Governance

Board of Directors

Kids Engine is guided by leading educators, researchers, and scientists with expertise in STEAM education, engineering learning, computational thinking, informal learning, workforce development, and global program design, giving donors and partners confidence in how the work is led.

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Our directors

Dr. Christine M. Cunningham

Chief Curriculum and Learning Officer, Museum of Science, Boston

Dr. Christine M. Cunningham is the Chief Curriculum and Learning Officer at the Museum of Science, Boston, expanding preK–8 STEM education frameworks globally. As founding director of Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) and Engineering is Elementary (EiE), she develops research-based engineering curricula for classrooms and informal environments. Previously a Professor of Practice at Penn State, Christine is a National Academy of Education member, an ASEE Fellow, and recipient of the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize. She also serves on the National Assessment Governing Board and six National Academies committees.

Dr. Richard M. Levy

Emeritus Professor of Planning, University of Calgary

Dr. Richard M. Levy is a technology educator, researcher, and university instructor whose work has focused on the use of interactive digital media to support education in science, history, culture, and technology. He currently teaches in the College of Business at the University of Rhode Island and is Emeritus Professor of Planning in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary. Dr. Levy holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Tufts University and both a Master of Architecture and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Thomas Ball

University of Washington (USA) and Lancaster University (UK)

Dr. Thomas (Tom) Ball, a 2011 ACM Fellow, co-founded the SLAM project and created the Windows Static Driver Verifier. Managing at Microsoft Research (1999–2025), he advanced automated theorem proving and software verification. Since 2015, he supported CS education by bringing the BBC micro:bit to market, establishing Microsoft MakeCode, and creating Jacdac. A Micro:bit Innovation and Research Lab co-founder, Tom creates apps with Lancaster University. He holds a UW–Madison Ph.D., formerly worked at Bell Labs, and is currently an Affiliate Faculty at the University of Washington and Honorary Professor at Lancaster University.

Dr. Quinn Burke

Deputy Director of Computational Thinking and Learning Pathways, Digital Promise

Dr. Quinn Burke is Deputy Director of Computational Thinking and Learning Pathways at the national education non-profit Digital Promise, where his research examines integrating computational thinking (CT) into core school curricula. He partners with regional and national school districts, including the NYCDOE Office of Student Pathways, to develop inclusive K-12 computing pipelines aligned with New York Reads and Solves. Supported by state, federal, and Robin Hood grants, his work includes numerous articles and two co-authored MIT Press books on K-12 coding and digital gaming.

Dr. Meredith Thompson

Program Manager, Workforce Development, MIT

Dr. Meredith Thompson is a Program Manager and Educational Specialist designing technology-enabled STEM and workforce development initiatives. She brings a systems-level approach to managing cross-functional teams across academia, industry, and government. A former educator at MIT, Boston University, Harvard, and Tufts, she has led federally funded, multi-year programs spanning curriculum design and immersive technologies like VR/AR. Meredith has co-authored research on simulation-based learning and contributed to large-scale initiatives like MIT's Full STEAM Ahead and Tufts' Chemistry Organized Outreach, expanding access to high-quality STEM programs.

Dr. Natalie Perez

Senior Research Scientist, T-Mobile

Dr. Natalie Perez is a research scientist and educational technologist specializing in learning design, AI integration, and organizational psychology. Currently, she serves as a Senior Research Scientist at T-Mobile, applying mixed-methods research to evaluate artificial intelligence integrations and global workforce development strategies. Previously, she worked as a Senior Research Scientist and Senior Instructional Designer for Amazon and Amazon Web Services (AWS), utilizing learning theories to engineer data-driven training programs for technical learners. Recognized by the Learning Guild's "Thirty Under 30" cohort, Dr. Perez is a leading voice in learning and development.

Dr. Rolando Masís-Obando

Computational Neuroscientist, Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Rolando Masís-Obando is a computational neuroscientist, filmmaker, and futurist at Johns Hopkins University whose research explores how memory, context, and the mental models we build shape the way we perceive and remember our experiences. Dr. Rolando received his Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from Princeton University and his B.S. from Yale University. He also co-organizes the Future Realities conference series, which convenes researchers, artists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and technologists to examine how advances in AI, extended reality, neuroscience, and related technologies are transforming the future of human experience, work, truth, and shared reality.