Mr. Pittinsky is responsible for Blackboard’s initial vision. He coined Blackboard’s rallying cry to “transform the Internet into a powerful environment for teaching and learning.” His background includes training as a social studies teacher and he comes from a family of educators.

Mr. Pittinsky has authored numerous articles and has been quoted in major media outlets, including The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Business Week, among others. He recently completed his first book project on e-Education as editor of The Wired Tower, which looks at the profound impact the Internet is having on higher education. Mr. Pittinsky received his undergraduate degree from the School of Public Affairs at American University and, an Ed.M. degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and is a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University studying the sociology of education.

Dr. Susan Hardwicke is the founder and director of the kSERO Cognitive Development Center, located in the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park. The Center’s mission is to develop each individual’s capacity to learn by improving their cognitive skills. The methods used in the program derive from recent research on learning and the brain.

Dr. Hardwicke has had an eclectic education and career, starting as an Echols Scholar and a member of the first class of women at the University of Virginia. She received her Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology from George Washington University, where she was also an invited lecturer. During the 1980’s in San Diego, California, Dr. Hardwicke performed some of the earliest research on computerized testing for the Department of Defense. Her work included developing high technology communications products for the U.S. and international military services. Also while in California, Dr. Hardwicke did research and created a graduate level course in Adult Development for the California School of Professional Psychology.

Moving to Richmond 13 years ago, she created a quality management and human development consulting practice, and authored a book on the subject. The desire to create technology products coupled with the special needs of the education sector compelled Dr. Hardwicke to start the first online educational assessment company, eduTest, Inc. Motivated by her experience with testing and education, as well as her lifelong interest in nutrition and well-being, she founded the kSERO (“I know” in Greek) Cognitive Development Center to help clients address learning problems such as Attention Deficit Disorder and cognitive impairment from chemotherapy and surgery. The Center has received government validation in the form of federal grant contracts to develop innovative after-school programs to enhance the cognitive skills of our ever expanding student population.