The Developmental Technologies (DevTech) Research Group was started by Prof. Marina Umaschi Bers in 2001 at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University. In 2022, Prof. Bers and DevTech moved to a new home at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. DevTech promotes young children’s learning about computational thinking, coding, making and engineering in a playful, developmentally appropriate way. We focus on the design and use of creative technologies for leading more fulfilling lives and for making the world a better place. DevTech is recognized nationally and internationally as a pioneering interdisciplinary research lab with high impact. It accomplishes this through:
- theoretical contributions, such as the Positive Technological Development (PTD) framework
- design of new technologies, such as KIBO and ScratchJr, teaching materials, such as the Coding as Another Language curriculum, and strategies for professional development and community engagement
- empirical research to inform sustainable and scalable evidence-based programs for young children and the adults in their lives
- outreach to scale the impact nationally and internationally.
Meet Our Team
![Headshot of Director Prof Marina Bers](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2018/02/Marina_Bers-e1562946523944.jpg)
Prof. Marina Umaschi Bers, Ph.D.
![Headshot of Learning experience designer Jessica Blake-West](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2022/09/IMG_1260-1-1.jpg)
Jessica Blake-West, Ph.D. Student
![Headshot of Research Associate Emily Nadler](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2023/08/Untitled-design-8-1024x1024.png)
Emily Nadler, BS
![Headshot of Project Coordinator Clara McEleny](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2023/08/3-1024x1024.png)
Clara McEleney
![Headshot of Postdoctoral Researcher Ghaida Alrawashdeh](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/01/IMG_5514-1024x1013.jpg)
Ghaida Alrawashdeh, Ph.D.
![Headshot of Lab Manager Caleb Weinstock.](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2023/11/IMG_7874-2-987x1024.jpg)
Caleb Weinstock, BA
![Headshot of Doctoral Student Research Assistant Tess Levinson](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/01/tess-headshot.jpeg)
Tess Levinson, Ph.D. Candidate
![Francisca Carocca's Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2022/08/francisca-headshot-1-1024x1024.png)
Francisca Carocca, M.Ed
![Headshot of Doctoral Student Research Assistant Madeline Nievera](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2023/08/maddieheadshotforsite-300x300.jpeg)
Madeline Nievera, Ph.D. Student
![Headshot of Undergraduate Research Assistant Yasmeene Louis](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2023/08/5-1024x1024.png)
Yazmeene Louis
![Abigail Bergman's Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/02/53915007-BC9A-449C-8D28-941D5AFC615D_1_105_c-1-e1708365680769.jpeg)
Abigail Bergman, M.A.
![Athanasia Chandras' Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/02/IMG_7232-2.jpg)
Athanasia Chandras
![Selin Munzur's Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/02/IMG_1140-1-1-e1708373283932-905x1024.png)
Selin Munzur
![Headshot of Undergraduate Research Assistant Casey Houlahan](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2022/10/IMG_1725_Original.jpg)
Casey Houlahan
Visiting Scholars
![Jordi Freixenet Bosch's Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/02/jordi-768x1024.jpeg)
University of Girona
![Mariona Niell Colom's Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/02/mariona-658x1024.jpeg)
University of Girona &
Vedruna Girona School
![Kati Sormunen's Headshot](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2024/03/processed-AD01495D-9028-4496-AE66-EF1402D412A3-1-796x1024.jpeg)
University of Helsinki
High School Summer 2023 Interns
![Three high school interns smiling in the DevTech workshop.](https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/wp-content/uploads/sites/181/2023/08/summer23interns-1024x768.jpg)
DevTech Alumni
Aaron Tietz |
Akshita Rao |
Ariel Lerner |
Adam Brooks |
Adriana Flores |
Alan Cepeda |
Albert Tseng |
Alex Bean |
Alex Pugnali |
Alexa Hasse |
Alexandra Bogus |
Alexandria Trombley |
Alisha Bouzar |
Aliza Bromberg Gaber |
Alyssa Ettinger |
Amanda Puerto |
Amanda Strawhacker, Ph.D. |
Amanda Sullivan, Ph.D. |
Amy Fischer |
Anastasia Goulopoulos |
Andrea Andrade |
Anika Kawsar |
Anna Kasagawa |
Anne Drescher |
Annie Du |
Apittha Unahalekhaka, Ph.D. |
Ashima Mathur |
Avery Cohen |
Barbara Ferrari |
Becca Bogstad |
Brendan Brennan |
Camille Andersen |
Caroline Abut |
Caroline Woodruff |
Catherine Cowell |
Cedrick Boursiquot |
Cheryl Pedersen |
Chase Conley |
Christie Diaz |
Christina Koo |
Claire Caine |
Claudia Mihm |
Clement Chau, Ph.D. |
Cydnee Lane |
Dan Dan Yang, Ph.D. |
Daniela Mesalles |
Daniella DiPaola |
Danielle Kong |
Danielle Pike |
David Kiger |
Devon McKeon |
Diana Deluca |
Dylan Portelance |
Edward Futterman |
Elizabeth Kazakoff-Meyers, Ph.D. |
Ellen Gage |
Emil Polakiewicz |
Emily Hu |
Emily Lin |
Emily Naito |
Emily Relkin, Ph.D. |
Emma Hershey |
Ethan Peritz |
Eva Timoney |
Hadrian Engel |
Hamid Palo |
Hannah Gogel |
Hannah Riehl |
Hasan Khan |
Hazel Leonard |
Hera Kan |
Hyejin Im |
Isha Patnaik |
Jack Margolin |
Jaclyn Tsiang |
Jan Yang, Ph.D. |
Jason Kahn |
Jennifer Newman |
Jete Thames |
Ji-Sun Ham |
Jill Plevinsky |
Jolie Straus |
Jordan Crouser, Ph.D. |
Josephine Weidner |
Joshua Seewald |
Julia Klimberg |
Kaavya Chaparala |
Kaitlyn Leidl |
Katherine Shield |
Kathryn Cantrell |
Kathryn Tweel |
Katie Juelich |
Kaylyn Adams |
Keiko Satoh |
Kenneth Lee |
Kevin Dunn |
Kianie Ramirez |
Laura Beals |
Laura Hacker |
Laura de Ruiter, Ph.D. |
Lauren Pollak |
Laurie Rabin |
Leigha Howland |
Libby Hunt |
Linton Davis |
Louise Flannery |
Madhu Govind, Ph.D. |
Maia Teubal |
Maitreyi Kale |
Marcos Posadas de la Piedra |
Marcy Hudson |
Marti Zentmaier |
Martina Tan |
Marie Perrot |
Mateo Hernandez Idrovo |
Matthew Fiedler |
Matthew Taylor |
Max Cohen |
Maya Morris |
Megan Bennie |
Megan Berja |
Megan Souza |
Meha Elhence |
Melanie Becker |
Melissa Lee |
Melissa McGuiness |
Melissa Viezel |
Michael Horn, Ph.D. |
Michelle Stevens |
Miela Efraim |
Miki Vizner |
Mira Eschtruth |
Miranda Eagle |
Mitch Choi |
Mitchell Katz |
Mollie Elkin |
Naomi Arnold |
Naomi Durand |
Natasha Link |
Nauman Khan |
Nehama Libman |
Nicole Boire |
Nicole Notaro |
Nick Woolf |
Olivia Hobert |
Pablo Storch |
Paola Oberhauser |
Patrick Nero |
Rachael Fein |
Rachel Viselman |
Riva Dhamala |
Ruthi Aladjem, Ph.D. |
Ryan Ghayour |
Sam Schwamm |
Safoura Seddighin |
Sarah Boone |
Sarah Coburn |
Shunta Muto |
Sofia Poma |
Stephanie Gold |
Susan Ni |
Taylor Lentz |
Tess Guttadauro |
Wren Stueck |
XuanKhanh Nguyen |
Yessenia Rivas |
Ziva Hassenfeld, Ph.D. |