I came to ASU 8 years ago, joining the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College as Associate Dean for Scholarship and Innovation. The primary goal was to support our faculty and doctoral students in their research related activities. That said, my role has shifted over the years, from leading a team of educational designers to directing the college’s doctoral programs, while the core of my responsibilities have stayed somewhat constant.

Today is my last day at that job.

I am not leaving ASU or the College—just letting go of the title and responsibilities (and perks) that come with being associate dean. I will continue to be a professor at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College in the division of Leadership and Innovation. Additionally, I will be taking on a new role as Director of Innovative Learning Futures at the (relatively) new Learning Engineering Institute at ASU.

Over these past eight years, I have been privileged to work on some amazing projects and initiatives with some great colleagues and friends. I am extremely proud of the things that we have done together—both big and small. I have had a chance to design a new school from the bottom up and help create new opportunities for faculty research (through the learning futures collaboratives). From exploring the role of speculative fiction in thinking of education futures, to exploring the future of STEM education; from creating a new framework for thinking about the role of design in education to the way in which we can bring Principled Innovation to educational systems. From the Just an Hour: Engaging with Ideas series to kicking off the Learning Futures Podcast (now in its sixth season). The projects and initiatives have been many and transformative.

What this list does not capture is just how much fun all this has been. Throughout this process, I have created countless wonderful memories and have so many friends and colleagues to thank. Rather than listing names, I’ll simply say that you know who you are, and I deeply treasure the times we’ve shared and the work we did together. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Over the past year, my focus has increasingly shifted towards the transformative potential of generative AI in education. While I’m proud of co-leading the college’s AI in Education Learning Futures Collaborative and contributing to our strategic initiatives, I’ve found myself craving more time and energy to delve deeper into this rapidly evolving field.

This shift is, in large part, to free up my time to follow these pursuits. As I said at the start, I am not going anywhere. Though my title is changing, my passion for innovation in education remains constant. I’ll continue to co-lead the AI in Education LFC and provide strategic leadership to both the college and the Learning Engineering Institute. Finally, I am genuinely excited about new intellectual rabbit holes to explore with friends and colleagues, both old and new.