Dr. Tiffany Neill has been a longtime leader in STEM education and education policy for and currently serves in a variety of roles continuing to advance and advocate for quality learning experiences for students. Dr. Neill is the Director of Accelerated Cohorts for Teaching Success (ACTS) at the University of Central Oklahoma offering pathways of support for those seeking to change careers and enter the education profession. Dr. Neill also serves as a Curriculum Manager at OpenSciEd focused on integrating computer science and science through free and open curriculum at the middle school level. She also serves as a research scientist at the University of Washington on an NSF funded grant, Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education. 

Neill began her career in education as a middle and high school teacher serving in both traditional and non-traditional school settings. She later assumed a position as an instructional specialist at the K20 Center for Community and Educational Renewal at the University of Oklahoma where she developed a state-wide program known as K20alt designed to support alternative education teachers around the state with innovative and effective approaches to instruction for at-promise students. In 2002, she joined the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the Director of Science and Engineering Education and served in the role for 5 years before becoming the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction and later the Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, serving on Cabinet for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. For over a decade, Neill led agency strategies on academic matters including state and federal policies and state and federal funds to drive student achievement for Oklahoma's 700,000 public school students.

Dr. Neill served as the President of the Council of State Science Supervisors from 2017-2019 and she served on the President's STEM Advisory Board for NSF from 2020-22. She also served on the National Assessment Governing Board’s development panel to update the 2028 NAEP Science Assessment Framework. She recently served as a committee member for the National Academies of Science report,  A Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future and Enhancing Science and is currently the co-chair of the federally commissioned National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine consensus study on K-12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas.

Neill earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and a master’s in instructional leadership and academic curriculum from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate of philosophy in education from the University of Oklahoma.

Levi is a 7th-generation Oklahoman with experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum writer. After teaching in Putnam City and Oklahoma City schools, Levi worked at the K20 Center for Education and Community Renewal as a Mathematics Specialist. Most recently, he worked at the Oklahoma State Department of Education for more than eight years as the Director of Computer Science and Secondary Mathematics and Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. He began his role as the Executive Director of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance in 2021. Levi holds his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics Education from Oklahoma State University and his Master’s Degree in Instructional and Academic Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.

During his career, Levi has made authentic, ambitious instruction his goal as he has provided countless hours of professional development, designed state policies, managed federal grants, and helped to direct millions of dollars aimed at elevating excellent STEM teaching. Levi has designed and implemented innovative structures that reimagine accountability as a method for envisioning, supporting, and celebrating schools. As a result, Oklahoma has gained national attention for the Champions of Excellence initiative including two research studies focusing on the role Networked Improvement Communities play in creating collective efficacy and affecting instruction, social-emotional, and achievement outcomes. The widely-regarded framework for evaluating STEM integration, co-developed with Tiffany Neill, has become an essential tool for STEM leaders across the country. While serving on the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics as the Vice-President of Program, Levi co-authored the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics position paper on STEM Education, “Building STEM Education on a Sound Mathematical Foundation,” co-developed the Every Student Succeeds Act Toolkit that provided guidance for reviewing and improving state plans for federally funded initiatives, and received the 2019 State Leadership Service Award in Mathematics from the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics and Texas Instruments. Levi completed a fellowship with Results for America in 2020 and continues to prioritize evidence-based investments in STEM Education that can ensure all students are STEM-ready and lead choice-filled lives.  

When Levi isn’t dreaming about STEM Education, you can find him and his daughter Ruby hiking, picnicking, cooking, gardening, cycling, birding, or watching My Little Pony.