About Us

Clark's interest is in the design and application of research on complex learning, performance motivation and the use of technology in instruction. His most recent books include: Handling Complexity in Learning Environments: Theory and Research (2006, Elsevier, with Jan Elen; Turning Research Into Results: A Guide to Selecting the Right Performance Solutions (2002, CEP Press, with Fred Estes) which received the 2003 International Society for Performance Improvement Award of Excellence and Learning from Media: Arguments, Analysis and Evidence (2001, Information Age Publishers). In 2002, he won the Thomas F. Gilbert distinguished professional achievement award from ISPI and in 2003 he received the Socrates award for excellence in teaching in the Rossier School of Education. He is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 15, Educational Psychology), a Fellow in the Association of Applied Psychology and a Founding Fellow of the American Psychological Society. He teaches courses in adult learning theory, motivation research and instructional design.

Clark can be reached at clark@usc.edu      Personal Home Page

Munro has been the director of Behavioral Technology Laboratories at the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California (USC). He received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and earned his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at the University of California, San Diego. He conducts research on advanced tutorial development systems with an emphasis on interactive graphical simulations. He and his colleagues created Rivets, a system for building and delivering simulation-centered learning environments. He leads the team developing iRides, a system for delivering interactive graphical simulations and training over the Internet. He has authored or co-authored more than ninety technical papers on topics related to learning environments, development tools, and tutoring systems.

Munro can be reached at munro@usc.edu

Towne has an academic background in applied mathematical techniques, models of human cognition, and computer sciences. His research has focused upon advanced technologies for instructing and aiding complex decision-making tasks, particularly in directing responses to critical real-time emergencies and in diagnosing system failures. He has conducted seminars and courses for a number of international programs, has served as Chairman of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, and is a recipient of the Phil Carrol Award for the analysis of human performance. His textbook on learning and instruction in simulation environments is based on ReAct, a system he developed for the Navy. This system is now being used as an experimental prototype for providing simulation-based technical and diagnostic expertise to the fleet throughout the world.

Towne can be reached at dtowne@usc.edu

Donna is the Center’s Contracts and Grants Coordinator. She provides pre and post-award support for all the Center’s research contracts and grants. Since 1991 she has been with the Behavioral Technology Laboratories, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California as their Contracts & Grants Coordinator. She has also worked many years in the public schools as a classroom assistant in both Kindergarten and Adult Computer Education.

Donna can be reached at ddarling@usc.edu

Sean graduated with a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations from UC Santa Barbara, where he helped lead the Global Peace and Security Program. He received his M.A. in Communication Disorders at CSU Los Angeles. Sean has worked in the public schools since 1990 as a classroom teacher, assistive technology specialist, and speech-language pathologist. Sean's interests include assessment of bilingual students in K-12 education, and issues of equity and access for historically oppressed groups.

Sean can be reached at searly@usc.edu

Katie graduated from USC with a B.A. in Psychology. She went on to earn her M.A. in School Counseling from Loyola Marymount University, and later earned a second M.A. in Clinical Psychology from CSU Dominguez Hills. She has worked as a family counselor for the Torrance Police Department, and as an adult school counselor for the Torrance Unified School District. Katie's interests include the effects of cognitive and sociocultural factors on motivation, and the role of technology and learning among different cultures.

Katie can be reached at kmoulton@usc.edu

Pizzini has been a senior research associate with the Behavioral Technology Laboratories at the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California (USC). He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of California, San Diego. He has conducted research and development in the areas of intelligent tutoring systems, simulation-centered tutorial authoring and delivery systems, and virtual environments for training for more than twenty years. Dr. Pizzini has co-authored a number of technical papers in these areas, and he has been a lead developer for a number of advanced tutoring systems.

Pizzini can be reached at pizzini@usc.edu

Sasaki has a background in English and critical theory and has taught college composition. Fascinated by the intersection between social cognitive science and multicultural psychology, he is currently a Ph.D. student in Counseling Psychology at USC, working on a dissertation piloting a mindfulness-based intervention for implicit stereotypes in therapist-trainees.

Sasaki can be reached at hsasaki@usc.edu

Yates develops training and evaluation programs and conducts research in and applications of cognitive task analysis methods to improve human performance, instructional design, and educational technology. He has extensive experience in the analysis, planning, development, and management of government-sponsored projects, start-up ventures and on-going businesses. As in international development consultant, Dr. Yates has designed, implemented, and evaluated USAID-funded projects in Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan for education and training, electronic publication of laws, and legal and regulatory reform.

Yates can be reached at kenneth.yates@usc.edu