Biography

Biography

Matthew T. Marino, Ph.D., is a professor of Exceptional Student Education at the University of Central Florida. His award-winning research on game-based learning, STEM education, executive function, universal design, and artificial intelligence has positively impacted thousands of students and their teachers across the United States. Dr. Marino is a Co-PI at the National Center on Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning where he leads Tech-Alliance partnerships with Idaho, Washington, and Maine. Collaborative efforts at these sites are transforming teacher education by enhancing teachers’ use of technology in their classrooms. Dr. Marino is the Principal Investigator for Inclusive Education Services, where he spearheads efforts to enhance workforce readiness and participation for young adults with intellectual disabilities. This involves helping students, communities, and employers identify workforce barriers along with their innovative solutions. Dr. Marino is currently recruiting Doctoral Scholars for the Special education teacher education Policy, Practice, and Research doctoral training Consortium (SPARC) project.

Areas of Expertise
  • Instructional Design for diverse populations
  • Universal Design for Learning
  • Executive function
  • Transition from school to work
Education
  • B.S. Animal Science, University of Connecticut
  • M.A. Education, Johnson State College, Vermont
  • Ph.D. Special Education, University of Connecticut

Research


Dr. Matthew Marino’s research, which has been supported in part by more than 17 million dollars in federal grants from the Institute of Education Sciences, the Office of Special Education Programs, and the National Science Foundation, focuses on the design and implementation of technology-enhanced STEM curricular materials. He conducted large-scale intervention research in 14 states with over 2000 students during the past decade. He is a technical reviewer for the National Science Foundation, a past reviewer for the Institute of Education Sciences, and a member of the leadership team for the Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network. He was a featured STEM research scientist by the Family Center on Technology and Disability and a 2017 winner of the Inspiring Leaders in STEM award.

Research Interests
  • STEM education
  • Universal Design for Learning
  • Educational video game development and testing
  • School to work transition
  • Teacher preparation
Research Center/Institute/Lab Affiliations
Faculty Cluster Initiatives
Current Funded Projects

Dr. Marino is a co-principal investigator on three currently funded projects:

Service


Dr. Marino is on the editorial review board for a number of special education, science, and technology journals. He is a technical reviewer for the National Science Foundation, a past reviewer for the Institute of Education Sciences. At the local level, he is a member of the School Advisory Council for a highly regarded STEM school of choice in Brevard County, FL. He also serves on several university committees and is the interim director of the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute.

Awards

  • UCF Luminary Award Winner (2024)
  • Promotion to Full Professor (2018)
  • Inspiring Leaders in STEM Award, presented by Insight into Diversity (2017)
  • Research Incentive Award, presented by the University of Central Florida (2017)
  • Video Games developed from IES and NSF funded projects featured as exemplar science learning games by the U.S. Department of Education in the publication “Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education” (p. 22) (2017)
  • Video Games developed from IES and NSF funded projects featured as exemplar science learning games in the U.S. Department of Education publication “Future Ready Learning” (p. 20) (2016)
  • iSTEM Fellow, University of Central Florida (2015)

Courses

  • EEX 4242: Teaching Exceptional Students in Secondary Settings
  • EEX 6065: Programming for Students with Disabilities at the Secondary Level (Secondary Methods)
  • EEX 7865: Internship in College Instruction
  • EEX 7527: Professional/Grant Writing in Special Education