Board of Directors

Zoran Popović is a Professor of Computer Science and the Director of the Center for Game Science at the University of Washington, as well as founder of Enlearn. Trained as a computer scientist, his research focuses on creating engaging environments for learning and scientific discovery. He is one of the leaders in the field of large-scale citizen science. His laboratory created Foldit, a biochemistry game that produced four Nature publications, and showed for the first time that novices can be developed into world-class experts in a science domain through game-based scientific discovery. His laboratory has produced award-winning math learning games played by over five million learners worldwide. He is currently focusing on engaging methods that can rapidly develop mastery and expertise in arbitrary domains with particular focus on scientific breakthroughs and revolutionizing K-12 math education. Zoran is known for conducting large-scale educational campaigns including Algebra Challenges conducted in Washington, Minnesota, and Norway with almost 100,000 students. To maximize the impact of his research, he founded Enlearn to develop the first platform that adapts all aspects of the learning ecosystem by specializing to each curriculum, student, classroom and teacher in realtime, towards maximizing learning outcomes. His contributions to the field of interactive computer experiences have been recognized by a number of awards including the NSF CAREER Award, Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and ACM SIGGRAPH Significant New Researcher Award.

Mr. Lippincott taught as a member of the faculty at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, as the Assistant Headmaster of the Stowe School and in three Pennsylvania schools. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Harvard University.

Vicki Phillips is Executive Vice President and Chief Education Officer at the National Geographic Society where she oversees the Society’s education strategy and programs focused on transforming the classroom experience for millions of students and educators to inspire the next generation of planetary stewards.

Phillips has built a strong education reform record throughout her career, at all levels – from neighborhood schools to the federal government. For nearly three decades, she has endeavored to improve education – as a teacher, state-level policymaker, leader of a nonprofit education foundation, superintendent of a large urban school district, and for nearly a decade as the director of education for the world’s largest foundation.

Prior to joining the National Geographic Society, Phillips served as Director of Education, College Ready, for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she lead the work to ensure U.S. high school students graduate ready to succeed and to improve access to college. She has served as superintendent of Portland Public Schools in Portland, Oregon, secretary of education for the State of Pennsylvania, and at the state level in her home state of Kentucky, helping to implement the sweeping changes demanded by the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990. Phillips has worked with the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and has been a middle and high school teacher.

Born in Kentucky and raised on a small farm, Phillips was the first in her family to go to college, and earned first a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and a master’s degree in school psychology from Western Kentucky University. She also holds a doctorate in educational leadership and management from the University of Lincoln in England, and served as a founding member of the governing council for England’s National College for School Leadership.