About

I'm Dr. Akesha Horton, Director of Academic Engagement and Learning at Indiana University's Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. I lead teaching and learning across the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses: faculty development, AI integration, and the everyday craft of helping faculty teach well and students learn.

Four commitments run through everything I do. The learner owns the work. Interest is the engine. Equity is the first question. Evidence over vibes.

Much of my current work centers on AI in education. I lead AI integration and faculty development programming at the Luddy School, and my research and writing focus on generative AI in computing education, authentic assessment, and what responsible classroom AI use asks of faculty. I write about AI and teaching in my newsletter, 4 Degrees & Feelings: AI + Tea, and my published work includes a book chapter on AI-generated art in education.

I'm also a coach. I'm a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, with an ICF credential in progress, and I bring strengths-based coaching into faculty development, mentoring, and my independent practice, Achieving with Dr. A.

My path here spans more than fifteen years across eight institutions in two countries. I started as a K-12 mathematics teacher, then worked in online graduate program design and professional military education. As a Fulbright-mtvU fellow in Australia, I worked with hip-hop artists to develop educational programs for underrepresented youth, became a Google Certified Educator, and helped Macquarie University launch its online master's program in Indigenous Education.

I earned my Ph.D. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy from Michigan State University. I also hold a master's in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, a master's in Library and Information Science from the Luddy School in Indianapolis, and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from IU Northwest.