Professor Daniel Schwartz, whose work experience ranges from a day school in rural Kenya to a Stanford laboratory for teaching technologies, assumed duties September 1 as dean of the Graduate School of Education. He succeeds Deborah Stipek, who served for the past two years in her second stint as dean.
Schwartz joined the faculty in 2000 from Vanderbilt University, where he was a professor of psychology and human development. His research has included the study of creativity in learning, and his lab has produced computer-focused methods of math and science instruction.
"The GSE is a world leader in elevating the promise of education for children, families and nations," says Schwartz. "Serving as dean provides a rare opportunity to help Stanford, the GSE and our students work creatively to improve schooling, an institution at the center of so many people's daily lives and future dreams.
"The school, which has more than 400 graduate students, emphasizes real-world problem-solving in collaboration with teaching practitioners and policymakers. Schwartz, who received his doctorate in human cognition and learning from Columbia University, has taught math in Kenya, junior high English in South Central Los Angeles, and an array of subjects to junior high and high school students in a rural Alaskan village.
Schwartz's book on translating the science of learning into practice, The ABCs of How We Learn: 26 Scientifically Proven Approaches, How They Work and When to Use Them, is scheduled to be published next year.
