Directors
Kristen Betts, EdD, is a Clinical Professor in the School of Education at Drexel University. Dr. Betts has over 25 years of experience in higher education serving in key leadership positions within private, public, and for-profit institutions. Dr. Betts teaches in the Mind, Brain & Learning certificate program, MS programs in Higher Education Leadership and Creativity & Innovation, and the EdD program in Educational Leadership & Administration. Dr. Betts’ expertise is in online/blended education, curriculum/instructional design, and evaluation. Her research focus is on neuroeducation, AI, GenAI, accreditation, and professional development. Dr. Betts is a Fulbright Specialist, Middle States Commission on Higher Education peer evaluator, and institute faculty member with AACU. Dr. Betts is a grant reviewer for the Hong Kong Grants Council and has been a reviewer for 16 journals/ publishing companies. Dr. Betts has also been a keynote and invited speaker in Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, and across the United States.
Co-Founder & Co-Director, E-LaBS
Clinical Professor
School of Education
Drexel University
Dr. Kristen Betts
Tamara Galoyan, PhD, is an Invention Education Learning and Curriculum Specialist at the Lemelson-MIT Program, MIT. She completed her two-year postdoctoral training at the University of Utah’s College of Education. Prior to joining the MIT community, Tamara worked as an Educational Research Associate at Cornell University, an Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University, and a Research Faculty at Drexel University. Tamara’s research is interdisciplinary and lies at the intersection of Learning Sciences, STEM education, and learning technologies. She has more than a decade of professional experience in educational research, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses, serving on dissertation committees, curriculum development, program evaluation and assessment, as well as teacher training and mentoring in the context of PreK-12, higher education, and continuous workplace learning. Tamara’s work has been published in scholarly journals and presented at national and international conferences.
Co-Founder & Former Co-Director, E-LaBS
Learning & Curriculum Specialist
Lemelson-MIT Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Tamara Galoyan
Ellana Black, PhD, is a Senior Technical Officer for Online Teacher Learning Events at FHI360 and an educational researcher specializing in the learning sciences, instructional design, and teacher beliefs. Her work examines the adoption of evidence-based instructional practices and how psychological and cultural factors influence teaching and learning, particularly in the context of English language education in diverse, global settings. Her research aims to inform educational practice and support teachers in fostering positive learner outcomes. With over a decade of experience, she has worked with postsecondary and adult learners, facilitating professional development for educators worldwide, providing academic advising, conducting research, and teaching across various modalities and cultural contexts.
Associate Director, E-LaBS
Senior Technical Officer at FHI360
Adjunct Professor
School of Education
Drexel University
Dr. Ellana Black
Founding Members
Constance Fox Lyttle, PhD, JD has served as a Clinical Professor at Drexel University for 15 years. Her leadership has focused on full inclusion of all learners, personnel preparation, and unfaltering accessibility and inclusive practices advocacy. Since the passage of the Education for Handicapped Children’s Act of 1975 (IDEA 2004), Dr. Lyttle has been actively assisting general educator, administrator, and higher education professionals’ efforts to incorporate UDL and inclusionary pedagogy into their general education curriculum to assure diverse learners’ full access to educational programming. Specifically, Dr. Lyttle has served as a tenured Associate Professor of Special Education (10 years); school district and special education parent attorney in private practice; PA Special Education Hearing Officer, Appeals Review Panel Hearing Officer, Mediator and IEP/IFSP Facilitator, and has presented at national, state and regional professional conferences and authored over 300 Hearing Officer and Appellate Review Panel Decisions, and facilitated IEP/IFSP meetings and Mediations, resulting in numerous confidential IEP/IFSPs and Mediation Agreements.
Clinical Professor
Special Education, Law & Policy
School of Education
Drexel University
Dr. Constance Lyttle
Larry Keiser, PhD, is Program Director for the Creativity & Innovation graduate and undergraduate programs and the Associate Director for the Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation in Drexel University’s School of Education. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor whose current research activities center on the creativity of individuals and their workplaces (K-16 education, corporate, and business), particularly emphasizing how the creative mindset of education leaders and corporate/business leaders relates to the entrepreneurial mindset and motivation. Dr. Keiser presents on these topics nationally and internationally, has served on the Board of the American Creativity Association, and Chairs both the E.P. Torrance International Roundtable on Creative Thinking and the Kaufman Family Research Symposium for the annual Knowledge, Innovation and Enterprise (KIE) International Conference. Dr. Keiser has been extensively funded (US Department of Education, NSF, state organizations, and private foundations) to collaboratively design/implement national, state, and school/district partnerships.
Assistant Clinical Professor Program
Director for Creativity & Innovation Programs
School of Education
Drexel University
Dr. Larry Keiser
Cam Kiosoglous, PhD, is an Assistant Clinical Professor and Sport Coaching Leadership Program Director at Drexel University. For the last six Olympic cycles has supported high performance athletes and coaches and is currently the Director of National Team Sport Science with USRowing. He also serves as President with the United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE). He has consulted with a variety of organizations in coaching development.
Assistant Clinical Professor
School of Education
Drexel University
Dr. Cam Kiosoglous
Fredricka Reisman, PhD, Emerita Professor is founder of Drexel’s School of Education, Co-Director of the Drexel Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation and Director of the Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation (FRC), created in 2022 by a Drexel major donor. She received her PhD in Mathematics Education from Syracuse University. Prior to Drexel, she was Professor and Chair of the Division of Elementary Education at the University of Georgia; a grades 3 and 5 elementary, middle school, and high school mathematics teacher in New York State; and a mathematics education instructor at Syracuse University. She has been awarded over $16,000,000 in private and government grants to support her research. She received the 2017 National Association for Gifted Children E. Paul Torrance Award and Drexel honored her in 2020, where the university-wide faculty creativity award was renamed “ Freddie Reisman Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards.”
Director of Drexel/Torrance Center for
Creativity & Innovation
School of Education
Drexel University
Dr. Freddie Reismann
Patricia A. Shewokis, PhD, is a professor who integrates her interdisciplinary, collaborative research experiences that focus on the transfer of learning and cognitive load theory while addressing the interaction of the brain, consequent behaviors and the attainment of outcomes and goals within an array of learning environments. During the training of medical and health professions personnel, the inclusion of virtual environments is important for learning skills that may potentially be risky in nonsimulated environments. She has worked with surgeons, nurses and other health professionals in creating training protocols for the acquisition of medical skills in simulated environments with the rationale that these skills will be performed in the real-life conditions with lower cognitive effort, increased accuracy and less time. She has over 14 years’ experience working with noninvasive neuroimaging (e.g., functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) along with extensive experience with physiological, kinematic, kinetic and outcome measures.
College of Nursing & Health Professions and School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems Drexel University
Dr. Patricia Shewokis
Brian Delaney, PhD, is an assistant professor of journalism in the School of Communication and Journalism. He was an award-winning sports reporter, sports editor, and broadcaster during a career that spanned 15 years across newspaper, radio, and digital journalism outlets. He spent the bulk of his industry work at The Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa., The Ithaca Journal in Ithaca, NY., and ESPN Radio 1160 in Lansing, NY, in addition to producing various freelance assignments. His research explores the interplay of the learning sciences, particularly cognitive science, with journalism education and fieldwork.
Assistant Professor
School of Communication and Journalism
Auburn University
Dr. Brian Delaney
Sherri Manson, MBA, is an accomplished professional with extensive administrative and project management experience at the senior management level. She is a solid contributor in a dynamic fast-paced environment with the ability to work well under pressure. She has strong prioritization skills and is adept at handling competing demands in a confidential, diplomatic, and poised manner focused on achieving positive outcomes.
Executive Administrator for the Interim Dean
and Associate Deans
School of Education
Drexel University
Sherri Manson
Samantha Mercanti-Anthony, EdD, is the Director for Online Learning in the School of Education at Drexel University. Her extensive online learning proficiency is a result of both professional and academic experiences. As a manager in both the Global and International Education and Learning Technologies programs, she has developed both student and academic services to augment the online learning experience. As an adjunct instructor in the MS in Higher Education program, she has facilitated online discussions, live classrooms and other resources to enhance the learning environment. Lastly, as an online student she have participated in numerous courses with various instructional designs that have deepened my knowledge of the field. Included in her experiences has been the monitoring and implementation of various protocols, assessment and evaluation of courses and the development and creation of resources for the online student populations.
Director for Online Learning
School of Education
Drexel University
Samantha Mercanti-Anthony
Associate Researchers
Kurtulus Izzetoglu, PhD, is an associate professorin the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems, and affiliate faculty in the School of Education at Drexel University. His research and teaching interests are in functional brain imaging, human performance, learning and simulation-based training, and human-autonomy teaming. He has a background in both electrical and biomedical engineering coupled with experience of developing and adopting highly portable optical brain imaging systems for the field use in applications ranging from medical to aviation domain. Over the last decade, he has focused on the development of performance and training assessment biosensors in field settings. His current research projects related to human performance assessment include integration of the biosensors to enable personalized training in safety critical tasks; brain-in-the-loop studies to improve human autonomy teaming and training both in clinical (nurse, surgeon training) and in aviation (autonomous systems); effects of immersive VR manipulative interventions on learning.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
School of Biomedical Engineering
Science and Health Systems
Drexel University
Dr. Kurtulus Izzetoglu
Jackie Murphy, EdD, RN, completed her undergraduate studies at Gwynedd-Mercy University (ASN) and Thomas Jefferson University (BSN). She graduated from Drexel University with both an MSN in Nursing Education and Faculty Role and an EdD in Educational Leadership and Management. Dr. Murphy’s clinical area of expertise is pediatric nursing. She is a certified school nurse and has presented and published in the areas of pediatric simulation and pediatric clinical calculations. Dr. Murphy also has extensive experience in the area of Nursing Education. She has been in higher education since 2007, both in teaching and leadership roles, and is a certified nurse educator. Currently, Dr. Murphy teaches online graduate courses in the Nursing Education and Complementary and Integrative Health tracks. She has presented and published on topics related to student engagement in online learning. Dr. Murphy is also a certified meditation and mindfulness teacher. Her current research focuses on the impact of mindfulness in online higher education.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
College of Nursing & Health Professions
Drexel University
Dr. Jackie Murphy
Arun Ramakrishnan, PhD, director of Research Labs, is responsible for regulatory and quality compliance, oversight of lab facilities and equipment and assisting researchers in technical aspects of measurement and software programming. His primary research interests are to study the fundamental circuitry of sensorimotor integration at the spinal cord and to use this knowledge to enhance prosthetics for rehabilitation after neuromuscular damage. His secondary interests are in using 3D biomechanical models to simulate various sensorimotor control strategies to test/mimic biomechanics. He has spent my years studying the role of "context based proprioceptive feedback integration during spinal reflexes" in frogs. I have also worked with children with cerebral palsy and helped develop metrics to assess the running performance using motion capture methods. His career goals include establishing a cooperative environment for clinical gait research by serving the conduit between basic science and applied science towards development of better metrics and prosthetics to aid people affected by neuromuscular deficits.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
College of Nursing & Health Professions
Drexel University
Dr. Arun Ramakrishnan
Amy Edwards, EdD, is the Director of the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity (formerly the Drexel Autism Support Program) at Drexel University. As Director since 2017, she continues to develop and maintain the center as one of the leading college autism support programs in the country. Dr. Edwards manages a small but mighty team who work with her to support students in all areas at Drexel including academics, athletics, social life, and the transition to independent living. Dr. Edwards previously worked in Life Course Outcomes at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, where her program development and research focused primarily on postsecondary education opportunities and the transition from high school to higher education and employment for students with autism. Amy’s approach to autism and neurodiversity is informed not only from her experience and research but also from her personal life as a mother of four children, the oldest of which has autism spectrum disorder. Amy’s most recent publications and presentations have focused on autism spectrum services in post-secondary education and employment during and after college.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
Drexel Autism Support Program (DASP)
Drexel University
Dr. Amy Edwards
Mariette Fourie-Jardim, EdD, is an accomplished expert in quantitative research design and currently serving as the Learning and Teaching Specialist at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. She has over two decades of experience in curriculum design, instructional design, and the continuous professional development of faculty. She is the Director at Cognitive Craft (PTY) Ltd, a leading consulting company specialising in neuroeducation. Internationally recognized, she has facilitated workshops for the Online Learning Consortium and serves on the advisory board for the Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation in the School of Education, Drexel University. Dr Fourie-Jardim has made significant contributions to educational development in higher education, with her work grounded in frameworks such as Educational Neuroscience and Educational Psychology. Dr Fourie-Jardim's research continues to shape higher education, with a focus on epistemic cognition and innovative teaching and learning approaches towards social justice and transformation in higher education.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Dr. Mariette Fourie
Melissa Schmitz, EdD, is an award-winning educator recognized for increasing academic success and motivating change. With degrees in music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in education from the University of Tennessee, and in educational leadership and management from Drexel University, Dr. Schmitz is an experienced leader capable of organizational development and innovation. Dr. Schmitz is the owner of WISE HD, a workplace for innovative, sustainable, education and human development. WISE HD specializes in 21st century educational skillsets with a focus on creativity education. WISE HD is a proud partner of the Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation - part of Drexel University’s School of Education. In addition, Dr. Schmitz is an Associate Researcher with ELaBS - an Education, Learning and Brain Research collaborative at Drexel University’s School of Education. She is actively involved in writing and researching about mind, brain, and education science.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
WISE HD
Dr. Melissa Schmitz
Valdijah Ambrose Brown, Ed.D. is a mind, brain, education scientist, researcher, administrator, and adjunct faculty in higher education. Valdijah has more than 25 years of higher education experience in special programs, curriculum development, instruction, and grant writing. As a mixed-methods researcher, her expertise spans the areas of mind, brain, education science, endarkened feminism, embodied cognition, learning sciences, student success, expressive arts, and creativity. Valdijah earned her doctorate in educational leadership with a concentration in mind, brain, learning science at Drexel University, a master’s degree in higher education with a triple concentration in organizational development; student development and affairs; and academic development, instruction, and technology at Drexel, a master's of social work at Temple University, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Millersville University. Valdijah is a member of the American Educational Research Association and American Psychological Association (Division 10: Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts), and an affiliate researcher with the Collaboratory for Interdisciplinary Research in Creativity in Learning Environments.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Dr. Validjah Ambrose Brown
Tanya McCreary Ardoin, EdD, is a Learning Scientist and Educational Liaison, who builds bridges across schools and medical institutions for the educational advancement of children living with chronic illnesses. A graduate of the School of Education at Drexel University, Dr. McCreary Ardoin developed a research study focused on the epistemological beliefs of medical and educational professionals about their knowledge of and beliefs about pediatric sickle cell disease and approaches to care for students diagnosed with sickle cell disease. She utilizes students' missed opportunities to learn as challenges to spur transformational learning for students and broader educational reform. Dr. McCreary Ardoin has many ears of combined experience as a Special Education Teacher, juvenile court-appointed Educational Advocate, Early Intervention Specialist, Education Department Head, of the international branch of a well established NGO, and an Affiliate Researcher with Drexel Universitv's E-LaBS.
Associate Researcher, E-LaBS
Dr. Tanya McCreary Ardoin
Affiliate Researchers
Nora Kazan, originally from Lebanon and now residing in South New Jersey, brings a blend of experiences from both the business and education sectors. Currently, Nora is an online ESL tutor, dedicated to helping students from diverse backgrounds master the English language. Her journey in education is further enriched as she pursues an EdD at Drexel University, where she is honing my skills and expanding my knowledge to better serve her students. With a strong foundation in business, she understands the importance of effective communication and cultural competence in today’s globalized world. Her passion for teaching and commitment to lifelong learning drive her to create engaging and supportive learning environments. Whether in the classroom or online, she strives to empower my students to achieve their full potential and succeed in their personal and professional endeavors.f immersive VR manipulative interventions on learning.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Nora Kazan
Ciara Barkley-Cutting is a neurodivergent Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) dedicated to supporting neurodiverse individuals, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Initially focused on early childhood autism, her work now encompasses the entire lifespan and broader intellectual/developmental spectrum. She believes that intentional collaboration among families, educators, and care providers is essential for driving meaningful change. Guided by the principle, "when we know better, we do better," Ciara is dedicated to continuous learning and refining her practice through past experiences. Her research focuses on transforming service systems, understanding the lived experiences of clinicians and educators, and integrating transdisciplinary, evidence-based practices. Currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership & Management with a concentration in Mind, Brain & Learning, Ciara is committed to innovating service delivery to better serve both recipients and providers. Ciara is also an avid gamer and anime enthusiast.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Ciara Barkley-Cutting
Rachel Bixler is an Educational Consultant with PaTTAN where she currently supports the Learning Environment and Engagement Initiative and the Special Education Leadership Initiative. With over 23 years of experience, Rachel continues to help teachers and administrators develop evidence-based practices to support students who display some of the most challenging behaviors. A tireless advocate for students, she works to ensure support and services are in place to help students achieve at the highest level. Currently pursuing a doctorate at Drexel University in Educational Leadership and Management with a concentration in Mind, Brain, and Learning, Rachel is interested in using neuroscience to improve students’ affective experience in schools.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Rachel Bixler
Ann Brandt is a school-based speech-language pathologist, play advocate, and doctoral student. After completing a Fulbright research grant in Finland in 2016, Ms. Brandt found a passion for researching and advocating for childhood outdoor free play. She is currently completing doctoral work at Drexel University in Educational Leadership and Management, with a concentration in Mind, Brain, Learning. She plans to study the impacts of the outdoor play program that she developed, which is currently implemented in four elementary schools in Western Pennsylvania. She has presented her work at the national and local level and also provides teacher professional development and community training. Her research interests include the impacts of play on childhood mental health, executive functioning, creativity, and social-emotional learning. Beyond her research interests, Ms. Brandt continues to provide speech-language support services in the K-6 setting. Her areas of interest include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), inclusion, and neurodiversity-affirming care.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Ann F. Brandt
Greg Campbell is currently the English Department Chair and an Assistant Professor of English at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Greg teaches a broad range of courses such as Grammar and Usage, World Literature, and English Composition classes. He has designed multiple composition classes focused on infusing with science and technology content and social sciences content to create composition classes with content germane to students majoring in those fields. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with a focus in Ethnic and Cultural Studies from the University of Delaware and a Master’s Degree in English Literature from DePaul University. He is also the Deputy Executive Director of the Community College Humanities Association (CCHA). His research interests are focused on applying Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) content to humanities classes, particular in online English composition courses.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Greg Campbell
Tyler Creek has spent 30-years as an IT professional working with global organizations to creatively address strategic growth and performance goals through innovative uses of technology. From K-12 education to service providers, his focus on both technical and business outcomes has led to transformation in both public and private sector organizations while contributing more than $1.6 billion in direct sales. Tyler is a Cisco Systems Innovation Award winner and has been involved with bringing multiple switching, routing, optical, and wireless platforms to market. Tyler’s career includes the roles of Sales Engineer, Consulting Engineer, Technical Marketing Engineer, and Principal Architect. His passion for technology, employee performance, and education underpin his current position as Director of Technical Sales talent development. In this role, he leads a team who develop, integrate, and support emergent educational practices to optimize talent growth for internal and partner engineers. Tyler blends his extensive experience as a sales engineer with evidence-informed educational practices to create new learning experiences for engineer development. Tyler is currently a doctoral student at Drexel University.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Tyler Creek
Maggie Cawley earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Kutztown University and her master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs from West Chest University. She is a student the Education Leadership and Management EdD at Drexel. Her current role is in Accessibility Services as the Assistive Technology/Educational Support Specialist at Reading Area Community College, where she also serves as the secretary for her local union’s executive board. Maggie’s research interests include inclusive higher education, accessibility as diversity, assistive technology, and the adjunct crisis in higher education, as well as anything else that catches her interest. In her free time, she enjoys reading (mostly science fiction and fantasy), spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Maggie Cawley
Theresa Falance has dedicated herself to workforce and organizational development for over three decades. She founded and managed a multimedia production company early in her career while teaching user interface design at Georgetown University and imaging software at George Mason University. After earning a master’s degree in human performance with a focus on instructional design, Ms. Falance created learning programs throughout the Federal Government. Proficient in both creative and business endeavors, she is certified in continuous improvement, grants, and project management. Her significant organizational development initiatives include establishing a federal acquisition mastery program at Naval Seas System Command, traveling internationally with the Department of Agriculture to develop pandemic prevention program protocols, and leading grant monitoring sessions for National Science Foundation-funded projects. Currently, Ms. Falance serves as a Senior Organizational Development Specialist at ManTech International Corporation’s cybersecurity division and is pursuing a doctorate in education at Drexel University with a concentration in learning neuroscience.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD, Student
School of Education
Drexel University
Theresa Falance
Mary Beth Henry is a dedicated educator and creator committed to advancing educational equity. With years of experience teaching in urban schools in the School District of Philadelphia, she passionately works to inspire and support diverse student populations using brain-based interventions grounded in MBE science. While pursuing a doctorate at Drexel University's School of Education, she engages in equity-driven research and advocates for innovative educational practices. As the Vice President of the Graduate Student Association at Drexel, she leads efforts to enhance the academic experience and foster a collaborative community among peers. Balancing a lifelong commitment to creativity with a focus on systemic change, Mary Beth strives to make a meaningful impact in and out of the classroom.
Affiliate Researcher, E-LaBS
EdD Student
School of Education
Drexel University