About Us

Our Mission

Our mission at WISE is to transform the foundational systems of education, learning, and positive human development to enhance the well-being of children, families, and communities. 

We will accomplish this mission by fostering transdisciplinary and translational research among a diverse group of faculty, students, and community members to pioneer effective programs and practices. 

Specifically, our approach will unite researchers, practitioners, and innovators at the crossroads of learning and prevention sciences, and computer and data sciences, to collaboratively envision and create a more just and equitable world.

WISE faculty will forge strong partnerships with communities to craft customized solutions that cater to the distinct needs of marginalized and underserved students, their families, and the professionals that support them. 

We extend an open invitation to individuals from the public and private sectors to join us in empowering children, families, and communities to unlock their full potential and lead fulfilling lives in Boston and beyond.

Our Vision

A world where the branches of the educational and social services communities work together to sustain, create, and implement the evidence-based best practices that help individual learners and society flourish.

Meet the Team

WISE Leadership

Lana Santoro

Interim Director, WISE, Research Professor, Special Education Program, BU Wheelock

Hank Fien

Founding Director, WISE, Founding Director, NCIL, Nancy H. Roberts Professor of Educational Innovation BU Wheelock

Eshed Ohn Bar

Associate Director of Learning and Data Sciences, WISE, Assistant Professor, ECE

Jennifer (Jen) Greif Green

WISE Lab Leader, Professor, Special Education & Child Clinial Psychologist

Kristin Kane

Associate Director of Operations, WISE, Senior Research Scientist, BU Wheelock

Nancy Nelson

Associate Director of Translational Research, WISE, Assistant Professor, BU Wheelock

Eleonora Villegas – Reimers

Director, Teaching Effectiveness Center, WISE, Chair of Teaching & Learning Department/ Clinical Professor, BU Wheelock

Core Faculty and Administration

Scott Baker

Senior Research Scientist

Elizabeth Bettini

Associate Professor, Special Education Program

David Chard

Dean, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Amie Grills

Associate Provost, Undergraduate Affairs and Professor, Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development

Nathan Jones

WISE Lab Leader, Associate Professor, Special Education Program

Julianne Masser

Research Scientist, WISE

Ola Ozernov-Palchik

Senior Research Scientist

Zachary (Zach) Rossetti

Associate Professor, Special Education Program

Michael Stoolmiller

Senior Research Scientist

Jessica Surles

Research Scientist

Allison Andreola

Project Manager

Shannon Duncan

Research Scientist

Amanda Gundlach

Research Scientist

Karen Shaffer

Research Scientist

WISE Affiliated Faculty and Administrators

Gregory Benoit

Lecturer & Assistant Director, Earl Center for learning and Innovation

Chesley Bowman

Psychologist, Division of Psychology and Behavioral Health at Children’s National Hospital

Dina Castro

Director, BU Institute for Early Childhood Well-Being & Bahamdan Professor, Early Childhood Well-Being

Mary Churchill

Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives & Community Engagement and Program Director, Higher Education Administration

Meagan Comb

Assistant Dean, Executive Affairs & Executive Director of Wheelock Educational Policy Center (WEPC)

Elena Forzani

Assistant Professor, Literacy Education

Katherine (Kate) Frankel

Associate Professor, Literacy Education and Chair, Language & Literacy Education Department

Vasiliki (Vasia) Kalavri

Associate Professor, Computer Science Department

Lisa Ijiri

Clinical Professor & Senior Advisor to the Dean

Ionnis (John) Liagouris

Assistant Professor

John McCarthy

Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Institute for Athletic Coach Education

Marissa Pilger Suhr

Research Assistant Professor

Mike Pratt

Managing Director, Technology Development

Arezoo Sadeghi

Software Engineer, SAIL

Jeff Simeon

Associate Director, SAIL

Scott Sohlberg

Professor, Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development Department

William Tomlinson

Director, SAIL

Mayank Varia

Associate Professor, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences and Co-Director, Center for Reliable Information Systems & Cyber Security (RISCS)

Sen Wang

Research Assistant Professor

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News and Announcements

01.2023

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Centers and Labs

Our mission at WISE is to reshape the landscape of education. We are dedicated to pioneering multidisciplinary and collaborative research that builds upon proven best practices while also pushing the boundaries of possibility. By bridging the gap between existing evidence and new frontiers, we’re shaping the future of education.

Centers

National Center on Improving Literacy

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The NCIL strives to build individual and organizational capacity to increase access to and use evidence-based approaches to screen, identify, and teach students with literacy-related disabilities, including dyslexia.

Learn more about NCIL

Lead for Literacy

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The Lead for Literacy Center guides elementary school and district leaders to improve literacy teaching and learning outcomes for all students through evidence-based programs and practices.

Learn more about Lead for Literacy

Center for Effective Teaching

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The Center for Effective Teaching is dedicated to advancing evidence-based educational practices for teachers and educators nationally and internationally.

Curriculum Design

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Our curriculum design and development team are ready to support you with an iterative, scientifically-based approach to develop teaching and training materials for educators, and curriculum and intervention programs for children and families.

WISE Service Center

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The WISE Service Center offers a comprehensive array of services including technical assistance, professional development, models of High Dosage Tutoring, and curriculum development and design.

Labs

School Mental Health Research Lab

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The SMHR lab partners with schools and school districts to address questions and provide information to the field about supporting student, staff, and family mental health and wellness. Lab Leaders: Jen Green and Melissa Holt

The Lab of Cognitive and AI Research in Education

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L-CARE works at the intersection of cognitive and learning sciences and systems design, from machine learning and perception to decision-making and human-machine interactions. Lab Leaders: Ola Ozernov-Palchik and Eshed Ohn Bar

Engineering Novel Assessments of Competencies of Teaching

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The ENACT Lab will conceptualize, develop and validate new tools to measure professional educator competencies. Lab Leaders: Nate Jones and Marissa Pilger

Sponsorships

Partnerships

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