Ryan Watkins Bios
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One-Line Bio
Ryan Watkins is a professor at George Washington University whose work focuses on trustworthy AI, human-technology collaboration, educational technology, and useful results.
Under 100 Words
Ryan Watkins, Ph.D., is a professor in Educational Technology Leadership at George Washington University, program director for the Human-Technology Collaboration Ph.D. program, and associate director of GW Trustworthy AI. His work focuses on trustworthy AI, human-technology collaboration, educational technology, and how people and organizations define and achieve useful results. He has published extensively on needs assessment, performance improvement, online learning, and the ethical use of large language models in research and teaching workflows.
Under 500 Words
Ryan Watkins, Ph.D., is a professor in Educational Technology Leadership at George Washington University, program director for the Human-Technology Collaboration Ph.D. program, and associate director of GW Trustworthy AI. His scholarship and applied work focus on trustworthy AI, human-technology collaboration, educational technology, needs assessment, performance improvement, and the design of systems that help people and organizations achieve useful results.
Dr. Watkins has written and collaborated on publications addressing the ethical use of large language models in scientific research workflows, needs-aware artificial intelligence, AI’s influence on human creative agency, and the relationship between human needs and AI. His broader body of work includes books, guides, journal articles, book chapters, and practical tools for needs assessment, performance improvement, online learning, knowledge exchange, and educational technology.
He has contributed to open educational and development resources including Teaching and Learning with Jupyter, A Guide to Assessing Needs, and multiple World Bank knowledge exchange guides. He has also developed and supported research and learning platforms including We Share Science, We Share Research, PreprintScout, Code2Learn Tutorials, and a synthetic prediction markets platform for agent-based prediction market research.
At George Washington University, Dr. Watkins teaches and advises students in educational technology and human-technology collaboration. His current work emphasizes practical, ethical, and human-centered approaches to emerging technologies, especially AI systems used in education, research, and organizational decision-making.
Under 750 Words
Ryan Watkins, Ph.D., is a professor in Educational Technology Leadership at George Washington University, program director for the Human-Technology Collaboration Ph.D. program, and associate director of GW Trustworthy AI. His work focuses on trustworthy AI, human-technology collaboration, educational technology, needs assessment, performance improvement, and the design of systems that help people and organizations define and achieve useful results.
Dr. Watkins has spent his career working across education, technology, organizational performance, and evaluation. His current scholarship addresses the ethical and practical implications of artificial intelligence, including the use of large language models in scientific research workflows, AI’s influence on human creative agency, needs-aware artificial intelligence, and the relationship between human needs and AI systems. He is especially interested in how people, institutions, and technologies interact when making decisions, designing learning environments, and evaluating whether systems are producing meaningful outcomes.
His broader publication record includes books, journal articles, book chapters, guides, policy-oriented publications, and applied tools. He has written extensively on needs assessment, performance improvement, distance education, e-learning readiness, knowledge exchange, strategic planning, and human performance technology. His books and guides include A Guide to Assessing Needs, multiple World Bank knowledge exchange guides, and contributions to Teaching and Learning with Jupyter. He has also contributed to practical resources for international development, research software education, and open educational practice.
In addition to his writing and teaching, Dr. Watkins has developed and supported technology projects for research, learning, and scholarly communication. These include We Share Science, We Share Research, PreprintScout, Code2Learn Tutorials, and a synthetic prediction markets platform for agent-based prediction market research. He also co-hosted and produced the Parsing Science podcast, which shared conversations about research across disciplines.
At George Washington University, Dr. Watkins teaches graduate courses and advises students in educational technology, instructional design, human-technology collaboration, research methods, and related areas. He previously served as interim associate dean of research and has contributed to university, school, department, and professional service throughout his career. His work is grounded in the practical question of how technology, learning, and organizational systems can be designed and evaluated in ways that are ethically defensible, useful, and responsive to human needs.
Preferred Affiliation
Professor, Educational Technology Leadership
Program Director, Human-Technology Collaboration Ph.D.
Associate Director, GW Trustworthy AI
George Washington University