Bio

Dr. Pooneh Lari is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at NC State University, where she serves as the Program Coordinator for the Master of Education in Training and Development. She brings more than 18 years of experience in higher education, instructional design, adult learning, and workforce development. Her professional background includes work as a faculty member, instructional designer, program evaluator, and training and change management consultant across higher education, corporate, and nonprofit settings. Her teaching and professional interests focus on connecting learning with practice, particularly through experiential learning, instructional design, program evaluation, and workforce development.

Dr. Lari is particularly interested in creating meaningful learning experiences that prepare adult learners for the challenges of today’s workplace. She incorporates real-world projects and industry partnerships into her teaching, providing students with opportunities to apply what they learn while developing the professional skills needed to succeed in their fields.

Her scholarly interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, course quality and instructional design, workforce development, and the alignment of academic programs with professional and industry needs. She is also actively involved in faculty and student mentoring, program development, and professional service, including leadership roles within the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). Through her teaching, leadership, and service, Dr. Lari is committed to supporting adult learners, strengthening connections between higher education and the workplace, and creating opportunities for meaningful professional growth.

Area(s) of Expertise

Dr. Lari’s scholarly and professional interests focus on adult learning, workforce development, instructional design, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her work explores ways to connect theory with practice, improve the quality and effectiveness of learning experiences, and strengthen connections between higher education and industry. She is particularly interested in experiential and client-based learning, curriculum and program improvement, faculty development, and preparing adult learners for professional growth.

Areas of Expertise

Adult Learning and Adult Education
Training, Talent Development, and Workforce Development
Instructional Design and Learning Technologies
Curriculum Development, Course Quality, and Online Learning
Needs Assessment, Program Evaluation, and Learning Assessment
Organizational Learning, Performance Improvement, and Change Management
Higher Education Leadership and Academic Program Development
Experiential Learning and Higher Education-Industry Partnerships
Faculty Development, Mentoring, and Professional Learning
Consulting and Organizational Development
Human Resource Development and Leadership Development
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and Applied Educational Research