Our Team
Experienced leaders dedicated to transforming education R&D
Dr. Melina Uncapher
Dr. Melina Uncapher is the founder and CEO of SETA-ED, and a former university professor of educational neuroscience, most recently with labs at Stanford and UC San Francisco. She was a co-founder and Chief of R&D of AERDF, one of the premier education R&D nonprofits in the US. Uncapher has over two decades of experience in scientific research, technology development and engineering, data science, and data privacy and security. She brings together educators, researchers, and developers to co-create transformative solutions to problems of practice using rigorous science-of-learning insights and the wisdom of educators. Her academic publications have been cited over 4000 times, and are highlighted in outlets including the New York Times, PBS, and Frontline; her science outreach work includes a Script Supervisor role on PBS's ‘The Brain’, and an award-winning short film about the brain. She founded a multi-university network funded by the National Science Foundation to study how executive function skills develop in real-world classrooms and co-founded a science-for-good nonprofit that equips educators and students with practical tools based on learning science. She was also funded by the National Institutes for Health to study how technology use is associated with developmental changes in student cognition. She earned her PhD in Neurobiology from the University of California, Irvine and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford University.
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Ivy Sandberg
Ivy Sandberg is SETA-ED’s Chief Operating Officer and Engineering Program Manager. With a background in data science and dual degrees in Statistics and Economics, she has supported AI/ML program evaluation efforts for DARPA and other R&D initiatives across the Department of Defense and education sectors. She leads Engineering Program Management for complex research programs, aligning technical development, evaluation design, compliance requirements, and operational risk management to ensure disciplined execution from concept through implementation. Recognizing the growing complexity of data governance in research settings and need for Privacy Engineering, Ivy focuses on integrating privacy, security, and ethical frameworks directly into technical systems. Her work bridges policy and engineering—translating regulatory and ethical requirements into automated, scalable infrastructure that supports responsible data science. She is particularly committed to advancing secure and ethical R&D practices in domains that work with sensitive data, including education, healthcare, and defense. As COO, she oversees SETA-ED’s operational strategy and internal infrastructure, building the systems that support sustainable, ethically grounded research and engineering.
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Eric Whyne
Eric Whyne is the Founder, President, and Chief Innovation Officer of Data Machines, a technology company specializing in AI, cloud, data analytics, defensive cyber, and software engineering for national security and commercial clients. A United States Marine Corps veteran, Eric holds a B.S. in Computer Science and a Master's in Information and Data Science. He brings a mission-first mindset and disciplined leadership to building a team of technologists focused on solving hard problems with practical, cutting-edge solutions.
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Dr. Yun-En Liu
Dr. Yun-En Liu is a researcher specializing in data science and machine learning for educational technology. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Washington. Yun-En is interested in using computers in innovative ways to teach both students and adults, including less traditionally academic skills. He has helped design, build, and analyze software or games that teach fractions, algebra, executive function, visual cognition, and engineering mindset. In his spare time, he both learns and coaches a variety of hobbies, including cooking, circus, theater, music, and grappling..
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Amelia Vance
Amelia Vance, a globally recognized expert in child and student privacy, is the Founder and President of the Public Interest Privacy Center, and Chief Counsel of the Student and Child Privacy Center at AASA, the School Superintendents Association. In that capacity, she advises nonprofit organizations, policymakers, government agencies, and education practitioners and stakeholders on legal protections and actionable best practices to ensure the responsible use of child and student data. Amelia is also the co-chair of the Federal Education Privacy Coalition and an adjunct professor teaching U.S. and E.U. privacy and data protection at William & Mary Law School. She has authored multiple resources on student and child privacy.
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Jessica Arciniega
Jessica Arciniega is Ethics and Privacy Counsel at Public Interest Privacy Center. She has five years of experience working in child and student privacy. She is a member of the Washington State Bar and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Seattle University and Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law.
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Bill Fitzgerald
Bill Fitzgerald is a Privacy and Security Advisor for SETA-ED and a founding member of the team. He is the Founding Partner of Machine Go Beep, a technology consultancy. Bill was the Director of Research and Development for AERDF, and a privacy researcher in the Digital Lab at Consumer Reports, where he designed research frameworks and built tools to simplify and streamline privacy and security research and reporting. Bill's first job was a K12 teacher and technology director, where he taught students English, History, and Technology. Bill planned and supported 1:1 laptop initiatives in the late nineties and early aughts. Because of this work, Bill was able to observe and develop innovative uses of technology in his own classes with students who were not shy about providing direct feedback about what worked and what didn't. After teaching for 16 years, Bill founded an open source software development company that worked primarily with educational and non-profit organizations. His company supported organizations committed to building communities of learners, authoring and distributing openly licensed content, and respecting learner privacy. When Bill is not online, he can often be found grilling delicious food, drinking good coffee, or riding his bicycle.
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