Christopher G. Pupik Dean

Christopher G. Pupik Dean is a Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), where he also serves as Director of the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program. He holds a dual role as Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on a major research project evaluating teacher learning in project-based instruction and as a faculty member in the Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership. His work focuses on improving teacher education through project-based learning (PBL), citizenship education, and ethical frameworks in schooling.

Dr. Pupik Dean earned a B.A. from Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Honors College and both an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Before pursuing academia, he taught high school science in North Carolina. His research examines how PBL influences teacher practice and student engagement, with notable contributions to Phi Delta Kappan and Teachers College Record.

Key initiatives include developing core practices for PBL instruction and advancing interdisciplinary approaches that merge disciplinary rigor with real-world problem-solving. He collaborates with institutions like EL Education and Inquiry Schools to design teacher professional development programs. Current projects emphasize the role of humanities in ethical development and implicit learning theories in humanistic education.