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Lynn A. Fontana, Ph.D.

Chief Academic Officer
Sylvan Learning

Dr. Lynn Fontana has been actively involved in educational research and development for more than 25 years. As the Chief Academic Officer for Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, Dr. Fontana is responsible for the development of all the academic programs used in the Sylvan Learning network, including the research base of the programs, the curriculum, and the training.

Previously, as Vice President of Education and Chief Academic Officer for Education Station, a leading provider of remedial and supplemental education for students, she led a team that created and implemented research-based programs to address the needs of at-risk students. The programs included intensive reading and math curricula, standardized criterion-based assessments, web-based instructor training, and ongoing research and evaluation to demonstrate the impact of the programs on student academic gains.

Prior to coming to Education Station and its legacy company (Sylvan Education Solutions) in 2003, Dr. Fontana was the Executive Vice President and Chief Education Officer for Nobel Learning Communities, Inc. Nobel operates a network of private schools nationwide that serves students pre-k to high schools and students with learning challenges. Her responsibilities at Nobel required her to apply her research and development skills to strategic planning, program development, teacher training, student assessment, and program evaluation.

From 1990-1997, she was a research associate professor at George Mason University (GMU) where she directed the development of several media and technology projects, including the Multimedia and Thinking Skills Project (MMTS.) The MMTS project created patented instructional software that teaches thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Sponsors of Dr. Fontana’s research and development work include the National Science Foundation (NSF), Bell Atlantic Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). In addition, she served as an advisor to the University’s Provost on distance education, chaired the university-wide distance education task force, and secured funding for the Bell Atlantic Distance Education Project to design and implement workshops on distance education for local faculty. Dr. Fontana also taught graduate courses on managing distance education for the school of education at GMU.

Prior to joining the research faculty at George Mason University, Dr. Fontana was Vice President for Educational Activities at WETA. She received an Ohio State Award for Excellence in Instructional Programming as the executive producer of the elementary reading series entitled Books from Cover to Cover. At WETA, she was responsible for expanding the educational activities department to better serve the educational community through its production, publishing, and marketing efforts.

Dr. Fontana has a BA from Juniata College and a Ph.D. in education from Indiana University. She taught high school for eight years in public schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. From 1994 through 1997, Dr. Fontana was Vice President of the National History Day Board of Trustees on which she has served since 1990. She also served on World Book Encyclopedia's editorial advisory committee and has been a proposal reviewer or consultant for the U.S. Department of Education, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, World Bank, American Foreign Service Association, Academy for Educational Development, U.S.-Japan Foundation, and Educational Film Center.

For more information, contact:

Jennifer Gaegler, Sylvan Learning
(410) 843-8928
jennifer.gaegler@sylvanlearning.com