Splash Biography

AARON SCHERF, First year in the Master of Development Practice

Major: Development Practice (CNR)

College/Employer: UC Berkeley

Year of Graduation: G

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Aaron is a social entrepreneur, development economist, and data scientist currently enrolled in the Master of Development Practice program at UC Berkeley. He plans to work as a Foreign Service Officer with USAID after graduation in 2020 in order to improve the effectiveness and inclusivity of the federal government's foreign aid programs. When he is not studying or teaching, Aaron enjoys conducting research, reading science fiction, listening to local bands, and writing blog posts on issues such as migration, gender, and sexual orientation.

Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

O362: Advancing Equity and Excellence: Transforming Education Policy, Practice, and Reform in Splash Fall 18 (Nov. 04, 2018)

Through simulations and activities, students will learn about current issues in education research, teaching, policy, and reform. Students will also learn about cutting-edge research on adaptive equity-oriented practices conducted by the Design for Equity Lab. We will discuss how to address achievement gaps, opportunity gaps, access, and equity. By exposing students to multiple perspectives surrounding these issues, we hope students learn more about the root causes, institutions, and policies that perpetuate the current problems. We will further introduce and ask students to analyze various policies, teaching practices, organizations, and current ‘solutions’ through different viewpoints. Students will then work with the class to build upon the strengths and limitations of these approaches to reimagine public policy and improve the prospects for social change.