Adrienne Decker named critical thinking fellow

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Adrienne Decker

Adrienne Decker has been named Fram Faculty Fellow in Applied Critical Thinking at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Decker, a native of Buffalo, will assume her post immediately for the 2017-2018 term, according to Jennifer Schneider, RIT’s Eugene H. Fram Chair in Applied Critical Thinking and professor in the College of Applied Science and Technology.

“I am so excited about the appointment of Dr. Decker as our next faculty fellow,” said Schneider. “Her energy and expertise will expand our ability to grow this initiative and its impact.”

Decker, an associate professor of interactive games and media and member of RIT’s Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC), has been studying computing education and teaching for more than 15 years. She received her undergraduate degree in computer science and MS and Ph.D. degrees in computer science and engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

In her new role as Fram Faculty Fellow, Decker will work to identify and strengthen applied critical thinking across disciplines, as well as contribute to the development of assessment tools, processes and data for continuous improvement.

“I am excited to work with Fram Chair Jennifer Schneider and the Fram Advisory Boards to make steps towards achieving the goals of the applied critical thinking initiative at RIT,” said Decker. “I feel the work that has been done over the last several years has positioned this university to the forefront of the conversations around critical thinking happening at a national level.”

The Fram Faculty Fellow appointment is a part time, rolling-year opportunity that engages a faculty member in a university-wide critical thinking initiative.

“Dr. Decker’s long term interests and research in computer education will add another significant strength to flowing critical thinking throughout all curricula at RIT and elsewhere,” said Eugene H. Fram, the J. Warren McClure Research Professor Emeritus of Marketing who retired from RIT in 2008 after 51 years of teaching at Saunders College of Business.

The Eugene H. Fram Chair in Applied Critical Thinking was funded in 2011 by an anonymous RIT alumnus who donated $3 million to honor Fram.