Attendees K - W

Project: Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3): The Modeling Institute
Affiliation/Institution: Arizona State University
Job Title/Position: Vice Provost for Technology and Innovation
About: Mr. Kazilek is involved with scientific data acquisition and presentation. He currently serves in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is the Associate Dean of Technology, Media and Communication. In this role he oversees technology integration for research and education, creative services, and public outreach. His primary research interest is in biological imaging. Since 1997 he has been involved with informal and formal educational outreach. He is the creator and developer of Ask A Biologist (askabiologist.asu.edu) and the co-developer of the Paper Project.

Project: Innovation Through Institutional Integration Projects: OASIS One-Stop Academic Student Integrated System
Affiliation/Institution: Johnson C Smith University
Job Title/Position: Program Administrator-HBCU-UP
About: Janice Kennedy-Sloan has served in a variety of positions in the higher education arena: Dean of Academics, Bishop State Community College , Vice-President of the N.C. Community College System (59 colleges), Vice-President of Student Affairs, Winston-Salem State University, and Presently Program Administrator of HBCU-UP at Johnson C Smith University.

Project: Catalyzing institutional change in STEM education at the University of Florida
Affiliation/Institution: University of Florida
Job Title/Position: Associate Director for Program Development
About: Nikki Kernaghan is Associate Director for Program Development in the International Center at the University of Florida (UF). She holds a Ph.D. in science education from UF and focuses on internationalization of the STEM disciplines. Dr. Kernaghan has more than 10 years' experience working in international education and has served as manager for projects funded by various federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department and USAID. Currently Dr. Kernaghan is a Co-PI for the NSF Innovations in Institutional Integration (I-Cubed) project at UF. In addition, Dr. Kernaghan has coordinated and implemented program evaluation for projects funded by the US State Department and the US Department of Education.

Project: Aaniiih-Nakoda Environmental Excellence Center
Affiliation/Institution: Aaniiih Nakoda College
Job Title/Position: Instructor
About: Dan Kinsey: Instructor and USDA Project Director at Aaniiih Nakoda College located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. Teach Biology courses in the Integrated Environmental Science/Natural Resources and Allied Health Programs. Participate in research projects on West Nile Virus funded by MSU INBRE/NIH, Health of the Milk River Project funded by USDA, and Infectious Disease Ecology funded Carroll College/HHMI.

Project: A Sustainable Energy Concepts PD Model for Rural Schools and Its Extension to a Systemic Approach for Integrating STEM Research and Education
Affiliation/Institution: Purdue University
Job Title/Position: Project Coordinator
About: With 25 years of experience in PK-12 education, Lisa now works with Purdue University faculty and staff to coordinate and manage educational projects in the Discovery Learning Research Center, provide expertise in K-12 education, and interface with K-12 educational institutions throughout the state. She has prepared and delivered 14 educational presentations to teachers since 2000 covering subjects of infusing rural high school science curricula with cutting edge research, how the brain learns, active learning and the importance of feedback, developing a system-wide initiative using NSDC standards, curriculum implementation using the RPLIM model, impact of professional development on rural STEM teachers' self-efficacy, and teaching science in rural schools.

Project: Institutionalizing the IGERT Innovations at Rutgers
Affiliation/Institution: Rutgers University
Job Title/Position: Distinguished Professor, Dept of Psychology; Associate Dean Graduate School
About: Eileen Kowler is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, and Associate Dean in the Graduate School. Her research is in the areas of perception, attention and motor control. Kowler has been active in creating and implementing new educational activities for graduate students, including enrichment activities and opportunities for interdisciplinary training, particularly in areas that combine psychology and computer science. She is PI of the Rutgers IGERT, and co-PI of the REU site in Interdisciplinary Perceptual Science, as well as coPI of the Rutgers I3, which is focused on graduate education and graduate/undergraduate integration.

Project: Institutionalizing the IGERT Innovations at Rutgers
Affiliation/Institution: Rutgers University
Job Title/Position: Professor and Dean of the Graduate School
About: Dr. Jerome J. ("Jerry") Kukor is the Dean of the Graduate School at Rutgers University, and a Professor of Environmental Sciences in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, where he served for five years as Dean of Academic Programs. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and served on the research faculty at Michigan for 10 years prior to coming to Rutgers. Dr. Kukor's expertise is in environmental microbiology and microbial chemistry. His research, which has been funded by the NIH for the past 25 years, focuses on analysis of the determinants of biodegradability of xenobiotic compounds by microorganisms. He has authored more than 80 journal articles and book chapters and has mentored two dozen doctoral and masters students, a dozen postdoctoral scholars, and nearly 30 undergraduate honors students.

Project: Creating a Web Presence for the I3 Track
Affiliation/Institution: TERC
Job Title/Position: Research Associate
About: Jennifer Larese is a Research Associate with a background in chemistry and informal science. She has provided organizational, logistical, and communication support for this conference as well as for others hosted by the Center For School Reform at TERC.

Project: Tech to Teaching
Affiliation/Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Job Title/Position: Associate Vice Provost for Learning Excellence
About: Donna Crystal Llewellyn received her BA (major in Mathematics and minor in Economics) with High Honors from Swarthmore College in 1980. She went on to earn an MS in Operations Research from Stanford University in 1981 and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell University in 1984. Donna then studied in Bonn, West Germany with a National Science Foundation Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship while on leave from a tenure track position in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Institute of Technology. In July 1999, Donna became the Director of the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Georgia Tech, and in January 2012 she also became the Associate Vice Provost for Learning Excellence. Donna's current interests center around education issues in general, and on increasing the level of learner-centered engagement in STEM disciplines.

Project: Enhancing Global Research and Education in STEM at Spelman College (G-STEM)
Affiliation/Institution: Spelman College
Job Title/Position: Associate Professor
About: I currently serve as Co-PI for the NSF I-cubed grant "Enhancing Global Research and Education in STEM at Spelman College". I have been at Spelman College for 9 years, and am an Associate Professor of Psychology. My research interests focus on the neurobehavioral development of rhesus macaques. When I am not working, I can be found playing with my 3 year old, reading, and gardening.

Project: Evaluation, Integration and Institutionalization of Initiatives to Enhance STEM Student Success
Affiliation/Institution: University of Maryland Baltimore County
Job Title/Position: Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
About: Patrice McDermott serves as vice provost for faculty affairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Within that capacity, she oversees a wide range of institutional change projects including the Gates Foundation t-STEM Partnership, the NSF Innovation through Institutional Integration Grant and the ADVANCE Program. She also serves as senior scholar at AAC&U where she works on issues related to recruiting, advancing and retaining URM women faculty in STEM. Dr. McDermott received her Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland College Park.

Affiliation/Institution: Bureau of Common Sense
Job Title/Position: CEO
About: McEver is coeditor of a compendium on best practices in science museum exhibitions, "Are We There Yet?" Her background includes design of national demonstration projects for inner-city youth for DOL, the USOE, and the National Alliance of Business, as well as a series of pioneer projects on problem solving and educational leadership funded by the Carnegie Corporation. She is author of "The Strategy Notebook," a compendium of problem solving strategies, and a contributor to the how-to guide, "Making Meetings Work." Her current focus is on creative documentation of symposia for museum and education initiatives.

Project: Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3): The Modeling Institute
Affiliation/Institution: Arizona State University
Job Title/Position: Professor, Director
About: James A. Middleton is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University. Dr. Middleton is an international expert on mathematical thinking, teacher and student motivation in mathematics; and teacher change in mathematics. He has also written on effective uses of educational technology in mathematics and science education. He is currently studying the persistence and perseverance of engineering undergraduates, and factors that encourage and inhibit students pursuing engineering. In addition, he is designing support systems for engineering students, and examining statistical reasoning and learning. He teaches experimental statistics for mechanical and aerospace engineers, freshman design, and supervises capstone design projects.

Project: STEM Central STATION
Affiliation/Institution: Boise State University
Job Title/Position: Associate Professor, co-Director IDoTeach
About: Louis S. Nadelson is an associate professor in the College of Education at Boise State University, with a PhD in educational psychology from UNLV. His scholarly interests include all areas of STEM teaching and learning, inservice and preservice teacher professional development, program evaluation, multidisciplinary research, and conceptual change. Nadelson uses his over 20 years of high school and college math, science, and engineering teaching to frame his research on STEM teaching and learning. Nadelson brings a unique perspective of research, bridging experience with practice and theory to explore a range of interests in STEM teaching and learning.

Project: Center for Academic and Future Faculty Excellence (CAFFE)
Affiliation/Institution: Michigan State University
Job Title/Position: Associate Dean
About: Antonio A. Nunez received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Florida State University in 1977 and after postdoctoral work at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst he joined the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program of Michigan State University (MSU) where he holds the rank of Professor. At MSU, Dr. Nunez was Associate Chair and Graduate program Director for Psychology from 1997 to 1999 and then was appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in The Graduate School, which is his current position. He is the recipient of the MSU Teacher Scholar Award and the Distinguish Doctoral Graduate Award from Florida State University. He is also a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. Nunez' research is in the areas of behavioral neuroendocrinology and circadian rhythms.

Project: I3 Berkeley Science Connections Program
Affiliation/Institution: UC Berkeley
Job Title/Position: Director, Mathematical and Physical Diversity and Education Center
About: Colette Patt is the director of diversity programs in the mathematical and physical sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She directs the California Alliance (NSF-AGEP); Berkeley Science Network; BSN Scholarship Program (NSF--S-STEM); Berkeley Science Connections (NSF-I3,); Berkeley Edge Program. Dr. Patt received her doctorate in Social and Cultural Studies in the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on academic life and institutional change in higher education.

Project: FIRE UP (Faculty Integration, Research, and Engagement in Urban Polynesia)
Affiliation/Institution: Kapi`olani Community College, University of Hawaii
Job Title/Position: I-Cubed Coordinator/Instructor
About: I have been the I-Cubed coordinator on our campus for the past two years and teach Anatomy and Physiology.

Project: I3: Maximizing the Impact of STEM Outreach (MISO) through Data-Driven Decision-Making
Affiliation/Institution: North Carolina State University
Job Title/Position: Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Services
About: Dr. Jose Picart serves as the Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Services at North Carolina State University. He also serves as a Professor of Counselor Education in the College of Education and as the Executive Director of the Raleigh Promise, a nonprofit organization. Dr. Jose Picart completed his undergraduate degree at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Dr. Picart then served as a commissioned military officer for 28 years, rising through various command and staff positions to the rank of Colonel. He earned his Master of Science and Doctoral degree in Experimental Cognitive Psychology from the University of Oklahoma.

Project: STEM Central STATION
Affiliation/Institution: Boise State University
Job Title/Position: Director, STEM Station
About: Patricia Pyke is Director of the STEM Station at Boise State University and on the leadership teams for Boise State's Innovation through Institutional Integration project (DUE # 0963659) and WIDER PERSIST (DUE #1347830). Her research interests are integration of teaching and research, factors affecting undergraduate retention, and history of women in science and engineering. Pat earned a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and a master's degree in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley.

Affiliation/Institution: National Science Foundation
Job Title/Position: Program Director
About: John Rand is currently working at the National Science Foundation as a Program Director in the Education and Human Resources Directorate. He manages funded projects in TCUP, LSAMP and CREST. Prior to working for NSF, Dr. Rand was the Co-investigator and Project Director for the NSF “Innovation through Institutional Integration” (I-Cubed) Grant #: HRD 0833482.

Project: I3: The UCF Community Embraces the Knowledge-Based Economy
Affiliation/Institution: University of Central Florida
Job Title/Position: Assistant Vice President for Research
About: Debra Reinhart is the UCF Assistant Vice President for Research and Commercialization and Pegasus Professor at the University of Central Florida. She is an Associate Editor for the Waste Management Journal, a member of the Managing Board of the IWWG, and a member of the Environmental Research and Education Foundation board. In addition she is a member of the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. She is a registered professional engineer in Florida and Georgia, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She served from 2011-2013 as the Environmental Engineering Program Manager at the US National Science Foundation in Washington DC. Dr. Reinhart also served on the board of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers from 2004-2010 and was president of the organization in 2009.

Project: I3: Strengthening the Professoriate at Iowa State University (SPISU): A Campus Network to Enable Science & Diverse Communities
Affiliation/Institution: Iowa State University
Job Title/Position: Professor
About: Diane Rover is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. She serves as the faculty director for the SP@ISU Program and as the alliance director for the IINSPIRE LSAMP Alliance. She began her academic career at Michigan State University. She has served as an associate dean, associate department chair, and acting department chair. She is a Fellow of the ASEE, member of the IEEE Education Society Board of Governors, and an ABET commissioner.

Project: Catalyzing institutional change in STEM education at the University of Florida
Affiliation/Institution: University of Florida
Job Title/Position: Director, Program Development
About: My research interests are in the areas of community development, gender issues, natural resources management, and the links between agriculture, water and livelihoods. I have worked primarily in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, The Gambia, Botswana, South Africa and 17 other countries) and the Middle East (Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Syria). Recently completed programs are an NSF IGERT (AMW3) on water and watersheds in Florida and southern Africa and two USAID HED grants in southern Africa on curriculum reform in tourism and community based natural resources management. Ongoing projects include the USAID-funded Water and Livelihoods Initiative (www.icarda.org/wli) in eight Middle Eastern countries, a USDA-funded treated wastewater project in Tunisia, a USAID-MEAS project working with women's coops in Jordan and an NSF project for graduate student professional development (i3.institutes.ufl.edu).

Project: EBEE: Enhancing Bioscience and Engineering Education through Curriculum Integration and Research Experiences in Systems Biology
Affiliation/Institution: North Carolina A&T State University
Job Title/Position: Vice Provost
About: Sanjiv Sarin is professor of industrial and systems engineering and Vice Provost for Research, Graduate Programs and Extended Learning at North Carolina A&T State University. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Associate Dean for the College of Engineering. Dr. Sarin's teaching and research interests are in discrete optimization, collaborative logistics planning, and quality assurance. He is a senior member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina.

Project: The City Tech I-Cubed Incubator: Interdisciplinary Partnerships for Laboratory Integration
Affiliation/Institution: New York City College of Technology
Job Title/Position: I3 Program Manager and Project Coordinator of Integrated STEM Projects
About: Dr. Cinda Scott serves as the City Tech I3 Program Manager and oversees the college's effort to provide City Tech students with a more integrated, inquiry-based laboratory experience. Using an evidence-based approach, she works closely with faculty, students and administration to initiate and foster change in STEM laboratories. She works to establish relationships with industry partners and professionals to provide students with hands-on internship opportunities in STEM fields and is dedicated to using her scientific expertise to improve student learning experiences in STEM.

Project: I3: Strengthening the Professoriate at Iowa State University (SPISU): A Campus Network to Enable Science & Diverse Communities
Affiliation/Institution: Iowa State University
Job Title/Position: Professor
About: Mack Shelley is University Professor of Statistics, Political Science, and School of Education at Iowa State University. His research, teaching, and external funding focus on public policy, particularly in the field of STEM education. He has worked as a PI, co-PI, and evaluator on MSP, ITR, IUCRC, STEP, and IGERT projects, among others.

Project: Investigating Institutional Integration and Innovation in NSF's I-cubed Activity
Affiliation/Institution: NetForm
Job Title/Position: President/CEO
About: Pioneer in developing SNA metrics and best practices in business and research. PHD in Anthropology from Harvard. MA in Anthropology (mathematical modeling) from the University of Utah and B.A. from Austin College in Chemistry & Art at Austin College, Sherman, TX.

Affiliation/Institution: National Science Foundation
Job Title/Position: Program Director
About: Marilyn Suiter is a program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Her responsibilities are in (geo) science education and diversity issues as they are implemented in K-12, undergraduate, and graduate education. Marilyn's career has included positions as Director of Education and Human Resources at the American Geological Institute, and educator positions at American University and in the Philadelphia Public Schools. In addition to her wide-ranging interests and experience in geoscience education and workforce issues, she retains a special interest in activities in professional societies and has held offices in and is a fellow of the Association for Women Geoscientists, the Association for Women in Science, and the Geological Society of America. Suiter is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Project: Evaluation, Integration and Institutionalization of Initiatives to Enhance STEM Student Success
Affiliation/Institution: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Job Title/Position: Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs; Director of College Initiatives, CNMS
About: As the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at UMBC, I direct the five-year, NSF-funded iCubed@UMBC project, which is using multi-treatment randomized controlled trial methodology to study academic support interventions involving students in their first year of college who are pursuing STEM majors. I also work on a variety of college initiatives focused on science education, transfer student support, curricular alignment, teacher professional development, faculty enrichment, learning spaces, and new program development.

Project: Integration of Education and Mentoring Programs at Louisiana State University
Affiliation/Institution: Louisiana State University
Job Title/Position: Executive Director
About: Dr. Gloria Thomas serves as Executive Director of Research, Education and Mentoring in the Louisiana State University (LSU) Office of Strategic Initiatives. She received a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1996 from Southern University and A&M College and earned a doctorate in chemistry at LSU in 2002. Thomas was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (2002-2003) and an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Mississippi State University (2003-2007) and Xavier University of Louisiana (2007-2013).

Project: I3: A Cyberinfrastructure and Communication-Based Model to Foster Innovation that Broadens Participation in STEM Fields through Inst. Integration
Affiliation/Institution: University of Texas at El Paso
Job Title/Position: Interdisciplinary Network Manager
About: Andrea Tirres is the Interdisciplinary Network Manager within the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects at the University of Texas at El Paso. She is helping create a framework through which individuals, research teams, and centers are provided with strategic opportunities, tools, and knowledge to advance interdisciplinary research and activities. Tirres manages the Interdisciplinary Research Enhancement Program, is part of the Cyberinfrastructure Development and Support Team for UTEP's I3 grant, and serves as the Vice-Chair of UTEP's President's Advisory Committee on Campus Sustainability. She holds an M.P.Aff. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Project: Tech to Teaching
Affiliation/Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Job Title/Position: Associate Director, CEISMC
About: Marion Usselman is a Principal Research Scientist and Associate Director at Georgia Tech's Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC). She earned her Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Johns Hopkins University and has been with CEISMC since 1996 developing and managing university-K-12 educational partnership programs. She currently leads a team of educators and educational researchers exploring how to integrate STEM within authentic school contexts, researching the resultant student learning, and bringing lessons learned in K-12 to Georgia Tech.

Project: Building an Integrated Identification, Engagement and Assessment Infrastructure for STEM Enrichment Programs at Hunter College
Affiliation/Institution: Hunter College - City University of New York
Job Title/Position: Director of Undergraduate Research
About: Dr. Rachel Verni is Hunter's first Director of Undergraduate Research. In this position, Dr. Verni directs Hunter's Undergraduate Research Initiative, plans Hunter's annual Undergraduate Research Conference and oversees Hunter's NSF-funded Science Mathematics Opportunities Network (SciMON), which facilitates and supports undergraduate research opportunities within STEM-related disciplines. Dr. Verni received her graduate degree in psychology from The City University of New York Graduate Center in 2011.

Project: Integration of Education and Mentoring Programs at Louisiana State University
Affiliation/Institution: Louisiana State University
Job Title/Position: Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives
About: Professor Warner is an analytical chemist with more than 300 refereed publications in a variety of journals relevant to his general area of research. He has particular research expertise in the area of fluorescence spectroscopy, where his research has focused for more than 35 years. In addition to his fundamental research, he has developed strategies to encourage undergraduate and graduate students (particularly from underrepresented groups) to go on to pursue terminal degrees in the STEM discipline. Through his fundamental and educational research, Professor Warner has produced 54 PhDs and 100s of undergraduates who have gone on to terminal degrees in various disciplines.

Project: Maximizing Yield Through Integration (MYTI): Science and Math Education in the Context of a Disposing Society
Affiliation/Institution: University of Puerto Rico
Job Title/Position: Professor of Chemistry
About: After 14 years as Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, I have returned to my faculty position in Chemistry, and am happily doing research, teaching classes, and training students. I also am serving as the director of UPR's Institute for Functional Nanomaterials.

Project: I3: Maximizing the Impact of STEM Outreach (MISO) through Data-Driven Decision-Making
Affiliation/Institution: North Carolina State University - Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
Job Title/Position: Professor
About: Dr. Wiebe is a Professor in the Department of STEM Education at NC State University and Senior Research Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. A focus of his research and outreach work has been on technology integration in instructional settings in both secondary and post-secondary education. He is also interested in STEM education and career trajectories (pipeline) research and policy.

Project: EBEE: Enhancing Bioscience and Engineering Education through Curriculum Integration and Research Experiences in Systems Biology
Affiliation/Institution: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Job Title/Position: Director, College of Engineering Sponsored Programs
About: Dr. Marcia Williams is the director of STEM/Sponsored Programs in the College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University, and has more than 20 years of experience in organizational development, strategic planning, proposal development, and grants implementation and administration. She is co-principal investigator and project director for the North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP) program, and co-principal investigator and administrative manager for the NSF Innovation through Institutional Integration (I-3) project.