EPOL Department - Student Spotlight

Greg is a doctoral student in Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a concentration in Philosophy of Education. He has over 20 years of experience as an artist, working primarily in theatre and film. For over a decade, he has taught various subjects in the arts and humanities at the college level, most recently serving as an Instructional Assistant Professor in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film at Illinois State University. He previously held the title of Associate Professor of Practice in Film at the University of Texas at El Paso and was a core member of the Acting for Film faculty at the New York Film Academy.

Among his broad theoretical interests, Greg is particularly fascinated by questions pertaining to ideology and the arts. If you let him, he’ll talk your ear off about narrative theory and the intersection of epistemology and ethics in artistic practice and pedagogy.

Advisors: Dr. Nicolas Tanchuk & Dr. Rebecca Taylor

Educational Background:

• Ph.D. in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (Concentration in Philosophy of Education) | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (expected, 2032)

• M.F.A. in Acting | University of California–Irvine (2012)

• B.A. in Philosophy | University of Chicago (2004)

• Website: gregbeam.net

Ashish Gaur is a research scholar in Philosophy of Education whose work focuses on developing ethical principles for AI tools in education. His experience as both a teacher and an EdTech product developer informs his interest in the ethics of technology in learning environments. His current research also explores themes such as educational freedom as attunement, pedagogical tact as the essence of teaching, and first-principle approaches to assumptions in educational technology design, using interpretive & qualitative methods.

Advisor: Dr. Nicolas Tanchuk

Expected Graduation: 2029

• Educational Background:

• Ph.D. in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership | Concentration: Philosophy of Education, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (In progress)

• Master of Arts in Education | Concentration: School Organization, Leadership and Management, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru

• Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technology | IGNOU, Delhi

• Bachelor of Science in Physics | University of Delhi

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashish-gaur-profile