Alexandra Spichtig, Ph.D.
Cofounder and CEO, Principal Investigator
Dr. Spichtig is a researcher and literacy assessment and instruction expert specializing in eye movements, visual skills, and reading efficiency. Her landmark study on the 50-year decline of silent reading efficiency was published in Reading Research Quarterly, and her broader work—including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and international presentations (ILA, SSSR, ECEM, AERA, LRA)—has advanced scientific understanding of how visual skills, visual processing, and reading efficiency influence literacy development. As former Chief Research Officer at Reading Plus, she co-authored patented instructional methodologies and led the design of one of the first widely adopted web-based adaptive assessments measuring comprehension-based silent reading rate. She began her career as an elementary school teacher. Her expertise bridges literacy pedagogy, classroom experience, vision science, learning engineering, scalable digital assessment and visual and reading efficiency instruction.
John Ferrara, M.Ed.
Chief Research Officer
John specializes in data systems, assessment design, and visual skills research, leading all aspects of the research lifecycle from study design through dissemination. He played a central role in designing Vermont’s first statewide K–12 education data warehouse and implementing the state’s assessment and accountability systems. At Reading Plus, he refined adaptive assessments, established reading efficiency norms, and led efficacy studies for large-scale literacy programs. His research on reading efficiency, eye movements, and visual skills has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at SSSR, LRA, and ECEM.
Reinhold Lange, B.A.
Head of Product
Reinhold is a senior education technology product leader with more than two decades of experience building and scaling digital learning platforms serving millions of students and educators. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Product at Discovery Education and DreamBox Learning, as well as Chief Product Officer at Reading Plus, shaping product strategy for enterprise-scale K–12 literacy and math platforms. His track record includes award-winning, research-aligned tools used daily in classrooms nationwide. He brings deep expertise in product strategy, user-centered design, and education market dynamics.
Andrew Heuneman, B.S.
Chief Technology Officer
Andrew is a technology leader with more than 20 years of experience in software engineering, cloud architecture, and secure systems design. He leads the foundation’s technical strategy and development of scalable digital platforms supporting AI-enabled assessment and research. Previously, he held engineering leadership roles at DreamBox Learning and Reading Plus, architecting high-availability cloud systems for large-scale literacy platforms. His expertise spans cloud engineering (AWS, GCP), production-grade data pipelines, and secure API design.
Eric Waite, B.S.
Lead Engineer
Eric has more than 20 years of experience designing and scaling secure, high-performance education technology platforms. He previously held senior engineering roles at Discovery Education, DreamBox Learning, and Reading Plus, leading cross-functional teams through platform modernization supporting digital learning systems used by millions of students. He brings extensive experience integrating research-driven features into production environments—a critical capability for translating AI models and assessment tools into classroom-ready platforms.
Elias Tousley, B.A.
Senior Research & Data Systems Engineer
Elias specializes in educational measurement, assessment validation, and large-scale data analysis, with a focus on designing and evaluating digital literacy assessments for reliability, validity, and instructional relevance. He has contributed to peer-reviewed research on reading proficiency, developmental spelling, and eye-movement-based measures of reading efficiency. His expertise spans statistical modeling, database architecture, and the integration of research instrumentation within scalable digital platforms.
Chandler Escude, B.S.
Senior Software Engineer
Chandler supports the foundation’s AI-enabled assessment and research platforms, focusing on secure, scalable data pipelines for visual skills measurement, reading efficiency analytics, and longitudinal research data integration. He contributes to AI model integration in production systems while maintaining standards for data privacy and security.
Kerry Mescallado, M.A.
Editorial Director
Kerry is a K–12 literacy and curriculum specialist with more than a decade of experience in educational publishing and instructional design. She has written and overseen the development of grade-appropriate content, leveled texts and text-dependent comprehension tasks for nationally used platforms including Reading Plus, DreamBox Learning, and Discovery Education, including decodable texts for emergent readers. She brings expertise in major readability frameworks (Lexile, ATOS) and directs content strategy ensuring that assessments and instructional materials are research-aligned, developmentally appropriate, and classroom-ready.
Carl Severance, B.A.
Senior Graphic Designer & Multimedia Manager
Carl leads visual design and multimedia strategy for the foundation’s literacy and visual skills initiatives. With more than two decades of experience in digital media and instructional design, he specializes in translating complex educational concepts into intuitive, accessible user experiences. His expertise in inclusive design ensures that classroom-facing tools are engaging and accessible across diverse learner populations.
Nancy Brower, J.D.
Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel
Nancy oversees strategy, operations, legal compliance, and budgeting while actively contributing to the foundation’s research program. She is a co-author of peer-reviewed research on visual skills and reading achievement presented at SSSR and ECEM, and has helped advance large-scale eye-movement and reading efficiency studies. She holds a B.S. in Accounting (magna cum laude) and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina (Order of the Coif). A former law firm partner with experience in tax-exempt organizations, she brings expertise in nonprofit governance, regulatory compliance, and responsible program scaling.
David Goddy, M.S.
Senior Advisor
David brings deep expertise in literacy innovation, educational product development, large-scale implementation, and results-driven outreach to educators. As a former senior executive at Scholastic, he led strategic turnarounds across multiple education divisions and oversaw national expansion of major literacy technology initiatives, including the widely adopted READ 180 intervention suite. He served as Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Scholastic’s magazine division and led educator-facing digital platforms supporting millions of teachers. He has extensive experience translating research-driven concepts into scalable, market-ready literacy solutions for K-12 classrooms, schools and districts.
Sarah Hoerr, B.A.
Project Manager
Sarah Hoerr is a seasoned project manager with more than 12 years of experience leading research and instructional initiatives in education technology. She has supported educators nationwide through roles at Reading Plus and DreamBox Learning, delivering professional development, webinars, and instructional coaching aligned with data-informed literacy practices. Sarah has contributed to the development and refinement of tools designed to improve student outcomes at scale. At the Stanford Taylor Foundation, she coordinates multi-site education and research initiatives focused on visual skill development and its relationship to reading and academic performance, ensuring effective implementation and strong alignment between research and classroom practice.