Louis M. Gomez named to MacArthur Chair in Digital Media and Learning at UCLA

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies has been awarded to Louis M. Gomez, a newly appointed professor who joined the the school’s department of education faculty this fall.

"Louis M. Gomez is an outstanding scholar and a fantastic choice who brings extensive expertise in the area of digital learning environments," said Aimée Dorr, the school’s dean. "We are delighted to welcome him to our faculty and to the greater UCLA community."

Dedicated to collaborative research and development with urban communities, Gomez works to bring state-of-the-art computing and networking technologies into traditionally underserved schools to help transform instruction and support community formation. Most recently, he has turned his attention to problem-solving research and development organized around high-leverage problems associated with the day-to-day work of teaching and learning and the institutions in which these activities occur. His work transcends traditional divisions and has had a significant impact on urban schools.

Gomez has served since 2008 as a senior partner at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in Palo Alto, Calif., and holds several board and committee appointments. Beginning in 2009, he held the Helen S. Faison Chair in Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was also director of the Center for Urban Education and a senior scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center. From 2001 to 2008, he held a number of faculty appointments at Northwestern University, including the Aon Chair in the Learning Sciences at the School of Education and Social Policy.

Gomez received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1974 and a doctorate in cognitive psychology from UC Berkeley in 1979. Prior to joining academia, he spent 14 years working in cognitive science and person–computer systems and interactions at Bell Laboratories, Bell Research Inc. and Bellcore. His research interests have encompassed the application of computing and networking technology to teaching and learning, applied cognitive science, human–computer interactions and other areas.

The UCLA MacArthur Chair in Digital Media and Learning was established at the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies in 2010 through a endowed gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to the University of California. The chair, which has a five-year term, is one of seven in the UC system made possible by a multimillion-dollar endowment by the foundation.

Gomez was identified in a national search for a scholar with a distinguished record of research and teaching in digital media and a strong commitment to digital learning environments.

The UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS) includes both the department of education and the department of information studies. Together, the departments embody the school’s commitment to understanding and improving educational practice and policy, information policy, and information systems in a diverse society. GSE&IS’s academic programs bring together faculty and students committed to expanding the range of knowledge in education, information science and associated disciplines. Its professional programs seek to develop librarians, teachers, administrators and information professionals within the enriched context of a research university.