In 1998, he began development of the virtual lab with Donovan Lange, who was then an undergraduate student in computer science. Donovan has since moved to Microsoft, where he is a software design engineer. Michael Karabinos joined the project in 2000 and oversees curriculum development and community support for the ChemCollective. Also in 2000, Gaea Leinhardt, a professor of education at the University of Pittsburgh, began working on the design and implementation of studies on how students learn with the virtual lab and the other online resources in the ChemCollective. In 2006, the ChemCollective began collaborating with James Greeno on analysis of what makes certain chemistry concepts particularly challenging to learn and on instructional approaches that can help students reach better understandings. James is also a professor of education at the University of Pittsburgh.