na2ure: our team

  • Alex Wolf

    na2ure

    Alex is a RISD artist /designer/inventor, who created the patternABC, along with other visual systems for understanding spatial relations and how nature grows, which are used from preschool (UNICEF) to PhD and AI (NASA). She co-chairs the Natural Systems Working Group at INCOSE, is an external collaborator at NASA, and wrote a chapter in the first textbook on Biomimicry.

  • Vijal Parikh

    NYC Health + Hospitals

    Vijal is a psychiatrist with a private practice who consults for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in New York City. As a fellow of the Columbia Public Psychiatry Fellowship, he works in public-sector mental health, which has its roots in poor programs for children. As co-founder of na2ure, he is dedicated to solutions that promote children’s healthy learning.

  • Research Partners

    We have collaborated with Northwestern University, the University of Delaware, and Temple University to study how our games can grow young minds that need inspiration from the world around us.

  • Roberta Golinkoff

    University of Delaware

    >>Child's Play Lab, University of Delaware

    Roberta studies children’s spatial learning, language development, and playful learning. Author of hundreds of research articles and 16 books, she is committed to sharing the science of education and development. Playful Learning Landscapes, her latest project, marries architectural design and the science of learning. Her latest book, Becoming Brilliant, reached the New York Times best-seller list.

  • Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

    Temple University

    >>Kathy Hirsh Pasek website

    Kathy is a Professor of Psychology at Temple University, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and was declared a “scientific entrepreneur” from the American Association of Psychology. Writing 16 books and 250+ publications. Her newest initiative Playful Learning Landscapes re-imagines cities and public squares as places with science infused designs that enhance academic and social opportunities.

  • David Uttal

    Northwestern University
    >>Spatial Cognition and Intelligence Center (SILC) at Northwestern University

    David’s research focuses on spatial thinking and development. He has been awarded the George Miller Award from the American Psychological Association for the Best Paper of the Year (2014) in Psychology. He has also served as President of the Cognitive Development Society and directs the Spatial Cognition & Intelligence Center (SILC) at Northwestern.