Micah Watanabe, 32
BS education technology (custom-designed major) ’17
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION SPECIALIST, SAFAL PARTNERS
Micah Watanabe, 32
BS education technology (custom-designed major) ’17
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION SPECIALIST, SAFAL PARTNERS
Micah Watanabe combines his interests in cognitive psychology, AI and digital media to develop personalized learning tools that expand access for underserved students.
Micah Watanabe has always been driven by learning — and now he’s focused on expanding access for a new generation. As a research and evaluation specialist at Houston-based Safal Partners, a management consulting firm that works with public-sector education programs, his work in digital media and artificial intelligence places him at the leading edge of education research. A cognitive psychologist, Watanabe previously served as a research scientist in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University (ASU), where he worked on iSTART-Early, a reading comprehension game developed at ASU with other institutions. The project uses AI techniques to generate personalized learning experiences, an approach that reflects Watanabe’s long-standing interest in making education more interactive and engaging. That interdisciplinary focus began at Drexel, where Watanabe created a custom-designed major within the Pennoni Honors College to combine education, psychology, television and digital media. He worked under the mentorship of Professor Aroutis Foster at the Games and Learning in Interactive Digital Environments (GLIDE) Lab and gained research experience through independent courses and volunteer lab work — opportunities that helped pave the academic path that led him to a doctorate degree at ASU. Across each stage of his career, Watanabe has remained committed to improving access to education for underserved students.
“My passion has been for students who are not being served by the education system. My hope is that I am able to continue working on and increasing access to more diverse education experiences for these students.”
My Greatest Accomplishment:
Besides my children, I am most proud of my work on iSTART-Early, a reading comprehension game developed at Arizona State University in collaboration with several other institutions. I was privileged to collaborate on and eventually lead the project over the course of five years. My team and I developed it based on the best practices in educational psychology, while using cutting-edge AI techniques to generate personalized learning experiences for our users.
How Drexel Shaped My Path:
When I was applying to colleges, Drexel was among the only ones that offered all four to five majors I was considering. Naturally, after I enrolled, I chose none of those majors and instead created my own through Pennoni Honors College’s Custom-Designed Major, a transdisciplinary offering that enabled me to merge all of my varied interests into a unique course of study. Drexel also provided me with real research opportunities through independent courses and volunteering at labs. The experience of being empowered to follow my unique interests led to my pursuing a doctoral degree and continuing to research and develop innovative projects in education technology.
Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:
At Safal Partners, I have been able to work closely with state governments and nonprofits to research how curricular changes affect bilingual students and students with disabilities — who are underserved by the educational system. I hope I am able to continue working on and increasing access for these students. DM
My Greatest Accomplishment:
Besides my children, I am most proud of my work on iSTART-Early, a reading comprehension game developed at Arizona State University. I was privileged to collaborate on and eventually lead the project over the course of five years. My team and I developed it based on the best practices in educational psychology, while using AI techniques to generate personalized learning experiences for our users.
How Drexel Shaped My Path:
When I was applying to colleges, Drexel was among the only ones that offered all four to five majors I was considering. Naturally, after I enrolled, I chose none of those majors and instead created my own through Pennoni Honors College’s Custom-Designed Major, a transdisciplinary offering that enabled me to merge all of my varied interests into a unique course of study. Drexel also provided me with real research opportunities through independent courses and volunteering at labs. The experience of being empowered to follow my unique interests led to my pursuing a doctoral degree and continuing to research and develop innovative projects in education technology.
Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:
At Safal Partners, I have been able to work closely with state governments and nonprofits to research how curricular changes affect bilingual students and students with disabilities — who are underserved by the educational system. I hope I am able to continue working on and increasing access for these students. DM
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