The Center for Educational Research and Technological Innovation (CERTI) is honored to welcome Dr. Derek S. Porter as the newest member of its advisory council.

Dr. Derek S. Porter earned an Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership in ’21 from the College of William & Mary. Dr. Porter began his time at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond as a middle school Global Thinking teacher. Over the last decade, he has built upon his work with students by serving as a faculty research coordinator with the Center for the Study of Boys in Richmond, VA. Through these experiences, he discovered a passion for professional learning models, making it the focus of his dissertation and subsequent conference presentations. Prior to teaching, Dr. Porter earned an M.A. from Yale University, where he partnered with Bridgeport Public Schools’ MAAX Program. He received his B.A. in Social Studies Secondary Education with a concentration in Political Science from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Porter is an award-winning educator, a published thought leader, and a poet seeking to tell the new stories of our educational landscape with beauty and fidelity.

“When I read their session description in the program at the Virginia Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference, I knew I had to be in the room. I enjoyed the work and expertise each presenter contributed to the vision of effective learner-centered technology integration. My presentation that day was about traditional classrooms leveraging the pedagogical takeaways from eLearning accelerated by the Covid crisis, so the like-mindedness resonated. When the advisory council expressed their desire to collaborate and grow, I knew there was a mutually beneficial partnership opportunity between CERTI and the Center for the Study of Boys housed at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA. Primarily, I am interested in the program evaluation work of CERTI and the professional learning opportunities offered by participatory research for our teachers to identify best practices in fostering student motivation and engagement, leading indicators of learning.” – Dr. Porter

Dr. Derek S. Porter

The mission of CERTI is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate new programs and practices utilizing innovative, learner-centered technology in partnership with institutions of higher education and in collaboration with the K-12 community.