Tareque Medhi
Head of Research
Dr. Mehdi is an education specialist, committed to advancing educational methodologies, teacher training, learning technologies, and the seamless integration of technology (and innovation management) within the education sector. With a clear foundation in educational science, he studied at the esteemed Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Dhaka, earning his Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in 2012 in STEM Education, followed by a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Pre-Primary and Primary Education in 2014. He then pursued his Ph.D. in Education in 2023 from George Mason University, Virginia to further solidify his expertise in the field.
Dr. Mehdi is also a certified instructional designer. His extensive research experience, spanning over six years, provides a broad spectrum of methodologies including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. This extensive research background and design capacity is underscored by his instrumental role in designing "The Graduate Prelude," the first online graduate orientation platform for the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at Mason. He also has significant experience in developing nations, including Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Pakistan, where he has led and managed large-scale educational and cultural projects supported by significant grants. Dr. Mehdi's work intersects with key areas such as teacher education, educational technology, and international development, contributing significantly to the field through publications and presentations at renowned conferences. Furthermore, he has been instrumental in the editorial team for the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework on Wikipedia, and served as an AI-Tech Policy Fellow at the Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnership at Mason. Here, he played a pivotal role in a Department of Defense-funded project worth $1.38m, focusing on AI governance and its interdisciplinary implications, particularly in education. During COVID, he developed a specialized teacher education module on the Blackboard platform for the STEM+C Research Seed Grant project, under the guidance of Dr. Nancy Holincheck, to gather preliminary data supporting a proposal for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. Additionally, he crafted and assisted in the design of an eCoaching module for the State of Virginia’s Dynamic Coaching Outreach Project (DCOP), supported by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). This project has significantly aided in-service teachers in completing internships and achieving a K-12 general curriculum license, with over 20 Fairfax County teachers successfully testing the module.