OUR TEAM

Alec Barron leads the AI Literacy Collaborative, a joint initiative of UC San Diego CREATE, the Social Cognitive Development Lab, and the UCI Teacher Academy, focused on ethical, human-centered uses of AI in K–12 education. As Director, he guides the Collaborative’s vision, coordinates district partnerships, and translates research into sustainable classroom practice.

Dr. Amy Eguchi possesses a wealth of experience as a teacher and leader in technologically enhanced education to promote students’ STREAM (R=robotics), CS education, and AI literacy in K12. Her professional background and experience focus on providing better STREAM+CS+AI learning opportunities for all students. Her work in educational robotics became the foundation of her work in AI in education, with which she has collaborations with UCSD faculty members across the departments, as well as industry partners, state-level and International educators, and more.

Dr. Tal Waltzer is an Assistant Professor at the University at Albany (SUNY), where their research examines moral reasoning and cognitive development. Their work explores how young people navigate ethical decision-making in their daily lives, with current projects focused on academic integrity, secrecy, climate-related choices, and the role of generative AI in education. Their lab investigates how these developmental processes shape students’ judgments, behaviors, and learning environments

Dr. Susan Yonezawa is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Education Studies at UC San Diego and a senior leader at CREATE (Center for Research on Educational Assessment and Teaching Excellence). Her work focuses on equity-centered teaching, teacher professional learning, and school–university partnerships that support inclusive and reflective educational practice. Through CREATE, she leads initiatives that bridge research and practice, supporting educators and systems in advancing instructional improvement and educational justice.