mEducation Alliance Recognizes RTI International Researchers for Advancements in Education Technology Research

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK N.C.—The Mobiles for Education Alliance (mEducation) has awarded Carmen Strigel and Sarah Pouezevara from RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research and international development institute, with an mEducation Alliance Award in the category Education Technology (EdTech) Researcher Extraordinaire. The award recognizes their contributions to EdTech research worldwide.  

As members of RTI’s International Development Group, Strigel and Pouezevara have designed, implemented, and researched EdTech products and initiatives in over 25 countries in the past 15 years alone. The researchers started their EdTech research work nearly two decades ago in Germany (Strigel) and the U.S. (Pouezevara) contributing dozens of studies and initiatives to the field.

“As researchers, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to work on all aspects of EdTech which gives us direct insight on not only what works in the countries we serve, but what it takes to make it work,” said Carmen Strigel, EdD, Director of Technology for Education and Training at RTI. “We are honored to accept this award and eager to continue the advancement of EdTech to benefit all learners, including those traditionally marginalized from accessing education or using technology.”

Notably, the pair has worked to pioneer the use of mobile devices for teacher training programs, improved EdTech integration with instructional practice and in inclusive education, and developed Tangerine—an open-source software that facilitates electronic data collection, continuous student assessment, and program monitoring now used in over 60 countries and 100 languages.

“We were absolutely thrilled that Carmen and Sarah were recognized as EdTech Researchers Extraordinaire in our 10th anniversary and first annual mEducation Alliance award show,” said Anthony Bloome, executive director and founder of the mEducation Alliance. “Their—and RTI's globally recognized—research contributions have valuably contributed to informing strategic EdTech investments for policymakers and practitioners. Carmen and RTI have also been valuable partners to the mEducation Alliance and we look forward to their proactive engagement in our future events.”

The mEducation Alliance Anniversary Event and Award Show recognizes educators worldwide for their advancement in the following categories: numeracy and STEM, literacy, youth and workforce development, crisis and conflict response, inclusive education, and education technology.

To learn more about RTI’s International Education Division, click here.

About The mEducation Alliance and awards. 
The mEducation Alliance is a non-governmental organization focused on the evidence-driven and sustainable role of technology in education to advance quality educational outcomes. Initially formed in 2010, the mEducation Alliance is a  unique, multi-stakeholder convening platform for government and donor policymakers, other investors, researchers, and practitioners to work together, particularly in lower-resource, developing country contexts. In their first annual award show, the Alliance recognized innovators in the categories of: Numeracy and S.T.E.M., Literacy, Youth and Workforce Development, Crisis and Conflict, Inclusive Education, EdTech Researchers Extraordinaire, and EdTech Policymakers.