Faculty Feature: Mark Miller
Bridging Technology and Education: A Spotlight on Dr. Mark Miller
by Jussara Oliveira Barbosa, MS in Project Management ’25
From playing lead guitar and keyboards in a high school rock band to pioneering artificial intelligence in education, Dr. Mark Miller’s journey embodies the power of lifelong learning and boundless curiosity. Born in Philadelphia (where he remains a proud Eagles fan), Miller’s early years were shaped by moves that would ultimately influence his career path. After spending his early school years in New Jersey, a family transition took him to Coronado, California, where two life-changing encounters awaited: meeting his future wife, Alice, and his first computer during an NSF summer program at San Diego State University. This early exposure to computing technology sparked what would become a lifelong passion for exploring how computers could revolutionize education. Today, as a Lecturer in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University’s Silicon Valley campus, Miller continues his decades-long mission at the intersection of technology and education, shaping the future of how we learn.
After completing a double major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Cognitive Science at UC San Diego, Dr. Miller earned his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence with a specialization in Applications to Education from MIT in 1979. His career path took an interesting turn when he declined a joint appointment at UC Berkeley to join Texas Instruments, driven by his belief in the future of personal computing. This decision led to a decade-long tenure at Apple. During his time there, he was part of a team that developed exciting work on Computer Science for children and created tools for education and training applications. Motivated by a desire to expand his impact beyond corporate settings, he founded his nonprofit organization, The Miller Institute for Learning with Technology (learningtech.org®), in 1998.
As an educator, Dr. Miller brings three essential qualities to the university: a commitment to lifelong learning, boundless curiosity, and a passion for helping students find their way. He currently divides his time between teaching at Northeastern and serving as Executive Director and CEO of his nonprofit organization. Learn more about his contributions to education here.
At Northeastern, Dr. Miller has made significant contributions to the Align program, an innovative master’s program designed for students who studied subjects other than computer science in their undergraduate years, teaching foundational computer science courses and a special elective on CS and AI in Education. His recent collaboration with colleagues Lama Hamandi and Shiva Mathapathi explores how small hardware experiments can enrich software learning, culminating in a workshop at SIGCSE 2024.
Dr. Miller’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. His work with Papert’s Logo project at MIT and his contributions to AI applications in education at BBN have left lasting impressions on the field. His recent Liquid Handling Robot project, developed in collaboration with Stanford, was recognized by EdTech Magazine, showcasing his continued innovation in educational technology.
Looking ahead, Dr. Miller remains deeply engaged with the evolution of artificial intelligence. “The symbolic computation paradigm of the 1970s took us a certain way, but now the field has been reinvigorated by ANNs and LLMs,” he notes. “What I want to learn is how these new tools can be brought to bear in education without forgetting what we have already learned about human thinking and learning.”
His recommended reading list for educators includes Seymour Papert’s “Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas,” Abelson and Sussman’s “Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs,” and George Polya’s “How to Solve It.” He also strongly recommends Pat Winston’s “How to Speak” video lecture for graduate students.
Outside the academic sphere, Miller pursues his passions with the same dedication he brings to his professional life. He’s working toward his second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, where he also serves as an instructor. An avid chess player, he enjoys correspondence matches with his students on chess.com under the username ‘mlmiller’.
His love for music continues to inspire him, as he plans to dedicate the summer time to practicing piano, bass, and guitar. Between writing his book and traveling to unexplored places with his wife, Alice, Miller embodies the spirit of continuous learning he advocates for his students.
For aspiring professionals, Miller offers sage advice: “Learn to speak and learn to write. Remain humble but never cave to intellectual bullies. In all things, if you get knocked down, get back up. Laugh, live long, and prosper!”
As Northeastern University continues to innovate in computer science education, Dr. Miller exemplifies the successful fusion of technical expertise and educational vision. Through his work in the Align program and AI research, he continues to bridge traditional computer science with emerging technologies, shaping the future of education at Northeastern and beyond.