John Harford is the Senior Director of Educational Technology and Media at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning at Yale University. He and his team are responsible for managing Panopto, known as the “Media Library” in Canvas, as well as other Canvas-integrated tools such as Zoom and Poll Everywhere. Focused on classroom-based instructional tools, his team collaborates with faculty and staff across the university to enhance teaching and learning.
Additionally, in partnership with ITS, the University Registrar’s Office, and Facilities, his team provides input and advocates for stakeholders in the area of classroom design. John also oversees the technical operations of the Poorvu Center located at 301 York Street in Sterling Memorial Library and Poorvu North located in Klein Tower, New Haven, CT.
John’s areas of interest include classroom design with a focus on accessibility, established and innovative classroom design standards, and data analytics to inform Yale’s ongoing implementation and support for classroom environments.
John has been at Yale since May 2014. Before Yale, John worked at Columbia Business School, focused on video production, and support of media tools in support of residential and online teaching and learning. John earned his Master of Arts in Instructional Technology and Media from Columbia University’s Teachers College and received his Bachelor of Art from the University of Massachusetts, where he studied English and Philosophy.