Dr. Maria Janelli, Chief of Staff and Director of Research

About Maria

Dr. Maria Janelli is a learning scientist with more than two decades of research and non-profit experience. She has successfully led educational technology projects and programs at some of New York City's most renowned cultural and educational institutions including Columbia University and New York’s PBS station, WNET. Before joining the Scratch Foundation, Maria worked at the American Museum of Natural History, where she served as the senior manager of online teacher education programs for nearly a decade. Her research has examined the effects of feedback on learning outcomes in informal online courses. At the Scratch Foundation, she collaborates with colleagues and partners to understand how kids learn and play with Scratch, and how we at the Foundation can better support those young people on their creative learning journeys. Dr. Janelli holds a B.A. in English literature from Saint Peter’s University; an M.A. in English Literature from Rutgers University; an M.A. in anthropology from Columbia University; and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York.

Why Scratch?

Maria is excited to be a member of the Scratch team because of her passion for education research and connection to the Scratch mission. “As a high school student, I participated in one of the first educational technology research trials in the country,” she says. “This opportunity allowed me to personally experience the transformative power of technology to support children in underserved communities. My goal is to share that transformative power with others.”