Lauren Herckis

Dr. Lauren Herckis is an anthropologist and Senior Director of the Center for Global Research and Policy, a Global Health Workforce Development Institute think-tank supported by TruMerit (formerly CGFNS International), an NGO with Consultative Status to the United Nations. Her research at the intersection of campus culture, technological change, and effective teaching guides the development of technology-enhanced learning experiences and helps leaders in higher education and competency-based assessment develop resilient postsecondary infrastructure around the world.

Dr. Herckis is on professional leave from her appointment with Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. She earned her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh and has previously worked as part of the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. Her current research at the intersection of campus culture, technological change, and effective teaching is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, the Institute of Museum and Library Science, and the National Science Foundation and explores the adoption of AI-augmented and collaborative learning, the digitalization of higher education, and immersive pedagogies. Recent projects have examined the barriers to effective use of evidence-based tools and practices, explored the ways that technological literacy shapes teaching strategies, and produced protocols which help educators employ effective technology-enhanced assessment tools with fidelity. Past work has been supported by the Hillman Family Foundations, Fulbright Institute of International Education, California Education Learning Labs, R.K. Mellon Foundation, the Global Learning Council, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a POD Early Career Researcher Award.