Announcement: Meet Learnvia at MAA MathFest 2026 in Boston, Booth #122!
About Learnvia
Learnvia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2025 with significant institutional and philanthropic support.
Who We Are
Learnvia was founded in 2025 in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and with generous support from the Gates Foundation. CMU’s global leadership in learning science, cognitive science, AI, and human-computer interaction provides a strong foundation for Learnvia’s mission and ongoing development.
Our Mission
Learnvia is a nonprofit learning collaborative dedicated to transforming student success in higher education. We believe that great teaching combined with great courseware gives students the best chance for success.
Great teaching draws on evidence-based practices—facilitating active learning, supporting metacognition, and fostering a sense of belonging. The term courseware—a blend of “course” and “software”—reflects how instructional materials once found in textbooks, homework exercises, and solution manuals have evolved into integrated, interactive digital tools that connect teaching and learning in new ways.
Our mission is to design, test, and continually improve evidence-based courseware that is free to students, supporting faculty in their teaching and helping all learners succeed in critical gateway courses. At Learnvia, technology and teaching amplify one another—rooted in research, collaboration, and a shared commitment to equitable student success.
What We Do
Learnvia develops next-generation courseware that integrates lessons, homework, quizzes, a discussion forum, and an AI tutor into a single, structured digital learning environment. We design both the platform and the content so that these elements work together as a coherent whole, not just as separate tools. Grounded in principles from cognitive science, learning science, and human-computer interaction, our courseware supports faculty-led teaching and strengthens student persistence in mathematics and other high-enrollment subjects. Our initial focus is math gateway courses, offered free to students.
How We Are Organized
Learnvia is structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with CMU, ensuring our focus stays on students, faculty, and institutions rather than shareholders. The organization brings together expertise in education, research, and technology innovation, guided by a board that includes representatives from both CMU and the Gates Foundation.
Our Team
Learnvia is led by experienced educators, researchers, and educational technologists. The team works closely with faculty collaborators and national advisors to ensure the courseware is shaped by both research evidence and real classroom practice.
Leadership
Anita Delahay
Director – Research & Development
PhD, Psychology,
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Anita Delahay is a learning scientist focused on how instructional design drives student success in digital learning. She has led research and development at organizations like Argos Education and Laureate, building innovative solutions to improve outcomes for diverse learners.
Bailey Miller
Director – Engineering & AI
MS, PhD, Computer Science, University of California Riverside
Bailey Miller leads Learnvia’s engineering and artificial intelligence strategy and development. He previously served as Sr. Director of Engineering at Wiley and zyBooks, where he built scalable educational technologies.
Chris Chan
Director – Content Development
MA, Mathematics, San Francisco State University
Chris Chan directs Learnvia’s content development, creating math courseware that improves student learning and long-term success. He also teaches mathematics and statistics at Austin Community College.
Dani Nicholson
Sr. Marketing Lead
MS, Media Industry Studies, University of North Texas
Dani Nicholson leads Learnvia’s marketing strategy, building awareness and engagement across the higher education community. Her background includes nearly a decade leading marketing at OpenStax, along with direct higher education experience in university marketing and communications and as faculty leading a technical program at a two-year college.
Joan Zoellner
Director - Faculty Success
MA, Mathematics, Indiana University Bloomington
Joan Zoellner directs Learnvia's Faculty Success strategy, creating resources that empower faculty to successfully adopt and integrate Learnvia's courseware into their teaching. She brings over 15 years of postsecondary math education experience from the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin and Clark College in Vancouver, WA.
Michelle Tiu
Managing Director, Strategy & Operations
EdM, Teaching & Curriculum, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Michelle Tiu translates Learnvia's vision into coordinated execution — aligning strategy, people, processes, and resources across the organization to achieve meaningful, scalable outcomes. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the EF+Math Program, Director of Educational Technology at WestEd, and taught high school mathematics.
Neal Manegold
Director - Product
MBA, Technology Management, University of Washington
Neal Manegold leads Product at Learnvia, continuing a career devoted to expanding access for diverse learners and empowering global educators. Previously, he launched and scaled products including Minecraft: Education Edition, Eureka Math Squared, and DreamBox Learning.
Norman Bier
Executive Director
MA, Philosophy,
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Norman Bier leads Learnvia, building on a 25-year career at the intersection of learning and technology dedicated to expanding access to education and improving the quality of education. His work leverages his ongoing role at CMU’s Open Learning Initiative and Simon Initiative, ensuring a close integration between courseware, learning research, and instructional practice to maximize student success.
Stephanie Jordan
Program Leader
BA, University of Notre Dame
Stephanie Jordan leads program strategy at Learnvia, guiding cross-functional teams that build math gateway courseware to improve student success. She brings deep experience in technology leadership and business transformation.
Strategy & Operations
Kevin Diggs
Finance Manager
MS, Accounting, University of Maryland
Kevin Diggs manages budgeting, planning, and compliance as Learnvia’s Finance Manager. With nearly a decade at Georgetown University, he brings expertise in building efficient financial systems and aligning strategy with institutional goals.
Michael Huang
Executive Assistant
BS, Film and Video Production, Middle Tennessee State University
Michael Huang is Learnvia’s Executive Assistant with over 5 years of administrative experience. He specializes in travel planning, event coordination, expense management, and procurement.
Engineering
Alex Edgcomb
Principal Engineer
PhD, Computer Science,
UC Riverside
UC Riverside
Alex Edgcomb is a Principal Software Engineer with expertise in pedagogical tools and courseware platforms. At zyBooks, he led development of interactive STEM tools and authored 40+ research publications, including multiple award-winning papers.
Archisha Datta
Content Tech Generalist
MS, Computer Science, University of Southern California
Archisha Datta develops content technology for Learnvia, coding animations, creating randomized homework, and supporting courseware delivery.
Brian Rojas
Principal Engineer
BS, Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego
Brian Rojas is a systems and software engineer with over a decade of experience in backend development, DevOps, and full-stack delivery. He co-founded a consultancy serving clients like zyBooks and UC San Diego, building scalable education technologies.
Dayyan Sisson
Principal Engineer
BS, Computer Science,
UC San Diego
UC San Diego
Dayyan Sisson is a developer specializing in interactive learning systems, with experience in frontend development, UI/UX, and machine learning. He previously co-founded Apex Design and worked as a Machine Learning Engineer at Advanced Space.
Tyler Hanf
Principal Engineer
BS, Computer Science, Rochester Institute of Technology
Tyler Hanf is a software engineer with experience in systems engineering and spacecraft software at Advanced Space. He brings this technical expertise to developing innovative solutions in EdTech at Learnvia.
Research & Development (R&D)
Abigail Stein
Research Associate
PhD, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University
Abigail Stein is a learning scientist with a deep interest in how instructional materials, organizational structures, and policy environments shape teaching, learning, and educational change. Across projects, she collaborates with educators, education leaders, and multidisciplinary research teams to translate data into actionable insights that strengthen learning experiences and support scale and sustainability.
Ana Berrizbeitia
Learning Engineer
PhD, Mathematics, University of Iowa
Ana analyzes learning and product data to identify opportunities for improving the Learnvia platform, provide evidence-based recommendations, and collaborate across teams to improve student learning and the overall product experience.
Ben Gold
Senior Learning Engineer, Learning Science & Analytics
PhD, Neuroscience, McGill University
Ben Gold is a learning scientist and data scientist who applies multidisciplinary methods to understand and enhance learning. With a background in cognitive neuroscience and education evaluation, he uses collaborative research and analytics to advance educational equity, motivation, engagement, and persistence for all students.
Eric Keylor
Data Scientist
PhD, Educational Technology, Arizona State University
Eric Keylor is a learning scientist and data scientist with a deep interest in educational research applications. He has wide experience in instructional media from virtual reality to video games and most recently has supported instructional design and research at Age of Learning and Carnegie Mellon University.
Mark Mills
Sr. Learning Engineer, Learning Sciences & Analytics
PhD, University of Nebraska
As a Learning Engineer at Learnvia, I use data and learning science to better understand how students engage with courseware and how they are progressing. I help build the analytics and data tools that support faculty in understanding student learning, and I work with faculty and Learnvia's research team to turn questions about teaching and learning into studies that can inform ongoing improvements to our courses and learning experiences.
Nora Chen
Learning Engineer
MS, Educational Technology & Applied Learning Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
Nora Chen is a learning engineer who supports research at Learnvia, analyzing learner data to surface insights that improve student outcomes. She brings a background in Applied Psychology and Educational Technology from NYU and Carnegie Mellon University, where she has worked on evidence-based learning research for diverse learner groups.
Faculty Support
David Hendershott
Content Tech Generalist
M.Ed, Educational Technology & Instructional Design, Arizona State University
David Hendershott develops interactive learning tools and supports platform operations at Learnvia. With a background in Education and Technology, he builds learning animations, manages technical support workflows, and optimizes content delivery to ensure a seamless experience for students and educators.
Content
Elizabeth Busch
Project Manager
JD, University of Southern California
Elizabeth Busch manages all phases of content development from kickoff through release. Elizabeth has over 10 years of edtech project management experience.
Jordan Bounds
Content Author
PhD, Mathematics, Bowling Green State University
Jordan Bounds is a content author with years of experience teaching mathematics and statistics courses. He previously worked as an assistant professor of mathematics at Furman University and has consulted on curriculum projects for various schools.
Kathryn Boddie
Content Author
PhD, Applied Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Kathryn (Katie) Boddie is a content author with many years of experience teaching mathematics courses. She previously worked as an instructor of mathematics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Kelly Montgomery
Author Trainer
BA, Mathematics,
University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
Kelly Montgomery trains courseware authors to ensure consistent pedagogy and style across STEM content. With over 8 years in courseware at Macmillan and zyBooks, she now also serves as interim Project Manager supporting task tracking and team coordination.
Content Technology Generalists (CTGs)
Lizbeth Areizaga
Content Tech Generalist
BS, Computer Science,
UC Riverside
UC Riverside
Lizbeth Areizaga supports content technology development and authoring at Learnvia. She has research experience in computer science education and has presented published work at the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education.
Niranjan Prakash
Content Technical Generalist
MS, Data Analytics and Computational Social Science, UMass Amherst
Niranjan works to develop and implement engaging math content for students.
Stephanie Jax
Content Technical Generalist
BS, Computer Science, Texas State University
Stephanie develops content technology and supports authoring at Learnvia. She joins us from zyBooks, where she spent five years implementing randomized online STEM activities.
Work with Us
Now Hiring
Managing Director, Strategy & Operations
Learnvia is seeking a Managing Director to play a pivotal role in building this early-stage nonprofit born from two world-class institutions known for innovation and excellence.
Now Hiring
Senior Marketing Lead
Learnvia is seeking a Senior Marketing Lead to play a critical role in defining Learnvia’s identity, voice, and market presence at an early stage of the organization.
Now Hiring
Director of Product
The Director of Product will play a central role in shaping the future of Learnvia’s AI-enabled courseware and technology platform to support an inclusive, research-informed model for teaching excellence in mathematics and improve the experiences of students who have historically been underserved by traditional math instruction.
Funding and Sustainability
Learnvia’s work is funded by the Gates Foundation, supporting courseware development, technology infrastructure, and ongoing research.
Our Partners
Learnvia collaborates with leading partners in technology, curriculum, and research to design, test, and continuously improve its courseware—ensuring it is innovative, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of faculty and students.
Looking Ahead
Learnvia launched its first pilot program in Fall 2025 with Calculus I, continuing in Spring 2026. The pilot for Calculus II will launch in Fall 2026. Other gateway math courses will follow, Calculus 3, Precalculus, and Quantitative Reasoning. Over time, Learnvia will expand into other high-enrollment, high-attrition gateway courses while continually refining its platform based on faculty and student feedback.
