Sepehr Vakil is a scholar, writer, educator, speaker, and recognized leader in the field of education. He is an associate professor of Learning Sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, where he is also the founding faculty director of the Technology, Policy, and Opportunity Center and the Technology, People, and Policy M.S program (see video below). He received his PhD in the Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology program at UC Berkeley (2016) and his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA (2007). He is currently serving as Senior Adviser to the Spencer Foundation on their Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative and was recently appointed to the National Academy of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) committee on Developing Competencies for the Future of Data and Computing: The Role of K-12. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Equity for the Center of STEM Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Research Interests
Dr. Vakil’s research falls into several distinct yet overlapping areas of focus. A fundamental preoccupation of his research is the dynamic between education and opportunity, with a particular focus on STEM education. His research in this area examines topics such as how race and class-based inequalities shape access and learning in public schools; the global politics of STEM knowledge and curriculum; how culture and identity matter for STEM learning; and how schools and communities can best organize educational opportunities in local contexts to meet the needs of marginalized communities. In another area, Dr. Vakil is interested in the intersections of technology and learning, including how to support learning about the ethics and sociopolitical contexts of computing, as well as how new technologies like AI may (or may not) create new possibilities for learning, connection, and creativity. Finally, the third and most recent area of his research addresses questions of technology policy and education. In a new project, he examines how immigration policies are influenced by the global demand for scientists and engineers and how the politics of higher education are connected to international relations and foreign policy.
Awards, Honors, and Service
2024 – Senior Advisor to the Spencer Foundation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative
2024 – Appointed to Northwestern University’s Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Steering Committee
2024 – Appointed to the National Academy of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) committee on Developing Competencies for the Future of Data and Computing: The Role of K-12
2022 – Appointed to the National Academy of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) committee on equity in preK-12 STEM education
2022 – Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies, AERA Division C
2020 – Alumnae Curriculum Innovation Award
2018 – NSF CAREER Award
2018 – NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship
2015 – Thomas I. Yamashita Foundations for Social Change Prize
Education
2016 – PhD, Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology University of California Berkeley2007 – M.S, Electrical Engineering University of California Los Angeles
2006 – B.S, Electrical Engineering University of California Los Angeles