Hardware 4, Philadelphia, PA. July 2011.
24. "All-Around Engineering," Technology and Culture Seminar Series at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, MA. November 2010.
25. "FabFolk," Building Community Session at International Fab Lab Conference, The Netherlands. August 2010.
26. "Reimagining Scratch, Reimagining Learning," Keynote address with Resnick, M., Brennan, K., and Monroy-Hernandez, A., Scratch@MIT Conference, Cambridge, MA. August 2010.
27. "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.
28. “Teens, Fab Labs, Scratch and Arduinos.” With Baafi, E., Sketching in Hardware 3, Providence, RI. July 2008.
29. “Meet a Maker” brown-bag lunch seminar, Department of Art at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. October 2007.
30. “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)
31. “Making a Difference in Many Learning Settings,” 20th Anniversary Alumni Reunion, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA. October 2005.
32. “Learning In and From Fab Labs,” Symposium on Digital Fabrication, Tromso, Norway. August 2005.

Panels

1. “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.
2. “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.
3. “Equity in Engineering and Maker Literacies.” Discussant: Millner, A. at American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. New York, NY. April 2018.
4. “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.
5. “Messing with entrenched frameworks.” With Buechley, L., Faludi, R., Maw, C. at Sketching in Hardware. Detroit, MI. July 2017.
6. “Urban Manufacturing and Academic Institutions.” At the Urban Manufacturing Alliance Somerville Gathering. Somerville, MA. May 2017.
7. Creative Computation panel moderated by King, E., at The Make Education Forum. Queens, NY. September 2016.
8. “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.
9. “Open Innovation: How Companies Innovate with Makers.” With Dougherty, D., Hatch, M., Nolan, K., Harder, F., Millner, A. MakerCon. Queens, NY. September 2015.
10. “Decentering Making and Maker Education.” With Chachra, D., and Gaskins, N. FabLearn Fellows webinar. February 2015.
11. “Digital Fabrication in Academia.” With Rast, K., El-Zanafly, D., and Montalvo, J. Autodesk University - Education track. Las Vegas, NV. December 2014.
12. “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.
13. “Making Makers.” With Thomas, A. et al. World Maker Faire. New York, NY. September 2014.
14. “Frameworks for Invention Education.” With Dahl, C. and Imran, M. Lemelson Foundation Invention Education Workshop 2014, Washington, DC. May 2014.
15. “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.
16. “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.
17. "My Path Through a 2-year Postdoc, Part 2.” Alternative Career Path panel at the Academic Workshop for Underrepresented Junior Faculty and Senior Graduate Students, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. February 2012.
18. “Designing Learning Experiences.” With Peth, D. and Boni, M., Refresh Boston, Cambridge, MA. September 2011.
19. “My Path Through a 2-year Postdoc.” Alternative Career Path panel at the Academic Workshop for Underrepresented Junior Faculty and Senior Graduate Students, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. February 2011.
20. “Constructionists Under Construction.” Panel at Constructionism 2010, Paris, France. August 2010.
21. “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.
22. “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 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA. February 2008.
23. “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.