Stephen Harmon serves as the Executive Director of the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U), associate dean of Research in the College of Lifetime Learning, professor in the Georgia Tech College of Design, and managing director of GT Atrium, LLC. In these roles, he leads the invention, prototyping, validation, and implementation efforts associated with educational innovation and strategic planning for the future of higher education.

His previous position was professor and chair of the Learning Technologies Division in the College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University.

A global perspective marks Harmon's journey in the field of educational technology. After majoring in English literature at Furman University, he ventured to Upper Egypt to teach fourth-grade English for two years. His travels through the Middle East and Africa exposed him to the stark disparities in education and training resources in developing countries. This experience fueled his passion for educational technology, leading him to earn a master's and doctorate in instructional technology from the University of Georgia with a cognate in global policy studies.

Harmon’s research centers on educational uses of emerging technologies and has, over the last few years, focused on the changing dynamics of higher education, particularly with respect to AI and lifetime learning. He is a past president of the Association of Educational Communications and Technology. Harmon has over 200 professional publications and presentations and is a recipient of Georgia State University’s Innovative Instruction Award. He is also a joint recipient of the 2022 University Professional Continuing Education Association Research & Scholarship Award, the 2024 1EdTech Power Learner Potential Award, and the 2025 UPCEA Research and Scholarship Award.