Rate My Professor Brian Magerko

Brian Magerko is a Regents Professor of Digital Media, Director of Graduate Studies in Digital Media, and head of the Expressive Machinery Lab in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. He joined Georgia Tech in 2008 after serving as an Assistant Professor in Digital Games at Michigan State University. Magerko holds a B.S. in Cognitive Science from Carnegie Mellon University (1999), an M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan (2001), and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan (2006). His research explores the intersections of computation, cognition, and social and creative interactions between humans and artificial intelligence, with specializations in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computational media, computer science education, creativity and cognition, educational media, human-computer interaction, improvisation, interactive narrative, serious game design, cognitive architectures, intelligent agents, and music technology.

Magerko has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles on computational media, cognition, and learning. Key publications include 'What is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations' with Duri Long (CHI Conference, 2020) and 'Generative AI Literacy: A Comprehensive Framework for Literacy and Responsible Use' with Chengzhi Zhang (2025). He co-founded EarSketch, a web-based music programming environment for computer science education that has reached over 1.5 million learners worldwide. As research lead on more than $15 million in federally funded projects, including a $1.7 million National Science Foundation grant in 2022 for AI literacy initiatives, his work has influenced computational creativity and AI education. Magerko's computational media artifacts, such as interactive installations, have been exhibited internationally in galleries and museums, with coverage in outlets including The New Yorker, USA Today, CNN, NPR, and Yahoo! Finance. He has received Regents' distinctions from the University System of Georgia and other honors for research impact.