Prof. Punya Mishra is currently the Director of Innovative Learning Futures, Learning Engineering Institute, and Professor at the Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching and Learning Innovation, and The Design School, Arizona State University (ASU), USA.

Prof. Mishra’s academic journey has been somewhat unconventional, with degrees in Electrical Engineering (BE – Hons. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India, in 1988), Visual Communication (Master of Design, Visual Communications, from IDC, IIT Bombay, in 1990), Mass Communications (MA in Mass Communications from Miami University, Oxford, OH, in 1992), and a PhD in Educational Psychology (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, in 1998), which has given him a unique perspective on educational innovation.

Apart from being the Director of Innovative Learning Futures at the Learning Engineering Institute and a Professor at the Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching and Learning Innovation at ASU, Prof. Mishra also holds an affiliate appointment in the Design School. His research interests span educational technology, creativity in learning, and design-based approaches to educational innovation—work that has been cited over 67,000 times, placing him among the top 2% of scientists worldwide. He has also had the opportunity to serve in leadership roles, including as the Associate Dean of Scholarship and Innovation at ASU and as the director of MSU’s award-winning Master of Arts in Educational Technology program.

Prof. Mishra has dedicated his career to researching and advancing the integration of technology in teaching, exploring the role of creativity and aesthetics in learning, and developing collaborative, design-based approaches to educational innovation. Over the years, he has had the privilege of working on various funded projects (totalling over $11 million), publishing research that has been widely cited, and receiving recognition, including the David H. Jonassen Excellence in Research Award. As an AERA Fellow and TED-Ed educator, he continues to learn and share ideas through co-hosting the Silver Lining for Learning and Learning Futures podcasts, engaging in public speaking, and collaborating with wonderful colleagues across the globe.

He has also been deeply involved in designing educational systems. He is most recognized for co developing the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, which has transformed teacher education and professional development globally. One of his proudest achievements was leading a diverse team of designers, working collaboratively with a local school district and community members to design an innovative school from the ground up. In this school, students engage with educators and experts in an open environment designed for creativity and collaboration, moving beyond traditional classroom arrangements.

Prof. Mishra approaches teaching as a designer, intentionally crafting transformative learning experiences for his students across undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. Another of his rewarding experiences was leading the MSU-Wipro Urban STEM fellowship program, where he worked closely with STEM educators in Chicago Public Schools over five years to reimagine science and mathematics education.

Personally, he is deeply proud to have co-hosted the award-winning webinar/podcast Silver Lining for Learning for the past five years, which has enabled him to engage with educators and educational innovators worldwide, helping to share their insights with a broader audience.

His long list of awards and accolades include:

–  Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (2024).
–  David H. Jonassen Excellence in Research Award from the Association of Educational Communications and Technology for a demonstrated long-term record of excellence in research in instructional design and technology (2024).
–  #62 in the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings (#11 in psychology). This recognizes the 200 university-based scholars who had the biggest influence on educational practice and policy (2025).
–  TED-Ed educator: Talk titled How to Design a School for the Future (2022).
–  William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award for comprehensive and sustained record of scholarly excellence in research and/or creative activities, instruction and outreach, Michigan State University (2016).
–  MSU Teacher Scholar Award (2004).
–  MSU College of Education’s Teaching Excellence Award (2006).
–  The AT&T-MSU Award for Instructional Technology (2008 & 2014).

Any other interesting fact about yourself that you may like to share:

–  I am fascinated by optical illusions and may have created the first impossible figure that is also an oscillation (essentially combining two kinds of optical illusions into one design).
–  For the past 16 years, our family has been creating short videos to welcome the new year. Each of these videos incorporates some typographical optical illusion.
–  I have been co-hosting an award winning webinar/podcast series, Silver Lining for Learning, for the past 5 years.
–  I have been blogging consistently for 17 years now!

Hobbies:  I am a visual artist who explores the intersection of typography, mathematics, and design through ambigrams, photography, visual design, and poetry. My passion lies in exploring the aesthetic possibilities through artworks that challenge perception through visual wordplay, optical illusions, and humour. My work has been featured in mathematics and design publications and was featured in an exhibition at the Michigan State University Museum.