Dr. Thomas (“Tom”) Penniston is DoIT’s Coordinator of Learning Analytics and an Affiliate Assistant Professor in UMBC’s Department of Education. His work focuses on leveraging learning analytics, AI-informed interventions, and course-level evidence to improve student learning, engagement, persistence, and success in higher education.
Tom has worked in education for more than two decades across domestic and international contexts, including service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova and as a 2025–2026 Fulbright U.S. Scholar at the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin, Croatia. His recent scholarship and presentations have explored AI-supported nudging, learning design, student metacognition, and the relationship between observed student behaviors and intentional course design.
Tom has co-authored book chapters and peer-reviewed publications and has presented at conferences including Learning Analytics & Knowledge (LAK), HCI International, EDUCAUSE, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and MIPRO. In 2026, he participated in the Learning Analytics & AI Executive Leadership Academy associated with LAK26.
Tom earned his PhD through UMBC’s Language, Literacy, and Culture program and has extensive experience with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research and evaluation design.