RALPH VACCA

Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development

Master Arts, May 2011

Educational Leadership, Politics and Advocacy

Bio and Resume (.pdf)

Ralph Vacca is committed to realizing a society with equitable access to quality learning experiences that empower people to become productive and self-actualized members of society.

At an early age, Ralph witnessed a disparity in education. Born in the South Bronx, he began his education in the public school system before transferring to Manhattan Country School, a private school dedicated to the mission of social justice. It was here that he began pondering how he could be part of providing a quality education for everyone.

Ralph graduated from Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY) where he majored in Entrepreneurship Management. Emerging as a winner of the 2003 Baruch Entrepreneurship Competition, he co-founded Kognito Interactive, whose mission is to provide cost-effective and quality hands-on learning experiences that empower individuals to develop their ability to understand, communicate, and manage others for the betterment of the organization and society.

Using a strong research background developed as a Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in SMET Scholar, Ralph leads a creative team in designing proprietary award-winning simulation and gaming technology that enables Kognito to provide quality training to front-line managers, teachers, students, and team leaders - those for whom coaching and traditional high-end learning experiences are not feasible, and as a result, are the receivers of ineffective didactic learning experiences.

Since 2003, Kognito has produced several award-winning simulations that have achieved a significant social impact. At-Risk, a simulation developed with the Mental Health Association of NYC and adopted by several colleges across the U.S., trains faculty on how to identify and refer students in mental distress. The Investigator helps safeguard employees by training HR managers on how to conduct workplace investigations, and is utilized by Starwood Hotels and Resorts to train HR managers across the globe.

In addition to serving as Chief Learning Architect at Kognito, Ralph has taught university e-learning and programming courses, participated as a mentor for the Baruch entrepreneurship competition, and spoken frequently to trade groups about the future of simulations in soft-skills training.

Ralph's vision is to build a school that utilizes technology in providing a cost-effective quality education to underserved populations, one that would serve as a thriving empirical example of the efficacy of technology supported experiential learning in the classroom.