Mitchel Resnick

Mitchel Resnick (born June 12, 1956) is an American computer scientist. He is the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, and is the founder of Scratch. , Resnick serves as head of the Media Arts and Sciences academic program, which grants master's degrees and Ph.D.s at the MIT Media Lab.

Resnick's research group has developed a variety of educational tools that engage people in new types of design activities and learning experiences, including the Programmable Bricks that were the basis for the Lego Mindstorms and StarLogo software. He cofounded the Computer Clubhouse, a network of learning centers for youth from under-served communities. Resnick is also a cofounder and a co-principal investigator of the Center for Civic Media at MIT. Resnick is also involved in the next generation of Programmable Bricks, and the One Laptop per Child project which designed the OLPC XO ($100 laptop).

Education Resnick, a graduate of Haverford High School, earned a B.A. in physics at Princeton University (1978), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science at MIT (1988, 1992).

Career He worked for five years as a science–technology journalist for Business Week magazine, and he has consulted widely on the uses of computers in education. Resnick was awarded a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award in 1993. He has collaborated extensively with researchers such as Natalie Rusk, Brian Silverman, and Yasmin Kafai.

Awards Resnick is a winner of the 2011 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. He has been listed as one of the 100 most creative people in Business 2011 by Fast Company. In 2025, he was awarded the SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education.

Published books