In January, the University of Maryland College of Education welcomed Fengfeng Ke as its new Clark Leadership Chair.
An expert in digital game-based learning, Ke designs and explores innovative ways that technology can support individualized and collaborative learning processes. Much of her research focuses on advancing educational equity, particularly for neurodiverse learners including autistic children and adolescents. Ke brings a deep knowledge of artificial intelligence, immersive learning, mixed reality and digital games to her work.
“Dr. Ke’s research perfectly exemplifies the college’s values of innovation for transformation, equity and justice, and collaboration with care,” said Kimberly Griffin, dean of the College of Education. “I am delighted to welcome her to the College of Education. Our community looks forward to partnering with her on new innovations to make education more equitable, accessible and engaging for all learners.”
Ke joins the UMD College of Education from Florida State University (FSU), where she most recently served as a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems and as affiliated faculty in the Department of Scientific Computing. Since joining FSU in 2010 as an assistant professor, she was promoted to associate professor in 2014 and professor in 2019. Previously, she was an assistant professor of instructional technology at the University of New Mexico. In addition, Ke recently completed three years of service as an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) program director at the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for STEM Education. She holds a Ph.D. in instructional systems from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in adult education from Northern Illinois University and a B.A. in English and literature from Beijing International Studies University.
“Joining the College of Education at UMD is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with such a dynamic group of faculty members,” said Ke. “I’m eager to partner on innovative ideas that can shape the future of education.”
Since 2020, Ke has continuously appeared on the list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists, published by Stanford University. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, Department of Education and MacArthur Foundation. A widely published scholar, Ke has authored or co-authored 15 book chapters and more than 80 journal articles. She is also the lead author of two books: “Interdisciplinary Design of the Game-Based Learning Platform: A Phenomenological Examination of the Integrative Design of Game, Learning, and Assessment” (Springer 2019), and “Web-based Teaching and Learning Across Culture and Age” (Springer 2013). In addition, she currently serves as a coeditor of the American Educational Research Journal and as a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.
Ke’s research on using AI-powered “virtual students” as part of teachers’ preservice training was recently featured in the cover story of the 2024 edition of the UMD College of Education’s Endeavors magazine.
The Clark Foundation funds five Clark Leadership Chair positions across UMD. As world-class faculty members working in fields that are critical to the knowledge-based economy of the future, the Clark Leadership Chairs engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary learning and research that accelerates knowledge and creates workable solutions to grand challenges.
