A. Joseph Tamer
Significant Influences
Douglas O’Handley, NASA Academy
Doug O’Handley, a former NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, became a father figure to me and generations of NASA Academy alumni. An exceptional scientist and administrator, he cared deeply about educating young people and developing future leaders. Doug taught me that demanding excellence and investing personally in people are not competing values; the best mentors do both.
Marilyn Ebbitt, Marianapolis
As a Head of School, Marilyn was a force of nature whose determination helped rebuild Marianapolis during a challenging period in its history. She modeled an extraordinary work ethic, deep empathy for faculty and families, and unwavering expectations for her team. From Marilyn, I learned that strong leaders can ask a great deal of people while also giving them the support and confidence to rise to the occasion.
Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University
Ariel Anbar has been instrumental in my professional development and personal growth at ASU. A visionary scientist and educator, he believes deeply in using technology to improve learning at scale. Working alongside Ariel taught me how ambitious educational ideas become reality when faculty, administrators, designers, researchers, and technologists bring their different expertise together around a shared purpose.
Norman Bier, Open Learning Initiative
Norm Bier has shaped my thinking about learning science, educational technology, open educational resources, and institutional partnership. As Director of Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative, he became a trusted collaborator through our work on Torus, REAL CHEM, and CourseWorks. Norm has shown me how evidence, open technology, thoughtful partnerships, and sustainable business models can work together to improve education at meaningful scale.
Dror Ben Naim, Smart Sparrow
As a founder of Smart Sparrow and an early ETX partner, Dror Ben-Naim pushed me to think differently about educational products. He taught me to value beautiful design while asking what a product genuinely offers students, educators, and those investing in its development. His entrepreneurial mindset reinforced the importance of innovation, evaluation, and continual iteration in creating exceptional learning experiences.
James Davis, New Hartford Central Schools
James Davis is a lifelong friend whose career as a teacher, administrator, and school board president has kept me grounded in the realities of K–12 education. An early adopter of Infiniscope, he opened classrooms to our team for field testing and never hesitated to tell me what was working and what was not. His candid advice continually reminds me that educational innovation must ultimately work for teachers and students.
Dominica Thornton, La Paloma Academy
I first worked with Dominica Thornton at Emma Willard’s GirlSummer program and have watched her build a career serving students and communities too often underserved by education. Over the years, she has opened her schools to our field testing and offered essential feedback on our work. Dominica has challenged me to ask not only whether an innovation works, but for whom it works and whose needs we may still be overlooking.