With the start of a new school year, the CEEO welcomes new faculty, staff and students. Check out who joined us this year!
Elizabeth Broadbent
Visiting Professor
Associate Professor Elizabeth Broadbent is visiting for 4 months from the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Elizabeth is a vice chair of the CARES robotics research group in Auckland. Her background includes an Honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, as well as a Masters and a PhD degree in Health Psychology. Her research includes studies of healthcare robots, psychoneuroimmunology, illness perceptions, and embodied cognition. Elizabeth is on a Fulbright scholarship during her stay in Boston to study companion robots in healthcare. Links to CARES and to her papers can be found here and Google Scholar.
Fred Martin
Visiting Professor
Dr. Fred Martin is Professor of Computer Science and Director of Student Success for the Kennedy College of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML). Fred founded his research group, the Engaging Computing Group, when he joined UML in 2002. His group develops and studies novel computational environments for learning. The group has developed iSENSE, a collaborative, web-based data visualization system. Science, technology, engineering and math teachers use iSENSE to engage their students in inquiry-based learning that is grounded in making sense of data. In 2014, he launched CS Pathways, an NSF-funded collaboration with the school districts of Everett and Medford, MA. Based on MIT App Inventor, the project brings computer science education to middle school students. Fred will be working at the CEEO as a Visiting Professor during the fall semester.
Urs Meier
Visiting Professor
Urs Meier is a visiting professor from Switzerland. His background is teaching elementary education and technical training in electronics. After several years of teaching elementary education, he got a degree in advanced studies of computer science at the University of Zurich (CH). He teaches at a college in Lucerne and at a high school in Baldegg. His interest is teaching robotics and physical computing. He was also the lead on a project at primary school teaching children to program with logo. Urs worked as a Visiting Professor at the CEEO from August through October.
Laura Fradin
Education Specialist
At the end of August, STOMP alum Laura Fradin accepted a one year appointment as an Education Specialist at the CEEO. In this position, Laura is working on various projects at CEEO such as LEGO Outreach, Novel Engineering, Design and Engineering Workshops, and she manages the STOMP program. Laura graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a B.S. in Biology in 2016 and then completed her Master’s Degree in Education from the Technology, Innovation, and Education at The Harvard Graduate School of Education. Laura has been part of the CEEO for over four years, working to design and implement various science and engineering curricula as a STOMP Fellow, STOMP Intern, and Workshop Leader. During her time at Harvard, she began working at BlocksCAD, where she helped teach coding and CAD to students of all ages, trained teachers to use the software and implement 3D printing in their classrooms, designed lesson plans, and grew the online community.
Nicole Batrouny
PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering
Nicole is a mechanical engineering student who has crossed the country from Denver to Massachusetts to continue her studies as an MS/PhD candidate. She was drawn to the CEEO immediately for its connection to elementary engineering education and outreach. Though she engaged in engineering education outreach as a volunteer at the University of Denver, Nicole is excited to make this her central research focus. Her academic interests include the development of curricula and teaching tools, as well as science and engineering attitudes of K5 students. Nicole is working with Kristen Wendell on the ConnecTions in the Making project. Outside of school and work at the CEEO, Nicole likes to read, cook, hike, bike, and practice aerial silks.
Milan Dahal
Masters Student in Human Factors Engineering
Milan comes from halfway around the world from Nepal with four years of experience in classroom teaching and working in a makerspace. As a teacher, his work revolved around designing lessons for students that would help them overcome academic gaps. In the makerspace, he designed making-based classes for low resource school students to teach STEAM and he ran workshops on using laser cutters, 3D printers, and other equipment to develop a community of makers. At Tufts, Milan wants to research ways to understand how makerspaces can help children learn science and engineering better, especially in low resource settings. Milan is pursuing a Masters in Human Factors at Tufts.
Fatima Rahman
Masters Student in STEM Education
Fatima completed her bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the Lahore University of Management Sciences and has worked as a STEM Solutions developer in a startup aimed at providing STEM education to young learners. In her home country of Pakistan, she has developed and piloted STEM courses for children of ages 3 to 11. Her interests lie in how engineering can empower children to take more initiative in their community and individual lives. She is currently pursuing her Masters in STEM Education at Tufts.
