My Interview with Kristen Sosulski

By Joey Azoulai

Kristen Sosulski is the Director for Learning Science Lab and Clinical Associate Professor at
NYU Stern School of Business. Kirsten grew up in New Jersey but always wanted to live in New
York City. She got her chance when New York University recruited her to play tennis for the
school, where she also studied Information Systems and Organizational Pscyhology. During her
undergraduate studies, she worked to create websites for faculty, an experience that helped put
the theory she was learning in class into practice. After graduating, she got her first jobs in the
business world, first as an intern at a subsidiary of BMG called Largo and then as a consultant
for a real estate investment company. In these first experiences in the business world, Kristen
neither found the work rewarding nor the atmopshere particulary welcoming, especially as a
women. When she started looking for her next job, the technology startup scene was booming
and her technology skills were in demand. During this time, she got a call from Columbia
University that set her onto her path in her career as an education technologist. Maurice Matiz,
a person who would become an important mentor to her, was launching Columbia University’s
Center for Teaching and Learning and wanted Kirsten as their first hire. Her work at Columbia
began with the humanities faculty, which she found exciting because she always loved the arts,
even if she never felt especially successful as an artist. The center grew to around 50 people
and emphasized not just being an available resource but also actively recruiting faculty with
which to co-design innovations in teaching in learning. When I asked about her use of narrative
in her work, Kirsten reflected on the the topic of roles. Having a role gives people the structure
to participate. So, just like at a dinner party where you may feel like you want to help -- help with
the dishes for example -- but don’t know if you should, roles help people know where they can
jump in. Kristen emphasizes the idea of roles in her current work at the Director of the Learning
Science Lab, where her team has just launched the schools first fully online masters degree.
She also thinks of narrative as a tool that she can employ to help faculty reflect on their
teaching. She often starts with the question, “What do students do in your class?” Pushing on
this question helps faculty tell the story of their course and better understand how student
actions connect with learning objectives. Kristen left with me an important question to reflect on,
which she sometimes asks during interviews: ​What is edtech?​ Her question nods to the idea
that education technology is so many different sets of outcomes and competencies, which is
one of the things that makes our field so exciting.