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About

Sara Willner-Giwerc is an education researcher whose work sits at the intersection of robotics, engineering design, and K-12 STEM education. Her research explores how younger learners can engage with sophisticated engineering concepts far earlier than conventional wisdom might suggest. One of her most notable contributions demonstrates that pre-college students are capable of employing genuine systems engineering methods in design challenges — a finding that challenges long-held assumptions about the cognitive limits of young engineers. Willner-Giwerc has been particularly instrumental in developing accessible curriculum frameworks, including LEGO robotics-based activities that introduce middle schoolers to systems engineering principles emphasizing teamwork, communication, and interdisciplinary thinking. Her 2021 work on an interactive robot platform for teaching reinforcement learning to K-12 students — her most cited publication with 11 citations — reflects a growing focus on making cutting-edge artificial intelligence concepts approachable for younger audiences. Her research on "placemat instructions" for open-ended robotics challenges further highlights her commitment to thoughtful pedagogical design. Across her body of work, Willner-Giwerc consistently advocates for expanding the boundaries of pre-college engineering education, equipping students with real-world problem-solving tools typically reserved for university-level study.