Front and Center: Bringing Marginalized Girls into Focus in
STEM and Career and Technical Education
January 15, 2015
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Roy Austin
White House Domestic Policy Council
In March 2014, Roy L. Austin, Jr. joined the White House Domestic Policy Council as
Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and
Opportunity. In this position, Austin coordinates the formulation and implementation
of policy covering criminal justice, civil rights, housing, labor, human services and
initiatives such as Promise Zones. Austin is also a member of the My Brother’s Keeper
Task Force.
Austin began his career as an Honors Trial Attorney with the Criminal Section of the
Civil Rights Division investigating and prosecuting hate crime and police brutality
cases around the country. After approximately five years, he joined Keker & Van Nest
LLP in San Francisco, as an associate working on complex civil and white-collar
criminal cases, including a successful pro-bono civil lawsuit aimed at preventing racial
profiling by the California Highway Patrol. In 2002, he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office
for the District of Columbia where he prosecuted domestic violence, adult and child
sexual assault, human trafficking, homicide and fraud and public corruption cases. He
left in 2007 to become a partner at McDermott, Will & Emery working primarily on
white collar criminal cases. In 2009, Austin returned to the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office
as a Senior Assistant United States Attorney and Coordinator of the D.C. Human
Trafficking Task Force.
In January 2010, Austin was appointed Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG),
Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice. As a DAAG, Austin supervised the
Criminal Section, and the Special Litigation Section’s law enforcement (police
departments, corrections and juvenile justice) portfolio. In addition, he supervised
work under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Person Act (RLUIPA) and
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Among numerous other matters,
Austin worked on cases involving the New Orleans Police Department, Missoula (MT)
law enforcement and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
Over his career, Austin has tried thirty jury trials to verdict. He served as an adjunct
trial advocacy professor at George Washington University Law School from 2007 1
2013. Austin received his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from The University of
Chicago and he grew up in State College, Pennsylvania.
Angela Calabrese Barton
Michigan State University
Angela Calabrese Barton, PhD, is a professor in science education and teacher education
at Michigan State University. She is a leader in the areas of equity and social justice in
science education, with a particular emphasis on the urban context. Drawing criticallyoriented research methods (multi-sited ethnography, collaborative design-based
research, and case study), she investigates youth learning and identity work across
setting and over time. She also works closely with teachers to design/adapt
curriculum/pedagogy towards incorporating youths’ cultural knowledge and
experiences. She also engages in curriculum research and development that links
nutrition and science literacies in the upper elementary and middle school classroom.
She has designed and taught after school and community-based science/engineering
over two decades.
One of her current projects, Get City [Green Energy Technology], is an innovative
learning ecology that brings together middle school youth, undergraduate teacher
education and engineering students, and university researchers to collaborate in
engineering design for sustainable communities. This program won the national
MetLife Foundation 2012 After School Innovator Award for Digital Learning in After
School and is noted as a 2012 Exemplary Program for University/Community
Engagement & Outreach by the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities. She
has been recognized by the American Education Research Association in 2009 with the
Division G Award for Research Leading to Transformations of Social Contexts and with
the 2010 AERA Informal Education SIG, Outstanding Research Award. Her 2012 book,
Empowering Science and Math Education (University of Chicago Press), co-authored
with Edna Tan) won the AERA Division B Outstanding Book of the Year award. Some
of her publications appear in Educational Researcher, the American Educational Research
Journal, the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and the Journal of the Learning Sciences.
Angelicque Blackmon
Innovative Learning Concepts LLC
Dr. Angelicque Blackmon is the President and CEO of Innovative Learning Concepts,
LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, a full service premier science and mathematics educational
consulting firm. She has been CEO and Director of Research and Evaluation for 11 years
responsible for providing research and evaluation services for federally funded STEM
education programs. Dr. Blackmon has an extensive background in developing and
executing performance, outcome, and impact based evaluations. She has a depth of
knowledge of mixed methods research and specializes in qualitative methodologies. Dr.
Blackmon earned her B.S. degree in Chemistry and a M.S. degree in Analytical
Chemistry from The Georgia Institute of Technology. She received her Ph.D. in
2
Educational Studies with an emphasis in Science Education from Emory University and
completed a two-year AERA-IES Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cultural Anthropology.
Her work focused on the influence of sociocultural contexts on science teaching and
learning. Prior to entering the field of education, Dr. Blackmon worked as a research
chemist with Dow Chemical and 3M.
Dr. Blackmon served as the Lead Evaluator of a 15-member team to evaluate a $12.5
million Annenberg Foundation grant to Enterprise Community Partners. She has served
as the external evaluator for eight federally funded programs and five private
foundation funded programs designed to increase students’ knowledge, skills, interests,
attitudes, and efficacy in STEM. Dr. Blackmon’s efforts have been centered on working
with leaders in STEM education to secure external funding so that students (K-16), who
would not ordinarily receive high quality STEM experiences, could experience the
benefit of such programs. She works with program leaders to construct STEM education
contexts that build on underrepresented students’ assets. Her work includes
collaborating with Directors and Principal Investigators to provide feedback on the
performance of their programs, mainly so that students receive the optimal benefit of
federally or university allocated resources. Since 2008, her work has allowed 876
underrepresented students to participate in high level STEM activities in after school
and summer settings on college campuses.
Terri Boyer
Center for Women and Work, Rutgers University
Dr. Terri Boyer is Assistant Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Women
and Work, an innovative leader in research and programs that promote gender equity, a
high-skill economy, and reconciliation of work and well-being for all. Her research
interests focus on the interactions of gender and experience in education and training
programs, and how these affect success and career development, particularly for girls
and women’s experiences studying and working in nontraditional roles and fields. She
holds a Doctorate in Education from The University of Alabama, a Masters in Higher
Education Administration from Alabama, and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary
Education from Villanova University, where she also received the Villanova Medallion
for Excellence in Education. Her areas of expertise include gender equity in education
and career development, including classroom interactions, Title IX, women in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), nontraditional careers, sexual
harassment, and gendered violence. She has facilitated numerous workshops and
presentations both locally and nationally on these topics. Her service positions include
seats on several advisory councils, including the NJ Department of Education’s Career
and Technical Education Advisory board, and is an elected member of the National
Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE). She is also active in her local Habitat for
Humanity chapter, the Millstone Basin Authority.
Before coming to the Center for Women and Work, Dr. Boyer worked at the Education
Development Center, Inc. in Newton, MA as Director of Technical Assistance for the
3
U.S Department of Education’s Women’s Educational Equity Act (WEEA) Resource
Center, and Research Associate at its Gender and Diversities Institute. She also served
as the Director of Pre-College and Undergraduate Programs at the Douglass Project for
Rutgers Women in Math, Science and Engineering, an NSF award-winning program at
Douglass College. Other positions she has held include Program Coordinator of the
Women’s Resource Center, and Career Development Assistant at the University of
Alabama.
Katrina Burch
Coretta Scott King High School
Katrina Burch is from Atlanta, Ga and is a senior at Coretta Scott King High School.
Katrina will graduate this May and wants to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.
While at Georgia Tech, she plans pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering, go on to
gain a master’s in public health and a doctorate in epidemiology. Currently, Katrina is
participant in the Project ENGAGES program at the Georgia Institute of Technology
where she studies the effects of antiretroviral manipulation of cathepsin activity causing
cardiovascular disease in adherent HIV patients. In addition to this, she participates in
her school’s Sister-to-Sister mentoring program that pair seniors with freshmen mentees
that are troubled socially and academically. Katrina has been included in journals, coauthored on a research paper, invited to present at an undergraduate conference and
awarded first place in Project ENGAGES summer oral competition.
Alejandra Ceja
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, U.S. Department of Education
Alejandra Ceja was appointed by the White House on May 6, 2013, to serve the
president and secretary of education as the executive director of the White House
Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
Ceja will work closely with the Latino community and the President's Advisory
Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics to implement the goals and
deliverables under Executive Order 13555, by which President Barack Obama renewed
the initiative, and better align the work of the initiative with the Department's cradle-tocareer agenda.
Prior to assuming this position, Ceja served as the chief of staff to Under Secretary of
Education Martha Kanter. In that role, Ceja was instrumental in managing the under
secretary's personnel, budget and associated operations, including the operations of six
White House initiatives, to support the president's 2020 goal, what Secretary of
Education Duncan calls the nation's "North Star": The US will attain the highest
proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
Prior to joining the Department, Ceja served as the senior budget and appropriations
advisor for the House Committee on Education and Labor, chaired by Congressman
George Miller. There, she drafted legislation in support of national service
4
reauthorization—the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act—and worked on policy
issues related to child nutrition, English language learners, migrants, Impact Aid and
appropriations. From 1999 to 2007, Ceja was a program examiner for the White House
Office of Management and Budget, where she helped formulate the federal budget for
the Department of Labor and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Ceja has also worked for the Indianapolis Private Industry Council and with
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard in her Washington, D.C., office.
Ceja holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Mount St. Mary's College in Los
Angeles, and a master's degree in public administration from Baruch College at the City
University of New York. She is a graduate of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Institute's Public Policy Fellowship, the Presidential Management Fellows program, the
National Hispana Leadership Institute and the National Urban Fellows program.
Jan Cuny
National Science Foundation
Jan Cuny received her Ph.D. in Computer and Communication Sciences from the
University of Michigan. She spent the next 20 years as a faculty member, first at Purdue
University, then at the University of Massachusetts, and finally at the University of
Oregon. In 2004, Jan moved to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the
Broadening Participation in Computing program, which worked with the broad range
of groups underrepresented in computing—women, African Americans, Hispanics,
Native Americans and indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities. These efforts
were later merged with NSF’s larger, CS Education programs. Most recently, Jan
spearheaded NSF’s efforts to building the foundation for a nationwide effort to get
inclusive, rigorous, academic computing courses taught by well-prepared teachers into
America’s public schools. With this effort—called the CS 10K project because its initial
target was 10,000 schools and 10,000 teachers—NSF has funded the development of two
new CS courses (including a new AP course), course materials, assessments, models of
scalable professional developed and an online community of practice for teachers. NSF
is now partnering with private organizations around the country to pilot these courses
in hundreds of schools.
For her efforts with underserved populations, Jan is a recipient of a 2006 ACM
President’s Award, the 2007 CRA A. Nico Habermann Award, the 2009 Anita Borg
Institute’s Woman of Vision Award for Social Impact, and the 2014 Richard A. Tapia
Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship, Civic Science, and Diversifying
Computing.
5
Peter Edelman
Georgetown University Law Center
Peter Edelman is a Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he
teaches constitutional law and poverty law and is faculty director of the Georgetown
Center on Poverty and Inequality. On the faculty since 1982, he has also served in all
three branches of government. During President Clinton’s first term he was Counselor
to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala and then Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation.
Professor Edelman has been Associate Dean of the Law Center, Director of the New
York State Division for Youth, and Vice President of the University of Massachusetts.
He was a Legislative Assistant to Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Issues Director for
Senator Edward Kennedy's 1980 Presidential campaign. Prior to working for RFK, he
clerked for Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Goldberg and before that for Judge Henry J.
Friendly on the U.S. Court of Appeals. He also served as Special Assistant to U.S.
Assistant Attorney General John Douglas, and was a partner in the law firm of Foley &
Lardner.
Mr. Edelman’s book, So Rich, So Poor: Why It’s So Hard to End Poverty in
America, was published by The New Press in 2012. A previous book, Searching for
America’s Heart: RFK and the Renewal of Hope, is available in paperback from the
Georgetown University Press. His article in the Atlantic Monthly, entitled “The Worst
Thing Bill Clinton Has Done,” received the Harry Chapin Media Award.
Mr. Edelman has been a United States-Japan Leadership Program Fellow, was the J.
Skelly Wright Memorial Fellow at Yale Law School, and has received numerous honors
and awards for his work, including the William J. Brennan, Jr. Award from the D.C. Bar
in 2005. He grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and graduated from Harvard College
and Harvard Law School.
Aprille Ericsson-Jackson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Dr. Aprille Joy Ericsson is the former Deputy to the Chief Technologist for the Applied
Engineering & Technology Directorate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She
currently serves as the NASA GSFC Program Manager for Small Business Innovative
Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Research (SBIR/STTR).
She was born in Brooklyn, NY, educated in the NYC public schools, and later in
Cambridge, Ma. She received her B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at
the MIT. She received her Masters of Engineering and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
at Howard University (HU) with an Aerospace option. She has been a Guest researcher at
Harvard/Radcliffe University.
6
The majority of Dr. Ericsson’s over twenty-five years engineering career has been at the
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in the Engineering Directorate. Initially, she
worked in the Guidance Navigation & Control discipline conducting spacecraft
simulations and analysis to predict their dynamic behavior during flight and to determine
the best spacecraft attitude and structural vibration control methods. Dr. Ericsson has also
worked at NASA HQs as a Program Executive for the Earth Science Enterprise and a
Resource Manager for the Space Science Enterprise. For 10 years, she has been Instrument
Project Manager (IM) for various instruments which include: the Near-Infrared
Spectrograph on the James Webb Space Telescope, the Project Engineer for the Lunar
Orbiter Laser Altimeter which launched April 2009, on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
For 3.5 years she served as the Deputy Instrument Project Manager for ICESat-2’s sole
instrument the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), a $480M lidar
instrument that will continue the important observations of ice-sheet elevation change,
sea-ice freeboard, and vegetation canopy height begun by ICESat in 2003.
Dr. Ericsson focus as a Technologist has been Advanced Manufacturing, Applied
Nanotechnology, miniaturization of Technology for CubeSat and SmallSat space
platforms.
Dr. Ericsson serves on numerous boards, and in community leadership positions.
Recently, she served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the HU Public Charter
Middle School of Mathematics and Science.
She has been recognized as an outstanding technical leader, and above all else a coach,
mentor, and friend to young people of all ages across the nation.
Njema Frazier
Diversity Science, LLC
Dr. Frazier is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Diversity Science, LLC, an
expert-based network of scientists and engineers dedicated to broadening participation
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She has also worked 13
years as a physicist in the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), managing efforts within the scientific and technical programs
established to ensure that the United States maintains a credible National nuclear
deterrent without nuclear testing.
Dr. Frazier’s previous experience includes three years as a Visiting Professor at the
National Defense University, College of International Security Affairs, in Washington,
DC; a Department of Defense institution run by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
and four years as a Professional Staff Member for the U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Science.
Dr. Frazier’s awards and honors include the National Defense University, Joint Civilian
Service Commendation Award, the Award for Distinguished Service to the National
Nuclear Security Administration, her Interview with Roland Martin on Fukushima
7
Daiichi Nuclear incident, participation in the Science and Technology Brain Trust,
Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, the Black Engineer of the
Year, Science Spectrum's Trailblazer Award, appointment to the National Advisory
Board of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), presenter for Women
Encouraging Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (weSTEM) Conference,
membership in the Speaker’s Bureau for the USA Science & Engineering Festival, and
features in Essence, Black Enterprise, and Diverse Faces of Science – blackengineer.com.
Donnie Hale
Florida International University
Dr. Donnie Hale, Ed. D, is the Florida International University Faculty Director of the
Education Effect at Booker T. Washington Senior High School, a university community
school partnership with Miami Dade County Public Schools and the Lennar
Foundation. He has worked in several aspects of education: Assistant Professor of
Education and Director of Precollege Programs at Carroll University (Waukesha, WI),
Outreach Coordinator and Instructor in Education Studies at University of Oregon
(Eugene, OR), Assistant Director of TRiO Upward Bound and Adjunct Instructor in
Curriculum, Instruction and Foundational Studies at Boise State University (Boise, ID),
African American History and Sociology Instructor at San Joaquin Delta College
(Stockton, CA), African American History and Sociology at Bridgton Academy (North
Bridgton, ME) and elementary teacher at Field of Dreams Alternative Elementary – San
Joaquin Office of Education (Stockton, CA). Prior to working fulltime in higher
education, he was a college football coach at San Joaquin Delta College (Stockton, CA),
Boise State University (Boise, ID), and Bridgton Academy (Bridgton, ME).
Jo Handelsman
White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy
Dr. Jo Handelsman is the Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy, appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the
Senate in June of 2014. Dr. Handelsman helps to advise President Obama on the
implications of science for the Nation, ways in which science can inform U.S. policy,
and on Federal efforts in support of scientific research. Prior to joining OSTP, Dr.
Handelsman was the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and Frederick
Phineas Rose Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental
Biology at Yale University. She previously served on the University of WisconsinMadison faculty as a Professor in Plant Pathology from 1985 to 2009 and as Professor
and Chair of the Department of Bacteriology from 2007 to 2009. In 2013, she served as
President of the American Society for Microbiology. From 2002 to 2010, Dr.
Handelsman was the co-founder and co-director of the Wisconsin Program for Scientific
Teaching, the Yale Center for Scientific Teaching, and the National Academies Summer
Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology, programs focused on teaching
principles and practices of evidence-based education to current and future faculty at
colleges and universities nationwide. Dr. Handelsman is an advocate for science
8
education and women in science, and in 2011 received the Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science Mentoring. Dr. Handelsman also co-chaired the PCAST working
group that developed the 2012 report, “Engage to Excel,” which contained
recommendations to the President to strengthen STEM education to meet the workforce
needs of the next decade in the United States. Dr. Handelsman received a B.S. from
Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of WisconsinMadison.
Rosalind Hudnell
Intel Corporation
Rosalind L. Hudnell currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer and Global Director of
Education & External Relations for Intel Corporation. In this role, she oversees Intel's
strategic approach to the development of diverse workforce worldwide, college
relations and the global branding and marketing of Intel’s image as workplace of
choice. She currently is also leading the 10k Engineer’s Initiative for the President’s
Council on Jobs & Competitiveness.
Hudnell has held various management positions in community relations, government
relations, charitable contributions, media outreach, employee volunteerism, and
workforce development at the company. She is widely known for directing the
implementation of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, a global award-winning
program bringing leading-edge technology to underserved youth around the
world. Additionally she is the co-founder of the Intel Black Leadership Council and
sponsored the development of Intel’s African American, Hispanic and Women’s
Initiatives.
She is readily sought after to speak on issues of diversity and workforce development
and has been interviewed by several outlets including Forbes, CNN, and MSNBC.
Hudnell serves on the board of directors for the Center for Talent Innovation, the
Human Rights Commission Diversity Advisory Council and was the Executive Vice
President for the National GEM Consortium. Hudnell was the co-author of the
research report The Battle for Female Talent in China published in the Harvard Business
Review and was recently selected as a Woman Helping the World by Forbes Magazine
and 10x10. Hudnell completed her undergraduate studies in management at St. Mary's
College, has done specific study at UCLA Anderson School of Management and is a Senior
Fellow through the American Leadership Forum.
Françoise Jacobsohn
Equal Rights Advocates
Françoise Jacobsohn is a co-founder and co-chair of the National Task Force on
Tradeswomen’s Issues. She is a Project Manager at Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), a
nonprofit legal organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and
educational access and opportunities for women and girls. Her work at ERA focuses on
girls’ and women’s access to and retention in, high-wage non-traditional occupations.
9
Prior to ERA, Françoise was the Project Director for Equality Works at Legal
Momentum. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the School of
International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and is a Ford Foundation
Public Voices Fellow.
Valerie Jarrett
White House
Valerie B. Jarrett is a Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama. She oversees the
Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and chairs the White
House Council on Women and Girls. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, she
was the Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company. She also served as Co-Chair
of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, and Senior Advisor to Obama's
presidential campaign. Ms. Jarrett has held positions in both the public and private
sector, including the Chairman of the Chicago Transit Board, the Commissioner of
Planning and Development for the City of Chicago, and Deputy Chief of Staff for
Mayor Richard M. Daley. She also practiced law with two private law firms. Jarrett also
served as a director of corporate and not for profit boards, including Chairman of the
Board of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago,
and Chairman of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees. Jarrett
received her B.A. from Stanford University in 1978 and her J.D. from the University of
Michigan Law School in 1981.
Linda Kekelis
Techbridge
Dr. Linda Kekelis is Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Techbridge, a
nonprofit with the mission to inspire girls in science, technology, and engineering. She
has a longstanding passion for ensuring that all youth have access to opportunities that
allow them to explore their interests and to caring adults. As a co-Principal Investigator
in designing the Techbridge model in 1999 and in sustaining and growing the program,
Dr. Kekelis remains committed to conducting and disseminating research with applied
value for parents, teachers and role models.
Dr. Kekelis collaborates with girl-serving organizations, participates on advisory
boards, and works with professional groups and corporate partners to promote females’
participation in science, technology, and engineering. Dr. Keklelis serves in a leadership
role on a number of state and national initiatives including the California Girls
Collaborative Project, NCWIT's K-12 Executive Council, and the National Academy of
Engineering’s project on Guiding the Implementation of K-12 Engineering Education.
She has a master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Southern California and
a doctorate in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley. One of her
most rewarding jobs is personally mentoring Techbridge girls, providing academic
guidance, writing letters of support for their college and scholarship applications, and
networking to place them in summer internships. In her free time, Linda enjoys bike
10
riding, swimming, supporting all things Oakland, and looking for appliances for the
girls in Techbridge to take apart.
Mrs. McCall received her bachelors degree from Trinity College in Washington, DC and
her masters degree from Howard University. She is the recipient of numerous awards,
including Highly Effective Educator Award (2010-2014), National Association of Black
Women in Construction (NABWIC) Visionary Leadership Award (2013),
Transportation Research Board Sharon Banks Award, the Conference of Minority
Transportation Officials (COMTO) Salute to Women in Transportation Award, the
Cafritz Foundation Fellowship, the GTE Growth Initiative for Teachers Fellowship,
Outstanding Teacher Award for Region C, Save Our Youth America Outstanding
Teacher, Ward One Council on Education Outstanding Teacher Award, Principal’s
Outstanding Service Award, the Washington Post Mini-Grant Award, and the Delta
Kappa Gamma Nu State Teacher Award.
Catherine E. Lhamon
Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
Catherine E. Lhamon is the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department
of Education. President Obama nominated her for this position on June 10, 2013, and
she was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 1, 2013. Immediately prior
to joining the Department, Lhamon was director of impact litigation at Public Counsel,
the nation’s largest pro bono law firm. Before that, she practiced for a decade at the
ACLU of Southern California, ultimately as assistant legal director. Earlier in her career,
Lhamon was a teaching fellow and supervising attorney in the Appellate Litigation
Program at Georgetown University Law Center, after clerking for The Honorable
William A. Norris on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In 2004,
California Lawyer named Lhamon Attorney of the Year for Civil Rights. The Daily Journal
listed her as one of the Top 20 California Lawyers Under 40 in 2007, and as one of the
state’s Top Women Litigators in 2010 and 2007. Lhamon received her J.D. from Yale
Law School, where she was the Outstanding Woman Law Graduate, and she graduated
summa cum laude from Amherst College.
Mimi Lufkin
National Alliance of Partnerships in Equity
Mimi Lufkin has over 30 years of experience as an educator advocating for access,
equity and diversity in education and workforce development. She has been a high
school teacher, teacher educator, founder and executive director of a microenterprise
development program for low income rural women, director of a statewide gender
equity professional development program and a community college director of
development. Since 1994, Mimi has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National
Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, a consortium of state and local education and
workforce development organizations. NAPE’s STEM Equity Pipeline provides
professional development for educators to transform institutions and classrooms to
11
increase the participation, achievement and completion of underrepresented students in
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs of study.
Latifa Lyles
Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor
Latifa Lyles is the Director of the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor where
she works to advance and improve standards, practices and opportunities for women in
the labor force. Last year Ms. Lyles lead a partnership with the White House Council on
Women and Girls and the Center for American Progress to organize a White House
Summit on Working Families.
Ms. Lyles previously served as Vice President for Membership of the National
Organization for Women (NOW), the nation's largest and oldest grassroots feminist
advocacy group. Prior to her post at NOW, she managed the membership program at
Public Justice, the nation's largest public interest law firm which specializes in a broad
range of cases from employment discrimination to consumer protection. She has served
as Co-chair of the Older Women's Economic Security Task force of the National Council
of Women's Organizations, and on the Women's Coalition for Dignity and Diversity in
Media. Ms. Lyles also serves on the board of directors for the ACLU of the National
Capital Area.
Jane Margolis
University of California Los Angeles
Jane Margolis is a researcher who studies how inequality gets reproduced in this
country, particularly the disparities in learning opportunities that fall along racial,
gender, and socio-economic lines. She investigates how fields become segregated. Her
lens is computer science education, and why so few African-Americans, Latinos, and
females are learning computer science. Her research has resulted in an innovative
national program, Exploring Computer Science, and partnerships with K-12 school
districts in Los Angeles, Chicago, NY, Washington DC, and Boston. Margolis is the
author of two award-winning books: Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing (MIT
Press, 2002), which examines the gender gap in computer science at the college level;
and Stuck in the Shallow End: Education Race, and Computing (MIT Press, 2008), which
discusses the segregation in computer science and the daily experiences of students and
teachers in three Los Angeles public high schools. Margolis is the PI of several major
NSF grants all focused on broadening participation in computing and democratizing
computer science education. Margolis received her M.A. in Psychology from Harvard
University Extension and her Ed.D. in Education from Harvard University.
Shirley McCall
TransTech STEM Academy at Francis L. Cardozo Senior High School
Shirley Clair McCall has been an educator with the District of Columbia Public Schools since
12
1974. She has taught mathematics and computer science at the junior and senior high school
levels, and has served as a computer technology coordinator. She is presently the director of
the Transportation STEM (TransSTEM) Academy at Cardozo Education Campus--a program
designed to impart the values of higher education, constructive employment and careers in the
various modes of transportation.
TransSTEM (formerly TransTech) Academy was established in 1991 as the first transportation
studies academy in the Washington Metropolitan area. The program is designed to bridge the
gap between the classroom and the workplace. Mrs. McCall has been with TransSTEM
Academy since its inception. TransSTEM Academy currently features four career pathways:
aviation/aeronautics, computer science, pre-engineering and electro-mechanical technology
training; a fourth career pathway in computer science was be added in the 2013-2014 school
year.
More than 725 students have completed the program. Eighty-five percent have gone on
to college, seven percent to the military, and eight percent to work. Mrs. McCall also
served (1995 – 2012) as the school-based project manager for the Transportation
Training Project for High School Students, a cooperative agreement between the Federal
Transit Administration and the D. C. Public School System, with funding from the
Federal Highway Administration.
Ivana Nunez
Queens Vocational and Technical High School
Ivana Nuñez graduated from Queens Vocational and Technical High School and
majored in Electrical Installation. Her high school teachers were her inspiration to
succeed in what she did and gave her opportunities that she did not think were
possible. As a senior in high school she was able to participate in several councils such
as the Borough Student Advisory Council (BSAC), Chancellor Student Advisory
Council (CSAC) and the Panel for Educational Policy. In these councils she was able to
express her concerns along with other students in the city about what could be
improved in their schools. Her involvement helped her choose her career path as an
Electrical teacher. She joined the SVA (Success Via Apprenticeship) program for five
years, giving her two years teaching experience and three years of industry work
experience. As an SVA she began to work with the CTE Advisory Council and became
chair of the CTE Student Advisory Committee. She would report and express the
concerns of students in the committee to the council, one of the top concerns was
gender equity.
Ivana graduated from the SVA program and is currently a Career and Technical
Education teacher in Queens Vocational and Technical High School. She now helps her
students find their passion in the electrical field and help them understand real life
situations. One of her main goals is to teach her students that determination and
dedication will get them where they want to go but also to show young girls that they
13
too can be in non-traditional trades no matter the circumstances that life throws at
them.
Karen A. Peterson
National Girls Collaborative
Karen A. Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Girls Collaborative.
She has over 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, university
instructor, teacher educator, and researcher. Currently, Peterson is the Principal
Investigator for the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), primarily funded by the
National Science Foundation (NSF). Designed by Peterson, the NGCP seeks to
maximize access to shared resources for public and private sector organizations
interested in expanding girls’ participation in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM). The overarching goal of the NGCP is to use the leverage of a
network to create the tipping point for gender equity in STEM. Currently, 31
Collaboratives, serving 39 states, facilitate collaboration between 18,800 organizations
who serve 8.5 million girls and 4.9 million boys.
Peterson is also Co-Principal Investigator for the Citizen SciGirls Transmedia and Research
to Encourage Girls in STEM, SciGirls CONNECT – A Diffusion Scale Up Project, and
STELAR, the ITEST Learning Resource Center. Funded by the NSF, these projects all
address gender, racial and socioeconomic underrepresentation in STEM fields. Many
access the NGCP’s national network and dissemination tools to distribute, scale-up,
and/or replicate project outcomes. Peterson serves on the Board of Directors for True
Child, an independent think tank which translates research and knowledge on the
impact of gender stereotypes into a range of effective interventions, policies and other
resources for the organizations and policy-makers. Peterson has published in The
Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering and CBE Life Sciences
Education, a journal published by the American Society for Cell Biology. In 2013,
Peterson was profiled in STEMConnector’s™ 100 Women Leaders in STEM publication.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Bothell campus, her Master’s thesis
focused on gendered attitudes towards computer use in education. Peterson has led
workshops focused on STEM and equity in a variety of international settings, including
Egypt, Russia, South Africa, South America, and Scotland.
Kimberly Scott
Women and Gender Studies Department, Arizona State University
Dr. Kimberly A. Scott is an Associate Professor in the Women and Gender Studies
Department at Arizona State University (ASU) and Founder/Executive Director of
ASU’s National Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology (NCGEST)
(https://sst.clas.asu.edu/ncgest). Founded by Scott, the center is a one-of-a-kind
research unit focused on exploring, identifying, and creating innovative scholarship
about under-represented girls in science, technology, education and mathematics
(STEM). Center projects include the National Science Foundation-funded
14
COMPUGIRLS (compugirls.org); Gates-funded project on African American Families
and Technology Use; and NSF-funded Culturally Responsive Co-Robotics Program.
Scott is also an Affiliate Faculty in George Mason University’s Center for Digital Media
Innovation and Diversity located in Fairfax, Virginia. Trained as a sociologist of
education and childhoods, Scott’s interdisciplinary work examines girls’ of color
(African American, Native American, Latina) social and academic development in
informal spaces and their technosocial innovations. With nearly 50 publications in
outlets such as the, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, International
Journal of Gender, Science, and Technology, Feminism and Psychology, Huffington Post, and
Slate, to name a few, Kimberly isalso co-author of the Rowman and Littlefield book Kids
in Context and co-editor of the IAP published book, Research in Urban Educational
Settings: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice. Currently, she is working on
two new book-length projects: COMPUGIRLS: Becoming Ourselves in This Digital Age
and Women Education Scholars and Their Children’s Schooling which will be published by
Routledge.
Prior to becoming an academic, Scott worked as an urban educator with international
and national institutions including a center for girls in Chiang Mai Thailand; the
Educational Law Center in Newark, New Jersey; and the National Museum of African
Art-Smithsonian. Having written and successfully won over $4 million in grant funding
to support research about and programs for girls of color and digital media use, Scott
was named in 2014 as a White House Champion of Change for STEM Access. The same
year, the publication Diverse Issues in Higher Education identified Kimberly as one of the
top 30 women in higher education. Dr. Scott earned her B.A. from Smith College in Art
History and French Literature, an M.S. from Long Island University in Curriculum and
Instruction/Elementary Education and her Ed.D. from Rutgers University in Social and
Philosophical Foundations of Education.
Ericka Senegar-Mitchell
McKinley Technology High School
Ericka Senegar-Mitchell has made significant contributions to the teaching profession as
both a member of the biomedical community and a high school and university
instructor. Currently she is a STEM educator in the field of biotechnology and avid
supporter of STEM education at McKinley Technology High School (MTHS) in
northeast Washington, D.C. As a 2013 CityBridge Foundation Education Innovation
Fellow, Mitchell was able to travel across the nation in search of innovations in
education that have yielded great gains in student achievement and determine ways to
implement these transformative practices in Washington, D.C. She is proactive in
seeking grants and other opportunities such as industry partnerships to improve the
quality of STEM education offered at McKinley Technology High School as well as the
District of Columbia Public Schools. Her professionalism, enthusiasm, and ability to
motivate students is second to none and she has been recognized by her peers for her
efforts as the 2013 AFCEA STEM Teacher of the Quarter and MTHS Teacher of the
15
Month. Her innovative approach to teaching has enabled her to develop a long history
of success as the 2010 San Diego Unified School District Teacher of the Year, 2011 San
Diego County Teacher of the Year, a 2011 California Teacher of the Year, recipient of the
2010 AMGEN Award for Science Teaching Excellence and 2011 Presidential Award for
Excellence in Math and Science Teaching Finalist.
Johan E. Uvin
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education
Johan E. Uvin joined the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) in
December 2009 as senior policy advisor to Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier. In
2011, Uvin was appointed to the position of deputy assistant secretary for policy and
strategic initiatives. In that capacity, he coordinates all policy and strategy development
for OCTAE. This office is responsible for the Department's adult education portfolio,
including corrections and reentry education, secondary, postsecondary and adult career
and technical education, and community colleges.
In 2012, Uvin assumed additional responsibilities as the acting director of the Policy
Research and Evaluation Services Division of OCTAE and the co-chair of the
Interagency Forum on Disconnected Youth, a multi-agency federal collaboration to
improve the outcomes of disconnected youths. Since 2010, he has also been a member of
the steering committee of the Domestic Policy Council's New Americans Citizenship
and Integration Initiative, which developed a framework for federal efforts on
immigrant integration. Uvin further leads the Department's Pay for Success work and
coordinates the Department's responsibilities related to the implementation of the
Presidential Memorandum on Job-Driven Training. In May 2014, U.S. Secretary of
Education Arne Duncan named Uvin acting assistant secretary for OCTAE.
Prior to his appointments at the Department, Uvin led the Rhode Island state office that
oversees adult education, career and technical education, and GED testing. He also held
several leadership positions in education and workforce development in both the public
and private sectors.
Uvin holds a doctorate in administration, planning and social policy and a master's
degree in international education from Harvard University. He also holds a Master of
Arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) from the School of
International Training in Brattleboro, Vt. Uvin is married to Alison Simmons and has
two young adult twin sons. When not in D.C. he resides in Roslindale, Mass.
16