Brian Magerko

Brian Magerko is Professor of Digital Media in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the Digital Media program and holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Interactive Computing. He directs the Expressive Machinery Lab and has led over $20 million in federally funded research at the intersection of cognition, computation, and creativity.

Education

• Ph.D. Computer Science and Engineering, University of Michigan (2006)
• M.S. Computer Science and Engineering, University of Michigan (2001)
• B.S. Cognitive Science (minor Computer Science & Jazz Performance), Carnegie Mellon University (1999)

Research Interests

Dr. Magerko’s scholarship integrates cognitive science, AI, and computational media to investigate three core themes: (1) social and creative collaboration between humans and AI; (2) design of interactive narrative, music, and arts-based computational experiences; and (3) inclusive STEAM education that leverages personal expression—most notably through the widely-adopted EarSketch platform, which engages learners in computer science via music remixing and coding.

Publication Trends

Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a surge in work on generative and co-creative AI systems, AI literacy frameworks, and accessible computing education. Studies span dance improvisation agents (LuminAI), inclusive design for blind and visually-impaired learners, and large-scale evaluations of creativity and learning outcomes in EarSketch classrooms across the United States.

Awards & Honors

• Methods Paper Recognition, ACM CSCW 2022
• Best Paper Award, ACM Creativity & Cognition 2021 & 2017
• Ivan Allen College Researcher of the Year 2018
• NCWIT Engagement Excellence Award 2017
• Multiple Best Student Paper Awards (AIED 2021, ICCCI 2021)
• CETL Thank-a-Teacher Award 2008

Grants & Advising

Dr. Magerko has served as PI or Co-PI on numerous NSF, NEA, and private foundation grants totaling more than $20 million. His projects fund interdisciplinary teams of graduate and undergraduate students, post-docs, and external collaborators, producing open-source software, museum installations, and K-12 curricula.

Labs & Teams

As head of the Expressive Machinery Lab, he mentors researchers creating AI partners for dance, drawing, music, and storytelling. The lab’s artifacts have been exhibited at the Smithsonian, ArtScience Museum Singapore, MoogFest, and other international venues.