Edtech builds, then researches. I research, then build.
I'm Nikitha. I'm building better learning — in research, in products, and in public.
things I'm building
Is It Slop?
AI-generated content is flooding YouTube. A tool to spot it — before you spend an hour watching it.
Is It Slop? — browser extension
Bringing slop detection directly to your browser, without leaving the page.
Old Dog New Math
Adults helping students with math they never learned themselves. A guide to teaching the "new" way — even if it wasn't how you were taught.
the reel
NASEM New Voices Cohort 4
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine New Voices program selects 20 mid-career scientists, doctors, and engineers to work on issues of national and global importance. I'm part of Cohort 4, serving 2026–2028. Follow along as the work unfolds!
AI in Vocational Training — Germany
Thank you to Dr. Ina Krause and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for enabling this transatlantic research collaboration! I spoke at the University of Paderborn on AI in vocational education and got a front row seat to how other countries are navigating this new AI phase.
National Academy of Engineering German-American Frontiers of Engineering
I was one of 8 Americans selected to speak at the National Academy of Engineering's German-American Frontiers of Engineering conference. I learned my new favorite word there: "verschlimmbessern" — the German word for making something worse while trying to improve it!
Purdue University 38 by 38 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award
Purdue's outstanding engineering alumni award is called 38 by 38 because alumnus Neil Armstrong was 38 when he walked on the moon. The only thing Neil and I have in common is an appreciation for small steps. Mine because I'm 5'0".
the real
Learning science says reflect. My calendar disagrees.
Every browser session is an archaeological dig. #teamtoomanytabs
I have accepted that inbox zero is not my destiny.
My plants are thriving. So are the bugs.
what I'm...
Working Identity
Herminia Ibarra
Tiny Experiments
Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë
catching up before the movie
Half His Age
Jennette McCurdy
Everything Is Tuberculosis
John Green
All the Beauty in the World
Patrick Bringley
NYT Cooking
I add spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, and black beans to make it even heartier.
learning mosaic crochet
about
with Douglas Engelbart, mouse inventor
I'm an electrical engineer who started in haptics and VR research, all of it in educational contexts. While getting my PhD in Engineering Education at Purdue, I saw the gap between what research knows and what actually gets built. I exited academia, joined a startup, and spent nearly a decade at zyBooks (acquired by Wiley) building research-informed edtech used by over a million students. When I'm not building better learning, I'm tending my plants, dancing with the troupe I co-founded, or serving as engagement co-chair on the board of Partners, Playhouse Square's young professionals group.
getting ready for a big hula performance