# Dr. Jason Torres **Director · EdTech strategist · Systems designer · Human-centered designer · Change management leader · Instructor · Aspiring educational researcher** ![[HS-SQUARE-JT.jpeg|300]] ## A short bio Welcome! I am a learning design leader, educator, technology enthusiast, media designer, and organizational planner. I'm really good at researching issues, building collaborative community with colleagues, and finding solutions. I started my career teaching K-12, higher-education, and teachers in China. After that I spent 5 years completing my graduate studies, and since then I've held various educational oriented roles in higher-education, international organizations, and the private sector. My areas of interest lie at the intersection of advanced technology, leadership, decision-making, and pedagogy. I love ill-structured problems and charting new paths. Which is probably why most of my roles have been inaugural. But I love finding the answers and solutions with others. I continue to be fascinated by what I learn and how things intersect as time goes by. In general, I'm driven by striving to make meaningful impact in all that I do, helping others grow in what they do, and coming out the other side with something real (together). I hold an **Education Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Instructional Technology** with a minor in **Management Information Systems** from Texas Tech University and a **Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) in Government** with a minor in **Asian Studies** from The University of Texas-Austin. Since completing my doctorate I have held positions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the International Monetary Fund, Booz Allen Hamilton, and The George Washington University. > [!check]+ Starting June 2025 > I am a free-agent after 5 years with The George Washington University as the *Director of Strategic Digital Learning Initiatives* in the Center for Teaching Excellence. My position was eliminated as part of cost-cutting and reorganization measures. (One need only see how universities are being impacted by elimination of research grants, restrictions to international students, and other actions.) It was unexpected, but not entirely given instruction from the GW Provost's office in early May to cut 3% of the budget across all colleges, schools, and departments. So I'm looking for the next professional chapter. ## A short story of my interests It is hard to state in a simple sentence what interests me because as I've gotten older and more experienced, there isn't just a single domain that draws my attention. Fundamentally, I'm fascinated in how people learn, make decisions within systems, and effectively operate with and adapt to technology. In the early 2000's I began my career in a K-12 classroom while living and working in *developing* China. (A very different China than we know today.) That experience was formative and radically changed how I see education, learning, and the collection of *things* in life. The teachers I worked with, and the students I led, taught me a completely different view on education. Education became no longer just something done to get to an ideal destination. Instead it became something to continuously strive to attain, to build community around, and to use in service. It was quite simply life changing. Later I decided to pursue graduate studies in **Instructional Technology**. This was supposed to be a master's program, but the faculty convinced me to pursue a doctorate instead. In those 5 years I taught undergraduate pre-service teachers for 4.5 years and I waded deeply into developing the knowledge and skills to build amazing learning experiences. (Yes, at that time I decided I wanted to be a practitioner and not a researcher.) Once I completed my doctoral studies, I jumped into professional practice and **it has been a journey** to say the least. I have many stories that I'd like to share once I get back to teaching. Now at mid-career I'm embarking on a next chapter. I'm still passionate for how **technology may improve/accelerate/advance child and adult learning**, but I'm far from seeing technology as *a central solution* that I did when I was pursuing my doctorate. I'm incredibly enthusiastic however about the prospects for using **generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) in human learning** and discovering what human-AI partnership could really be. And after being a part of some high-impact organizations and teams, then spending 5 years transforming and leading my own team, I am **deeply interested in leadership and decision-science**. ## Work examples To see some of what I've done over the years both individually and within teams, please see the *Professional Endeavors* section of this this. Or use the following links to jump to some highlights: - Section 5: Digital Fluency workshop series — [[2021-2022, Starting Adobe Series]] - to be added - to be added