Top 30 Education Technology Leaders Recognized by the Center for Digital Education

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwired - October 09, 2014) - Education leaders across America who are transforming education through innovative digital technology have been named as the 2014 Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers by e.Republic's Center for Digital Education. The awards recognize K-20 pioneers who were chosen based on their efforts to improve education with digital tools; the impact of those efforts on student achievement, their institution, and the local, state and national landscape; and their leadership, creativity and initiative.

Digital advancements recognized include:

• implementing 3-D printers and rapid prototyping for university students' use in multiple subject areas, two examples being biomedical engineering students who can 3-D print an actual patient's heart for diagnostics and testing, and paleontology students who can take CT scans and 3-D print replicas of fossils to study different parts of anatomy and composition of bones
• an App-ol-o-gist (a person who studies and researches mobile apps for the purposes of education and workforce training) who created a statewide collaborative for online programs and services for the sixth-largest education system in the nation, starting with 30 apps eight years ago and growing to more than 60,000 apps for students from pre-K through workforce development
• an initiative that created shared services, consolidated commodity information technology and built a shared infrastructure, saving a university $11 million annually and enabling investment in emerging technologies that advance teaching, learning and research

"This year's Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers are an amazing group of game changers in the education space," said Alan Cox, senior vice president of the Center for Digital Education. "Their range of innovative solutions cuts across many areas and each has made an indelible mark on education. Congratulations to all."

The Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, and Trailblazers: see full profiles here.

Advanced Visualization Center, Dan Majchrzak, Director of Research Computing, Howard Kaplan, Advanced Visualization Specialist, Gilberto Jaimes, Visualization Assistant, Matthew Wedebrock, Visualization Assistant, University of South Florida

Anant Agarwal, CEO, edX 

Dr. Lyle Ailshie, Superintendent, Kingsport City Schools

Sam Brooks, Personal Learning Coordinator, Putnam County Schools;
Principal, Putnam County VITAL Program

Pat Bush, Director, Technology Resources and Data Development, Delaware Department of Education

Fred Cate, Distinguished Professor and C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law, Indiana University;
Senior Fellow, Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research 

Roger Cook, Superintendent, Taylor County Schools 

Ann Flynn, Director of Education Technology, National School Boards Association

Dr. Jeanine Gendron, Director of Innovative Learning and Arts, Broward County Public Schools

Cody Grindle, Director of Software Development, IDEA Public Schools

Mark E. Henderson, Ed.D., Manager, College Information Systems, Los Angeles Pierce College

Elizabeth Hoover, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Alexandria Public Schools

Jim Jorstad, Director of IT-Academic Technologies, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

John Keller, Director of eLearning, The Metropolitan School District of Warren Township

Anne Margulies, CIO, Harvard University

Robbie Melton, Associate Vice Chancellor of Mobilization & Emerging Technology, Tennessee Board of Regents

Kathy Moffitt, Program Administrator, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 

Dr. Scott Muri, Deputy Superintendent of Academics, Fulton County Schools 

Sam Orth, Chief Technology Officer, Management Council of the Ohio Education Computer Network 

Virginia Padilla-Vigil, Ph.D., Director, Highlands University - Rio Rancho

Laura Patterson, CIO, University of Michigan 

Sandra Paul, Chief Technology Officer, Sayreville Public Schools 

Larry Plank, Director of STEM, Hillsborough County Public Schools 

Lenny Schad, CIO, Houston Independent School District

Eric Sheninger, Principal, New Milford High School 

Jennifer Sparrow, Director of Online and Innovative Learning, Case Western Reserve University

Jay Steele, Chief Academic Officer, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools 

Kelvin Thompson, Ed.D., Associate Director, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida 

Kathy Tsamasiros, Senior IT Governance Officer, Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT), New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) 

Steven Zink, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, Nevada System of Higher Education 

Underwriters for this year's awards are Amplify, Apperson, Insight, Scantron, SunGard K12 and VMware.

About the Center for Digital Education

The Center for Digital Education is a national research and advisory institute specializing in K-12 and higher education technology trends, policy and funding. The Center provides education and industry leaders with decision support and actionable insight to help effectively incorporate new technologies in the 21^st century. www.centerdigitaled.com.

The Center is a division of e.Republic, the nation's only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.  

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