Hillary Swanson Accepts New Assistant Professor Position

We are excited to announce Dr. Hillary Swanson has accepted a new position in the Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences (ITLS) Department. Dr. Swanson will begin her position on January 1, 2020.

Dr. David Feldon, the head of the search committee, explained that the department is hiring two new tenure-line faculty: one in instructional technology and one in learning sciences. Dr. Swanson will be filling the learning sciences position.

Dr. Swanson is highly qualified in both research and teaching. Her research examines how intuitive knowledge can play a productive role in learning. More specifically, she investigates how theory building can help middle and high school students refine their everyday thinking to be more scientific. She brings years of teaching experience to the Department, having taught K-12, at the University of California, Berkeley, and most recently, at Northwestern University.

Dr. Swanson said, “I am excited to begin new research collaborations with faculty in the department, to help develop courses for the new undergraduate program in human-centered design, and to work students in both the graduate and undergraduate programs.”

Dr. Swanson has a unique way of supporting students, drawing on years of experience supervising and advising curriculum developers, teaching fellows, pre-service science teachers, graduate students, and undergraduate research apprentices. “I want to help students develop and pursue research and design projects that are personally meaningful, so that they can develop academic and professional skills while creating products they care about,” said Dr. Swanson.