Professional Background:
Dr. Vahey has over 20 years of experience leading large-scale educational research and development projects. His career highlights include:

• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH): Served as Director of Applied Learning Sciences, guiding the development of products based on scientific learning principles and leading the “Tapestry” initiative to unify educational frameworks.
• SRI Education: Acted as Director of Strategic Research and Innovation, overseeing more than $20 million in research projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Education.
• Applied Learning Insights: Through his own firm, he currently consults on major projects including the Gates Foundation-funded AIMS Collaboratory, AERDF’s Reading Reimagined, and the Appalachia Region Comprehensive Center.
• Early Career: Began as a software engineer at FileMaker Inc. (an Apple subsidiary) before pivoting to education to bridge technology and classroom learning.

Expertise and Impact

• Equity-Focused Design: Ensures EdTech solutions are inclusive and effective for diverse learners, including multilingual students.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Bridges researchers, developers, and teachers to create practical, “real-world” classroom tools.
• Knowledge Brokering: Serves as an ambassador for the Education Knowledge Broker Network (EKBN), promoting the sharing of research-backed practices across the education sector.
• Early Childhood Math & Science: Played a key role in developing early learning apps and curricula, such as “Early Math with Gracie & Friends” and “Early Science with Miko & Nora”.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Learning Sciences, University of California, Berkeley.
• M.A. in Education, University of California, Berkeley.
• B.Sc. in Math and Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.