Alan M. Lesgold

Alan Lesgold has a unique combination of experience in education and with 21st century high tech work. He is professor emeritus of education, psychology, and intelligent systems and Renée and Richard Goldman Dean Emeritus (2000-2016) of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1967, with a B.A. in psychology. He received his Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University in 1971 and also holds an honorary doctorate from the Open University of the Netherlands. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), in experimental, applied, and educational psychology, and also of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Educational Research Association. In 2001, he received the APA award for distinguished contributions of applications of psychology to education and training. In 1995, he was awarded the Educom Medal. Between 1988 and 2000, Lesgold developed five generations of intelligent coached apprenticeship environments to prepare technicians to do the hardest failure diagnosis and repair jobs in aviation electronics and the operation and maintenance of machines used to make computer chips, thus providing a very early demonstration of the value of intelligent tutoring systems for work force training. In 2010-2012, he chaired the committee of the National Academies that produced the book entitled Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research.