Governance

Dr. Bart Rienties is Professor of Learning Analytics and programme lead of the learning analytics and learning design research programme at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University UK. He leads a group of academics who provide university-wide learning analytics and learning design solutions and conduct evidence-based research of how students and professionals learn. As an educational psychologist, he conducts multi-disciplinary research on work-based and collaborative learning environments and focuses on the role of social interaction in learning, which is published in leading academic journals and books. His primary research interests are focussed on Learning Analytics, Learning Design, and the role of motivation in learning. Furthermore, Bart is interested in broader internationalisation aspects of higher education. He has successfully led a range of institutional/national/European projects, and has received a range of awards for his educational innovation projects. He has published over 250 academic outputs in a range of disciplines, but is most proud of the embedding of several of the educational innovations as “business as usual” at the three institutions he has worked. For the “serious Bart” see https://twitter.com/DrBartRienties, for the “real Bart” see https://www.strava.com/athletes/5325274.

Professor Blaženka Divjak, PhD, is a Full Professor of Mathematics and Information Science at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Organization and Informatics. She served as Vice-Rector for students and study programs at the University of Zagreb (2010-2014). She was the Croatian Minister of Science and Education (2017-2020), leading four major reform processes: curricular reform of general education, reform of vocational education and training, enhancement of relevance of higher education and excellence of research. She chaired the EU Council of ministers for education and Council of ministers for research and space during the Croatian presidency (January – June 2020). In that period, she coordinated the EU response to the COVID-19 crises in education and research. She has been a coordinator and a researcher in over 30 (inter)national projects. Currently, she coordinates the “Relevant assessment and pedagogies for inclusive digital education” Erasmus+ project, as well as a work package within the “Digital and entrepreneurial skills for European teachers” Erasmus+ project, both of which research learning analytics. Her area of interest and expertise, besides mathematics, includes curriculum development, e-learning, learning design, assessment, learning analytics, strategic decision-making, the Bologna process, as well as the social dimension of higher education.

Khalil has over a decade of experience in learning analytics and is currently a senior researcher at the Centre for the Science of Learning & Technology (SLATE) at the University of Bergen, Norway. Khalil, as an Erasmus Mundus granted scholar, has a Ph.D. with distinction from Graz University of Technology in Learning Analytics in Massive Open Online Courses. He has been funded by the Erasmus+ programme, Peder Sather Foundation, and the leading Norwegian Energy company Equinor. His contributions to SoLAR are both extensive and impactful. He currently serves as a SoLAR Executive till 2025 and has held key leadership roles, including Workshop Chair for LAK’23 and will be one of the Program Chairs for LAK’26. He has served as a guest editor for several journals on key topics in learning analytics, including Fairness, Equity, and Responsibility for the Journal of Learning Analytics. His research achievements have been recognized with the Best Full Paper Award at LAK’24 and the Best Poster Award at LAK’23.

Dr. Namrata Srivastava is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Penn Center for Learning Analytics (PCLA) at the University of Pennsylvania, United States. Prior to this role, she honed her research skills as a Research Fellow in the Centre for Learning Analytics at Monash University (CoLAM) in Australia for three years. Dr. Srivastava is an accomplished researcher with more than six years of experience in the field of learning analytics. With a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Melbourne and a thesis titled “Towards Sensor-based Learning Analytics”, she has developed a unique interdisciplinary skill set with expertise at the intersection of three different fields – data science, human-computer interaction, and learning analytics. Over the past years, Dr. Srivastava has advocated for the use of non-invasive sensors, such as eye-trackers and webcams, along with advanced data science techniques such as process mining and predictive analytics, to better understand individual learners’ characteristics and to guide the development of adaptive learning systems. Specifically, she has contributed to research projects such as FLoRA Project, where she developed models that can explain processes of self-regulated learning in web-based environments with the aim of predicting specific cognitive/metacognitive processes using multimodal data.

Dr Abhinava Barthakur is an Early Career Researcher at the University of South Australia and affiliated with the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning. He completed his PhD in 2023 in the field of learning analytics. Dr Barthakur’s research focuses on developing novel human-centred assessment models for measuring complex competencies. In doing so, he utilises various data science and psychometrics models to provide diagnostic information about student learning within higher education and in the context of professional learning. Dr Barthakur leads projects examining students’ development of broader competencies and learning outcomes and believes in the holistic representation of students’ success. His research has substantially impacted the education community, as evidenced by his impressive publication record. He has demonstrated a commitment to advancing knowledge in education technology research through the publication of several manuscripts in a short period of time. With a normalised citation impact of 1.6 (Web of Science), his work has clearly resonated with fellow researchers and practitioners.

Kathryn has been a member of SoLAR’s SIG Working Group since 2020, and is active in interactions with SIG leaders and championing the role of SIGs within the Society. Kathryn was on the organising committee for LAK18 in Sydney, and initiated her university’s institutional membership with SoLAR and continued as its representative until 2022 when she moved from a central institutional leadership role to a regular faculty position. Some notable achievements whilst in the role of Head Quality and Analytics at the University of Sydney (USyd) were delivering an online survey system, the establishment of data access processes, convening twice-yearly roundtable sessions for researchers using university-held student data, and sponsoring a number of institution-wide learning analytics projects of which the most significant was the creation of an educational databank. Since her recent move to the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, Kathryn is now research coordinator at the Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment (CEMA). She is also deputy chair and chair of two of USyd’s human research ethics committees, and regularly gives seminars and advice across the arts and social sciences on ethics. Kathryn currently teaches in the areas educational leadership, educational psychology, and research methods; and supervises PhD students in the areas of assessment and educational psychology.

Maurice Boothe Jr. is a learning designer, researcher, and former high school teacher. He holds a BA in Spanish Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s Certificate in Learning Sciences, Media, and Technology from Indiana University, and an MA in Learning Technology Experience Design from New York University. Maurice is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Communication and Technology at New York University while working full-time as an Instructional Technologist at NYU Meyers College of Nursing. Maurice has made contributions to the field of Learning Analytics in collaboration and games research as well as received the Best Short Paper Award with Wise et al in LAK '21. He has also been a committed volunteer at LAK for several years. Maurice is also recognized as a Gates Millennium Scholar, a UW-Madison Chancellor’s Scholar, and has received the Samuel Eshborn Service Award from NYU. His current research explores the intersection of game-based learning and learning analytics, exploring the ways that feedback can be delivered to learner using games.

Dr. Guanliang Chen is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Learning Analytics (CoLAM) at Monash University. His research focuses on enhancing assessment and feedback through the responsible application of AI technologies, with the goal of supporting all students in realizing their full academic and social potential. With over 80 peer-reviewed publications, Guanliang has garnered over 3,800 citations on Google Scholar. His work is particularly concerned with measuring and mitigating predictive bias in machine learning techniques within educational contexts. Notably, his innovative research on debiasing large language models from a data-driven perspective earned him the Outstanding Paper Award at the 29th International Conference on Computational Linguistics in 2022. He has also received the Dean’s Award for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Research) from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology in both 2021 and 2023. Guanliang serves as an editorial board member for three leading journals in technology-enhanced education, including Journal of Learning Analytics and Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence. He is also an active organizer of international academic events, having served as Online Experiences Chair for AIED in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and Communication Chair for EC-TEL in 2023.

Catherine Manly is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education–Data Analytics at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She teaches courses in analytics and methodology for the EdD program in Higher Education, one of the only such doctoral programs in the US to explicitly focus on data analytics, social justice and sustainability. Her research aims to improve affordable access and success for students underserved by traditional higher education, particularly through online and educational technologies. She is Co-PI on a 5-year multi-million-dollar US National Science Foundation grant related to how institutional policies, structures and practices can best support STEM majors with (dis)abilities. She earned her PhD in Higher Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she is an affiliate of the Center for Student Success Research. She conducted her postdoctoral research on online learning with the City University of New York’s Equity Through Education Research Group. Earlier in her career, she directed Educational Technology and Distance Learning at Manchester Community College and worked in educational technology at Amherst College. She has authored over two dozen publications (i10-index of 12), has received multiple awards for her research, and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Learning Analytics and Research in Higher Education.

Mladen is a Lecturer at the Centre for Learning Analytics (CoLAM) within the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University. He earned his PhD in Educational Technology and Learning Design from Simon Fraser University, Canada, in 2019. Following his PhD, Mladen worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before joining Monash University in 2020. Mladen has contributed significantly to his field, (co)-authoring 23 refereed journal articles, 20 refereed conference proceedings, 3 book chapters, and 1 editorial in top-tier venues in Educational Technology and Learning Sciences. His research excellence has been recognised with awards, including the Best Programme Committee Member Award and Best Paper Runner-Up at LAK’22. Actively engaged in global collaborations, Mladen has partnered with over 40 institutions worldwide. He serves on program committees for leading conferences including LAK and AIED, and mentors emerging researchers through different initiatives. He reviews for prestigious journals and funding agencies. Mladen has guest-edited two special issues in the prestigious journals, and currently serves a Senior Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Learning Analytics. Mladen has secured over AUD$1.1M in competitive research funding from national and international agencies, including the Australian Research Council and Jacob Foundation.

Marie Reid, a Caribbean national, is a seasoned Learning and Development Specialist with over fifteen (15) years of experience. She has a penchant for strategically integrating learning sciences, behavioral economics, systems-thinking, and emergent technologies to foster progressive educational outcomes. At a national level, Marie has held key roles in academia and administration across higher education institutions and accreditation agencies and has driven educational projects in both public and private sectors. Her collaboration extends to regional and global organizations. An ardent supporter of Global Citizenship Education, Marie’s initiatives extend beyond conventional learning, closely aligning with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her academic achievements, including a Master of Education in Instructional Design & Technology from the American College of Education, and an MBA and BBA from Nova Southeastern University, along with a Diploma in Spanish Language from La Universidad de La Habana, reflect her dedication to interdisciplinary learning. As the founder and owner of EduLearn Connect, an EdTech company, Marie is at the forefront of pioneering 21st-century educational advancements. Her company focuses on agile skills-based curriculum design and development, AI-enabled curriculum integration, and AI-driven workforce transformation solutions, meeting the needs of the evolving educational ecosystem and the future of work.