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Projects and impact

Faculty at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation are among the most accomplished education scholars in the world.

Our research helps shape how teachers teach, how schools operate and how learners learn. It makes a difference. It improves lives. 

MLFC faculty draw from a wide range of academic disciplines to gain new insight into important questions. Whether developing new education workforce models or leading global conversations on educational outcomes, faculty members at MLFC are fulfilling the ASU charter’s commitment to assume fundamental responsibility for the overall health of the communities we serve.

This knowledge creation is one of the many reasons MLFC consistently ranks among the country's best colleges of education.

$77,564,036 Average annual research expenditures FY23 #2 in education research expendituresnationally —U.S. News & World Report

Featured projects


Search projects

Name Award amount Award start date Sort ascending Award end date Sponsors Principal investigator Link to edit Content
Strengthening Arizona's early childhood educator workforce $1,250,000 October 01, 2025 September 30, 2030 Kathleen M. Farrand
Next Education Workforce and Michigan Educators Workforce Initiative $716,100 August 26, 2024 August 26, 2025 Direct sponsor: Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative Brent Maddin
Using visual computing to deepen mathematical learning $750,000 July 01, 2024 June 03, 2027 Direct sponsor: National Science Foundation Terri Kurz
Investigating the impact of different mathematics professional learning models $3,091,724 July 01, 2024 June 30, 2028 Karen Koellner
Next Education Workforce Evaluation Study $600,000 July 01, 2024 June 30, 2026 Direct sponsor: Overdeck Family Foundation Mary Laski
Poetry in America for High Schools $10,000 July 01, 2024 June 30, 2025 Direct sponsor: The Sidney E. Frank Foundation Elisa New
Next Education Workforce - Joyce Family Foundation $50,000 April 01, 2024 March 31, 2025 Direct sponsor: Joyce Family Foundation Brent Maddin
CRPE: AI research and convening plan $200,000 April 01, 2024 June 30, 2025 Direct sponsor: Overdeck Family Foundation Brianna Dusseault
2023 Yidan Prize for Education Research $1,920,665 January 01, 2024 January 01, 2026 Michelene Chi
Evaluating the integration of DEI elements into STEM educational program design $340,613 January 01, 2024 December 31, 2028 Originating sponsor: National Science Foundation
Direct sponsor: Western Michigan University
Ayesha Boyce
Assessing racial inequities in the education of bilingual and multilingual Iranian-American students $74,876 January 01, 2024 December 31, 2025 Direct sponsor: Spencer Foundation Yalda (Marzieh) Kaveh
Project aims to identify how African universities foster equitable learning experiences for women $70,000 January 01, 2024 December 31, 2024 Originating sponsor: National Academy of Education
Direct sponsor: Spencer Foundation
Meseret Hailu
Adapting EYEplay’s approaches for preschoolers $3,999,999 January 01, 2024 December 31, 2027 Scott Marley
Improving reading literacy and math through small group tutoring $129,000 December 01, 2023 August 31, 2024 Direct sponsor: Arizona Department of Education Pamela Kulinna
A further look into the pandemic’s impact on classroom learning $1,994,447 October 03, 2023 October 02, 2028 Originating sponsor: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Direct sponsor: RAND Corporation
Robin Lake
Improving civics education in K–12 schools $1,608,264 October 01, 2023 September 30, 2026 Direct sponsor: U.S. Department of Education Lauren Harris
Documenting innovative schools through the Canopy Project (Barr Foundation) $220,000 October 01, 2023 September 30, 2024 Originating sponsor: Barr Foundation
Direct sponsor: Transcend
Chelsea Waite
Black girls as creators in the field of AI $3,206,383 October 01, 2023 September 20, 2028 Direct sponsor: National Science Foundation Tara Nkrumah
Documenting innovative schools through the Canopy Project (Carnegie Corporation of New York) $111,000 October 01, 2023 September 30, 2024 Originating sponsor: Carnegie Corporation of New York
Direct sponsor: Transcend
Chelsea Waite
Documenting innovative schools through the Canopy Project (Overdeck Family Foundation) $37,000 October 01, 2023 September 30, 2024 Originating sponsor: Overdeck Family Foundation
Direct sponsor: Transcend
Chelsea Waite
Strengthening computer science pathways for Native American communities $74,000 October 01, 2023 September 30, 2024 Janice Mak
Strengthening reading comprehension through the arts $60,492 October 01, 2023 June 30, 2024 Originating sponsor: Arizona Office of Governor
Direct sponsor: Childsplay
Lauren Van Huisstede
A global futures-oriented research collective on education for advancing sustainability September 01, 2023 August 31, 2025 Direct sponsor: National Science Foundation Iveta Silova
Establishing a women’s leadership council in Lebanon $77,954 September 01, 2023 May 31, 2025 Tanya Pinkerton
Supporting inclusive practices within STEM education through an arts and theater-based methodology $171,482 September 01, 2023 August 31, 2024 Originating sponsor: Defense Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Consortium /Department of Defense
Direct sponsor: RTI International
Tara Nkrumah
Quality First Academy Evaluation 2023-2024 $100,000 September 01, 2023 June 30, 2024 Originating sponsor: Southwest Human Development
Direct sponsor: First Things First
Jeanne Wilcox