The Center for Digital Education (CDE) today announced its 2016 Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers – 30 education and technology leaders across America who are transforming the education landscape through the use of digital tools.  Stanford’s Philip Schreur, Assistant University Librarian for Technical and Access Services, was selected as a recipient of the 2016 award.

Winners were selected based on their efforts to improve education through effective implementation of technology-rich solutions; their impact on student outcomes; and their overall initiative, creativity and leadership skills.

Linked Data for Improved Discovery

In the 1960s, libraries created Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC), which allowed them to access and share bibliographic information across library catalogs. But outside the library, few organizations use MARC, making it very difficult for Web users to find information about library listings.

Schreur, along with colleagues at various esteemed universities and organizations across the country, is working to reconceive library data to better communicate with the broader online world.

“The Web doesn’t understand the language that libraries are using,” said Schreur. “Our efforts include recoding data in the language of Web.”

The Linked Data initiative is being led by Stanford Libraries, in partnership with Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton, and the Library of Congress with funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Center for Digital Education’s Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, and Trailblazers for 2016:

“Our 2016 Top 30 award winners are visionaries who are going against the grain to increase funding, bandwidth, privacy protocols, predictive analytics and to improve the personalization of learning. With technology as their catalyst, they are dedicated to transforming education at the local, state and national levels in ways that have a positive impact on student success,” said Dr. Kecia Ray, executive director of the Center for Digital Education. “I am thrilled to recognize our award winners and applaud their achievements.”

The Top 30 of 2016 represent the broad range of technology initiatives in education – view an infographic that highlights their achievements.

• Luvelle Brown, Superintendent, Ithaca City School District, New York
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
• Kim Clemmons, Instructional Technology Supervisor, Wilson County Schools, Tennessee
• S. Dallas Dance, Superintendent, Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland
• Deans for Impact
• Chris Dede, Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Massachusetts
• Tristan Denley, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Tennessee Board of Regents
• Mark Edwards, Former Superintendent, Mooresville Graded School District, North Carolina
• Ginann Franklin, Director of Libraries and Educational Technology, Currey Ingram Academy, Tennessee
• Nicole Galloway, Missouri State Auditor
• Marie Izquierdo, Chief Academic Officer, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida
• Daphne Koller, Co-Founder, Coursera
• Keith Krueger, CEO, CoSN – the Consortium for School Networking
• Angelique Nedved, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Lawrence Public Schools, Kansas
• Lisa Nielsen, Director of Digital Engagement and Professional Learning, New York City Department of Education
• Sunay Palsole, Associate Vice Provost for Digital Learning, The University of Texas at San Antonio
• Hadi Partovi, CEO, Code.org
• Jim Peterson, Chief Technology Officer, Bloomington School District 87, Illinois
• Megan Power, Learning Experience Designer, Design39Campus, California
• Jason Rhode, Director of the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University
• Joe Sargent, Assistant Vice President of Information and Educational Technologies, Walters State Community College, Tennessee
• Philip Schreur, Assistant University Librarian for Technical and Access Services, Stanford University, California
• Joseph South, Director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education
• Team Denton Independent School District, Texas
  Marcus Bourland, Principal, LaGrone Advanced Technology Complex
  Tonya Tivis, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Instructor, LaGrone Advanced Technology Complex
  Jamie Wilson, Superintendent of Schools
• Team E2D – Eliminate the Digital Divide
  Franny Millen, Co-Founder
  Pat Millen, Co-Founder and President
• Team High Tech High, California
  Ben Daley, Chief Academic Officer
  Kay Davis, Secretary, High Tech High School Board
  Gary Jacobs, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees
  Larry Rosenstock, Chief Executive Officer
• Team Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska
  Rob Dickson, Executive Director, Information Management Services
  Mark Evans, Superintendent of Schools
• Kara Van Dam, Vice Provost for the Learner and Faculty Experience, University of Maryland University College
• Cynthia Vavasseur, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Graduate Studies, College of Education, Nicholls State University, Louisiana
• Mia Kim Williams, Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology Coordinator, Department of Educational Technology, University of Northern Colorado

For full profiles of the Top 30, view the latest issue of Converge and follow #CDEtop30 on social media to get the latest information.