Team

Dr. Ferguson is the STEM VRCE project team leader, investigating the magnitude impact of STEM career exploration through the use of virtual reality video.  She hypothesizes that through the use of this technology, student career decision making self-efficacy and knowledge of STEM fields will increase significantly, with a more dramatic impact than afforded by 2D video and traditional educational methods.  Further, by employing the “virtual field trip” model, Dr. Ferguson wants to increase the approachability of STEM careers specifically to minority and rural populations, who would ordinarily have limited or no access to such experiential learning.  An applied methodologist in education research, Dr. Ferguson focuses on the application of advanced research methods and statistics approaches to issues in education. Currently Dr. Ferguson works as an Associate Professor of Quantitative Methods at Rowan University, teaching education research courses in the College of Education. Prior to this role, Dr. Ferguson was a certified teacher in the state of Texas with certifications in Elementary Education, Middle School Science, and High School Science. 

See also: Detailed Biography & Research Gate Biography

Dr. Ieva leads the curriculum component of this project, and is responsible for pairing the VR videos with new educational materials and information for school counselors to provide to students as they experience the videos for each target career.  Curricular modules will be designed around Social Cognitive Career Theory concepts, focusing on developing student career decision-making self-efficacy and outcome expectations with the goal of increasing interest in STEM careers.  Dr. Ieva will oversee the implementation of career introductory material, lesson plans and questions related to the career explorations, and measures and tools for assessing student learning.  Dr. Ieva is a Professor in the Counseling in Educational Settings program at Rowan University, and is a former teacher and school counselor in both middle and high school settings.

See also: Detailed Biography

Mr. Winkler is the producer and director of the STEM VRCE VR videos and related visual media, and provides technical support for the implementation of the technology in partner school districts.  The videos are VR/360 live action, not computer-generated animation, featuring real STEM industry technicians (given just a little bit of acting coaching from Mr. Winkler for their performances) as the video hosts, adding to the authenticity of the experiences.  Mr. Winkler previously received two internal Rowan University grants for his VR/360 creative work and pedagogical application of the technology in classroom projects for students.  He is an Associate Professor in the Radio, Television and Film Department, and prior to his faculty appointment, served as the Television Production Coordinator for the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts for 10 years.  In that role, he produced dozens of educational/informational videos for his department, college, and the University.  Mr. Winkler also works as a freelance professional director, associate director, camera operator and editor for Philadelphia area broadcast/production companies and sports teams.

See also: Detailed Biography

Marjorie Blicharz is a current Ph.D in Education student at Rowan University, with a concentration in Higher Education. She earned her Bachelor's in Sociology, Non-Profit and Community Development Concentration from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and her Master's in Education, Counselor Education-Student Affairs from Clemson University. Marjie's experiences in Student Affairs on college campuses, and in the nonprofit sector, led to her research interests navigating access to higher education and the development of student meaning out of educational experiences. 

Ashley Elmes (she/her/hers) is a Ph.D. student at Rowan University with a concentration in Higher Education.  She has a Master's in Higher Education with a focus in Academic Advising, and Bachelor Degrees in Elementary Education and Writing Arts.  Her research focuses on access, success, and equity in higher education.  She also works as the New Student Experience Manager at Rowan College at Burlington County.  The duality of the roles is essential to her as she can continually straddle the scholar-practitioner paradigm, bringing change to practice.

Elizabeth Tully is a Ph.D. student in Education with a concentration in Counselor Education at Rowan University, where she also earned her Master’s degree in Counseling in Educational Settings. In 2023-2024 Elizabeth was in her 4th year as an elementary school counselor where she helps students with their social/emotional, academic and career success. She hopes to continue research in trauma-informed practices and interventions in educational settings.

Kimelle Ash earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a Minor in Sociology from West Virginia University in 2016.  At Rowan University in 2021-2022, she was pursuing a Master's Degree in Urban Education and Community Studies within the College of Education.  Kimelle is a passionate advocate for social justice and civil rights.  her experience within democratic campaigns at the state and federal levels has allowed her to use her skill set towards achieving political engagement and representation within communities of color that have been the victims of disenfranchisement throughout American history.  In her free time, Kimelle is a cheerleading coach at her alma mater, Willingboro High School.

Theresa Cann was a Ph.D. student in Education at Rowan in 2020-2021 with a focus in Urban and Diverse Learning Environments, and was the Graduate Research Assistant for STEM VRCE in the project's first year.  She is a Fulbright Scholar, and a Baden-Württemberg Seminar Fellow.  Her research interests include decolonizing education, STEM education for women and girls, women’s access to higher education, women and social movements, and human rights education.  For STEM VRCE in the project first year, she worked primarily to support the research project, including data collection, entry, and analysis.  She assisted with the research and design of the career modules with the partner school districts.