Heather is currently Co-Principal Investigator on Building CT Readiness: A Framework for Integrating Computational Thinking Across Subjects in High-Poverty Elementary Schools, an NSF-funded project investigating and refining a set of resources designed to help elementary schools clarify their definitions of CT and CT integration, articulate their vision and plans for CT implementation, and monitor the effectiveness of teacher professional development in CT instruction. She also is a researcher on the current project Identifying Effective Models for Integrating Computational Thinking into NYC Elementary Schools, funded by the Robin Hood Learning + Technology Fund, conducting case studies about effective models for integration of computational thinking in New York City elementary schools.

During her time at CCT, Heather has worked on a variety of research, evaluation, and development projects, including Ready To Learn, Finding Our Way Around, and Next Generation Preschool Math. Heather also contributes her expertise as a classroom teacher and instructional designer to many of her projects. She has led development of curriculum lesson plans and has contributed to a range of teacher Professional Development materials that support integrating technology within classroom practice.

Heather also has worked as videographer and producer for a number of educational production projects, including developing a series of PD videos for the Zoom In! project, as well as producing video submissions for the NSF-funded Playing with Data project to both the STEM for All Video Showcase and the Digital Innovation in Learning Awards, where the video received the distinction of Honorable Mention Winner in the Mindful Data category.

Heather is a licensed elementary teacher, and taught fourth grade prior to joining CCT. She also has experience teaching preschool, kindergarten, and middle-grades programs, including teaching Lego robotics, Scratch programming language, and computational thinking for preschoolers to fifth graders in after-school programs and parent/child co-building robotics classes. She also has worked as a freelance curriculum writer for a major publisher, developing lesson plans that integrated coding into science content.

Heather earned a Master of Arts in Digital Media Design for Learning at New York University, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Education and Communications from Monmouth University.