About the Authors

Dr. Karin Scarpinato is a dedicated leader in higher education, research, and innovation. As Executive Vice President for Research at Kennesaw State University (KSU), she oversees the university’s research programs, working to expand opportunities for faculty and students, attract funding, and foster collaborations that drive discovery and innovation. 

With a passion for mentorship and leadership development, Dr. Scarpinato has spent her career helping researchers and institutions succeed. She founded "Women in Research," a national networking group that supports female leaders in research administration, and helped establish the Florida Research Development Alliance (FloRDA) to strengthen partnerships between universities across the state. 

Before coming to KSU, Dr. Scarpinato served as Senior Associate Vice President for Research at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where she played a key role in successfully advancing the university’s research standing. She has also held leadership positions at the University of Miami, Georgia Southern University, and Wake Forest University, always focusing on creating opportunities for faculty, students, and communities to engage in meaningful research that makes a difference. 

A scientist by training, Dr. Scarpinato’s background is in molecular genetics and cancer research, where she studied how DNA repairs itself and how this knowledge could improve cancer treatments. Today, she applies her expertise to helping universities grow their research impact, using data-driven approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

Dr. Scarpinato is also an entrepreneur, co-founding two start-up companies focused on teamwork, communication, and research project management. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, bringing business-minded strategies to improve research operations. 

Above all, Dr. Scarpinato is passionate about bringing people together to solve big challenges. She believes that research and education should not only advance knowledge but also serve the greater good—whether through medical discoveries, environmental sustainability, or fostering the next generation of innovators. 

Dylan Goldblatt is a linguist, tinkerer, and artificial intelligence whisperer with a passion for advancing public goods, public missions, and the public interest. Educated entirely in Virginia’s public schools, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and his B.A. from William & Mary. He thrives on invigorating conversations, deep inquiry, and exploring the future of human and machine intelligence. His favorite pursuit is achieving preternatural velocity in his endeavors.

I’m a passionate learner, educator, and innovator working at the intersection of research, technology, and transformation in higher education. With deep expertise in qualitative research and a passion for making methodology accessible and actionable, my work bridges theory and practice to empower the next generation of change agents.

My journey began at the Intelligent & Cooperative Systems Research Group at the University of Valladolid, Spain, where I earned my Ph.D. in Educational Technology while collaborating with engineers, computer scientists, and educators to develop innovative tools supporting the full lifecycle of collaborative learning environments. A two-year Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign expanded my vision of transdisciplinary research, which led to the founding of the Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Education (CETIE) in 2009. 

Since joining Kennesaw State University in 2014, I’ve continued building learning ecosystems that blend innovation, scholarship, and practice. I developed the Hopscotch Model — a dynamic theoretical framework and webtool designed to help emerging researchers craft rigorous, well-informed research designs. This work led to the creation of the Interactive Research Methods Lab (IRML) in 2019, an immersive learning space where students engage deeply with research design through hands-on, personalized guidance. 

More recently, in collaboration with my colleagues at the IRML, I co-developed the AP Research Toolkit — a comprehensive set of instructional strategies and resources designed to support high school students in conducting advanced research. The toolkit empowers young scholars to build strong, well-structured research designs and engage confidently with higher-level inquiry.

My mission is to unbind traditional research education — making it more human, creative, and transformative for learners at every level who are ready to challenge the status quo and reimagine what research can do.