Robert Sternberg, Director
Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences
Email: robert.sternberg@tufts.edu
View biographical sketch

Linda Jarvin, Deputy Director
Email: linda.jarvin@tufts.edu

Linda Jarvin is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Education at Tufts, and a Research Affiliate at Yale’s Child Study Center. At Tufts she is also the Deputy Director of the Center for the Enhancement for Learning and Teaching (CELT), a university-wide resource for Tufts faculty members (see http://celt.tufts.edu for more details), and of the PACE Center. Her research interests can be roughly divided into curriculum development and assessment. Examples of curriculum development and professional development modules for K-12 teachers can be found under the 'Resources' heading on this website. Her assessment research has focused both on developing measures of scholastic achievement (middle and high school reading comprehension, middle school mathematics, AP psychology, statistics, and physics) as well as on more general cognitive abilities, such as practical and creative skills (Aurora, Gifted, and Rainbow projects), or culturally appropriate assessments of cognitive development and of learning disabilities. Several of these assessment development projects have been carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with local universities and partnerships. Linda grew up in Europe (Sweden, Austria, France), and received her PhD in Cognitive Psychology and Individual Differences from the University of Paris V – René Descartes.

Kathleen Connolly, Researcher
Email: lee.connolly@tufts.edu
Phone: 7-4016

After studying electrical engineering at MIT, Kathleen became an intensive tutor and math teaching assistant at the MATCH School, a Boston Charter High School. Now at PACE, Kathleen serves as a co-director for the Transforming Elementary Science through LEGO™ Engineering project. She helps develop the LEGO™ Engineering curriculum and triarchic measures to assess the curriculum. Her primary interests are the implementation of engineering projects in K-12 classrooms and their effects on learning, particularly on female's interest and confidence in studying math, science, and technology fields. She plans on beginning graduate studies in Math, Science, Technology, and Engineering Education in 2008.

Tzur Karelitz, Researcher
Email: t.karelitz@tufts.edu

Tzur's academic background is in quantitative psychology, education and statistics. He is interested in the ways measurement can support and improve educational systems and in the integration of assessment and instruction in classrooms. Tzur’s research deals with novel measurement models for cognitive diagnosis, their application and interpretation. At the PACE center, he works on the Kaleidoscope Project and the IMPACTS Project.

Kristen Wendell, Graduate Student
Email: Kristen.bethke@tufts.edu

Kristen Bethke Wendell is a doctoral student in the Math, Science, Technology, and Engineering (MSTE) Education program at Tufts University. She is also a research assistant at the Tufts University Center for Engineering Educational Outreach (http://ceeo.tufts.edu). Her research examines how engineering-based science curricula affect children's science learning. She is a member of the research team for the PACE Center’s NSF-funded project on "Transforming Science Learning through LEGO™ Engineering Design." Kristen received an M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT in 2005 and a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University in 2003. After completing her Ph.D., Kristen hopes first to teach at the elementary or middle-school level as a science specialist. Eventually, she hopes to combine her teaching and research experience by working at the university level as an education researcher and teacher educator.

Chris Wright, Graduate Student
Email: Christopher_G.Wright@tufts.edu

Christopher graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1996 and dedicated his time to educating youth for the next ten years. Looking to expand his passion for and knowledge of the field of education, he decided to pursue an advanced degree in education. Christopher is currently in the M.S.T.E. PhD program at Tufts University focusing on bringing engineering education to K-12 urban communities and schools. His research focus is the impact of engineering design curricula/intervention, with particular interests in the intersection between race, class, and gender on students’ science achievement, attitudes, and participation. Currently, Christopher is exploring the relationship of everyday language-use versus scientific language-use within the context of engineering design units designed for elementary science classrooms. His goal is to utilize engineering design activities as a vehicle for inviting marginalized cultures and communities into the culture of science, thus creating a natural identification with science/technology.