Margaret A. Honey

Margaret Honey joined The New York Hall of Science as president and CEO in November of 2008. Among her current interests at NYSCI is the role of design-based learning in promoting student interest and achievement in STEM subjects. She is widely recognized for her work using digital technologies to support children’s learning across the disciplines of science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Prior to joining NYSCI, she spent 15 years as vice president of the Education Development Center (EDC) and director of EDC’s Center for Children and Technology. While at EDC, Dr. Honey was the architect and overseer of numerous large-scale projects funded by organizations including the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Education Sciences, The Carnegie Corporation, The Library of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Energy. She also co-directed the Northeast and Islands Regional Education Laboratory, which enabled educators, policy-makers, and communities to improve schools by helping them leverage the most current research about learning and K-12 education.

A graduate of Hampshire College with a doctorate in developmental psychology from Columbia University, Dr. Honey’s work has helped to shape the best thinking about learning and technology with special attention to traditionally underserved audiences. She has directed numerous research projects including efforts to identify teaching practices and assessments for 21st-century skills, and new approaches to teaching computational science in high schools. She has collaborated with PBS, CPB and some of the nation’s largest public television stations, has investigated data-driven decision-making tools and practices, and with colleagues at Bank Street College of Education, created one of the first internet-based professional development programs in the country. From her early involvement in the award-winning and groundbreaking public television series The Voyage of the Mimi to her decade-long collaboration on the education reform team for the Union City (NJ) school district, she has led some of the country’s most innovative and successful education efforts.

Dr. Honey has shared what she’s learned before Congress, state legislatures, and federal panels, and through numerous articles, chapters and books. She currently serves as a board member of National Academies’ Board on Science Education and on behalf of the National Research Council has chaired the workshop report on IT Fluency and High School Graduation Outcomes, and co-authored a report on Learning Science: Computer Games, Simulations, and Education. Her recent book, Design, Make, Play – Growing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators, explores the potential of these strategies for supporting student engagement and deeper learning. Dr. Honey also serves as a member of the National Science Foundation’s Education and Human Resources Advisory Committee.