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Greyscale headshot of Ali Madooei.

Ali Madooei, a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, has been named the William R. Kenan, Jr. Scholar/Teacher. This honor, effective on January 1, 2022, extends for two years.

The William R. Kenan, Jr. Fund was established to stimulate the adoption of sound innovative teaching methods, particularly in undergraduate education. The Whiting School has re-envisioned this program to help teaching and tenure-track faculty members pursue research in engineering education. Faculty members interested in the fund were invited to submit proposals for projects that would provide long-term benefits to the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate teaching.

Madooei’s winning proposal outlined plans to initiate a project called OpenCourseBook. This project will develop technology for writing and hosting open-source “next generation” digital textbooks. Beyond increasing the accessibility and affordability of educational materials, the project seeks to create an infrastructure that enables research teams to study student learning by leveraging cognitive science, machine learning, online platforms, and large datasets to address educational challenges. Ultimately, the goal is to build better learning experiences that serve more students with diverse needs.

Madooei has previously received the Department of Computer Science’s 2021 Joel Dean Excellence in Teaching Award, as well as two Teaching Innovation Grants from the Center for Educational Resources.