Nathan Castillo

Nathan Castillo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with a focus on international education development, learning assessment, and educational technologies. He holds appointments in the Center for African Studies and Curriculum & Instruction, and his work spans Central/South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Ph.D. in Human Development, University of Pennsylvania
• Ed.M. in International Education Policy, Harvard University
• B.S. in Psychology, Colorado State University

Castillo’s research investigates how technology can support learning ecologies in the Global South, particularly early grade reading in rural contexts, education policy impacts, and edtech equity. His recent work includes meta-analyses of personalized learning technologies and frameworks for scalable literacy solutions.

• 2024: Global meta-analysis of adaptive learning technologies
• 2023: Language-technology intersections in international education
• 2022: Trends in digital personalized learning for low-income countries

He has received the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (2014) and recognition for public engagement (2021) and research (2019). His advisory roles include UNICEF, UNESCO, and USAID.