Dr. Joseph Piro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. He also serves on the doctoral faculty in the program for Interdisciplinary Educational Studies where he teaches courses in psychology and education policy. Prior to this, he served with the New York City Department of Education in a variety of capacities including classroom teaching and coordinating district-wide gifted and cultural arts programs. His research agenda has centered on neuroscience and education, specifically the role of the arts on brain development and plasticity, as well as conceptions of intelligence and how these conceptions are accommodated in contemporary urban classroom settings. He is also interested in examining issues such as intelligence testing, tracking and ability grouping, and effective curriculum development for gifted and talented learners.

In neuroscience and education, his research includes the examination of handedness in special needs populations and how teachers can apply this information to create more comprehensive and correct student learning profiles. He is also interested in the intersection of research findings in neuroscience to global policy issues that relate to education practice, technology, and the arts. He has received fellowships and awards from the Japan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Gilder-Lehrman Foundation, the Getty Center and the Fulbright organization to develop curriculum and teacher training projects in the humanities and social sciences.