Tamara Sumner

Tamara Sumner is a Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder with a joint appointment between the Institute of Cognitive Science and the Department of Computer Science. She serves as Director of the Institute of Cognitive Science since 2016 and is currently Interim Dean of University Libraries.

Her interdisciplinary research focuses on how computational tools combining cognitive science, machine intelligence, and interactive media can improve teaching practice, learning outcomes, and learner engagement in STEM education. She leads a research-practice partnership involving faculty from CU Boulder, UCAR staff, and Denver Public Schools educators.

Sumner's major research projects include:

• Inquiry Hub: Research-Practice Partnership with Denver Public Schools focused on STEM learning
• Engineering Experiences: Studying youth motivation in engineering through out-of-school programs
• TalkBack: Using speech recognition and NLP to support math teachers
• Chicago City of Learning: Developing equity measurement tools for city-scale learning opportunities

Her research has been supported by significant funding including an NSF award of $1.8 million for AI-enhanced tutoring systems. Sumner has published 140 articles with over 80 peer-reviewed publications in human-computer interaction, educational technology, and intelligent systems.

She teaches graduate courses including Research Applications Seminar and Topics in Cognitive Science, focusing on cognitive science research methods and user-centered design principles.