Donald J. Jacobs, Ph.D.
A thirty-two year education veteran, PLS 3rd Learning Chief Executive Officer Donald J. Jacobs, Ph.D. is the founder of the award-winning Center for Applied Technologies in Education (CATE) at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, where his team designed and implemented numerous educational technology projects for K-12 schools across the world.
One of the founding members of the original 3rd Learning team, his work includes projects and planning initiatives with educational organizations and ministries of education in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Oman, Panama, Poland, Tanzania, and numerous other schools across the world.
For the past 12 years, he has collaborated with renown primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall in the design and development of environmental and education initiatives in various countries in Africa, Central America, and Europe.
Education
- Ph.D., Educational Organization, Administration and Policy, University at Buffalo
- M.S., Instructional Systems Design, University at Buffalo
- B.S., Education, SUNY College at Buffalo
- Arts, language and history coursework, University of Siena, Italy
Affiliations
Current Boards:
- The Park School of Buffalo
- PLS 3rd Learning
Previous Boards:
- Executive Board of Directors, Jane Goodall Institute, USA
- Board of Directors, Jane Goodall Institute Global Advisory
- Board of Directors, Teachers Without Borders
- Board of Directors, Computers for Children
- Board of Directors, Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Professional Highlights
- Business First’s Buffalo 612 C-Suite Award, 2012
- University at Buffalo Innovator Award, 2007
- University at Buffalo Entrepreneurial Award, 2007
- University at Buffalo Innovator Award, 2006
- Top 100 Researchers at the University at Buffalo, 2006
- Co-Chair of New York State Board of Regents’ Technology Policy and Practices Council, 2004-2008
- InfoTech Niagara’s Beta Award for Best Technologies in Education, 2002
- National Golden Ring for Best Educational DVD, 2002
- Friend of Educational Opportunity Center Award, 2000
- Honored with a school building dedication by Costa Rica-USA Foundation for distance learning work in Costa Rica, 2000
- Honored by Vice President Al Gore, Connecting All Americans for the 21st Century Conference, 1998
- Designed and built first video conference-based distance learning network in Central America (Costa Rica), 1997
- Consultant to education organizations in Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Oman, Panama, Russia, Tanzania and Turkey