Participants

Dean Zollman

Kansas State University
Director of the Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education. University Distinguished Professor - Emeritus

Eleanor Sayre

Kansas State University
Eleanor Sayre is a Professor of Physics at Kansas State University. She conducts research in STEM education and university faculty development as the Research Director of PhysPort and a co-Director of the international Professional development for Emerging Education Researchers (PEER) program.


Robert Conklin

MRI Global
As Vice President of Research Operations, Bob is responsible for technical and financial performance of research enterprise across MRIGlobal business areas of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Medical Countermeasures; Global Health Surveillance and Defense, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance; and Energy.


James Laverty

Kansas State UniversityPhysics




Cory Beard

University of Missouri-KC
Cory Beard is an associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UMKC. He leads the BS in ECE degree program and accreditation efforts, and he is engaged in efforts to increase student degree success. His research areas include highly reliable 5G cellular networks for emergencies and other purposes of high priority to society.


Daniel McIntosh

University of Missouri-KC
Chair and professor of Physics & Astronomy; Dir of STEM Education Research; created and direct A Bridge to the Stars High School-to-College Pipeline program.


Sharmelle Winsett

KC Scholars
Sharmelle Winsett is the Director of Workforce and Alumni Engagement for KC Scholars. She has diverse sales and marketing work experience across the healthcare, beauty and non-profit sectors. Her focus at KC Scholars will be ensuring that 80% of graduates find gainful employment within the Kansas City regional workforce with special attention to high demand occupations.


J. David Van Horn

University of Missouri-KC
I am a materials science researcher in the Department of Chemistry, UMKC, employing a unique radioanalytical technique, positron annihilation to study all types of materials. Interests include chirality, aerospace materials, coatings, polymers and crystalline samples. Other interests: philosophy and history of science; asymmetry; bonding theory.


Pamela Harris

Mid-America Regional Council

Douglas Swink

University of Missouri-KC
Doug Swink serves as the Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management oversees the strategic enrollment management planning for the university. These initiatives include overseeing the strategic enrollment management plan and collaborating with various offices, departments and academic units to manage enrollment growth and retention strategies as well as to provide streamlined services for students.


Laura Loyacono

Kansas State University
Laura Loyacono is the Director of Education and Community Engagement at Kansas State Olathe. She has a background in STEM, having founded the KC STEM Alliance and managed the implementation of PLTW in the Kansas City Metro. Her areas of expertise includes education policy and research with a focused on underserved communities.


Baek-Young Choi

University of Missouri-KC
A faculty member of SCE/UMKC


Carrie Barnes

KC Scholars/KC Degrees
Hello, my name is Carrie Barnes. I am an adult learner coach for adults receiving the KC Scholars Adult Learner Scholarship. In the past, I have worked as an academic advisor at UMKC and MCC.

Ahmed Hassan

University of Missouri-KC
Ahmed M Hassan is an Associate Professor at the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His research and teaching interests include multidisciplinary and multiscale electromagnetics applications such as nanoelectromagnetics, bioelectromagnetics, electromagnetic compatibility and interference, experimental microwave and terahertz imaging.

Darrin Smith

Avila University
I am currently a Dean for the College of Science and Health at Avila University in Kansas City, MO. As Dean, I oversee programs in the natural and applied sciences, computer sciences and mathematics, nursing, and imaging sciences.


Martha McCabe

KC STEM Alliance
Martha McCabe serves as the Executive Director for the Kansas City STEM Alliance managing relationships with pK -12 schools, post-secondary institutions, STEM organizations and industry working on strategic education initiatives, community partnerships and workforce needs locally, regionally and nationally.


Sharmelle Winsett

KC Scholars
Sharmelle Winsett is the Director of Workforce and Alumni Engagement for KC Scholars. She has diverse sales and marketing work experience across the healthcare, beauty and non-profit sectors. Her focus at KC Scholars will be ensuring that 80% of graduates find gainful employment within the Kansas City regional workforce with special attention to high demand occupations.


Richard Hale

University of Kansas
Dr. Hale's is the C.E. and M.J. Spahr Professor and Chair of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas (KU). He currently serves as the Associate Director for Technology at the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, and is a long-term member of the Kansas Space Grant Consortium.

Weizhang Huang

University of Kansas
Professor in the Department of Mathematics, University of Kansas.

E. Andre Thorn

University of Missouri-Columbia
I have been in higher education for over 30 years in the field of recruitment, retention and graduation of URM students. I am passionate about intrusive advising and the utilization of High Impact Educational Practices (HIPs) to increase retention and persistence of URM students.

Ye Wang

University of Missouri-Kansas City
Ye's research agenda features a focus on interactivity and engagement on websites and social media. She has conducted research on engagement on branded social media sites, interactivity within online health communities, cause-related marketing, cross-cultural communication, and advertising education. Her recent investigation explored opinion leadership and engagement with social norm campaigns on social media.

Darrin Cairn

University of Missouri-Kansas CityCivil and Mechanical Engineering

Jeremiah McCluney

Kansas City KS Community College
I serve as the Admissions Operations Coordinator for KCK Community College. Topics of chief concern for me are college access and preparation, and diversity in higher education.

Karin Chang

University of Missouri-Kansas CityUrban Education Research Center
Karin Chang is the Associate Director of the Urban Education Research Center where she collaborates with schools, colleges, educational organizations, and community partners to study and promote educational opportunity and success. Prior to joining the UERC, Chang served as the director of the Kansas City Area Education Research Consortium (KC-AERC), where she led a team of researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri and Kansas State University to examine critical educational issues in the Kansas City region.

Shani Negron

KC STEM Alliance

Diane Filion

University of Missouri-Kansas City
As Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Dr. Filion provides leadership and support in all faculty-related matters including coordination and oversight of the campus-wide Promotion and Tenure process, faculty evaluation, faculty awards, faculty hiring, and new faculty orientation. In addition, the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs oversees faculty support and development initiatives.

Majid Bani-Yaghoub

University of Missouri-Kansas CityMath and Statistics

Teri Kriege

KC STEM Alliance
As STEM Outreach Consultant, I provide support to the KC STEM Alliance and its associated initiatives in preparing more students for college and careers in STEM by working with area employers, community organizations, and K-12 administrators to identify opportunities and manage collaborative efforts.

Adriana Paez

Ana-Maria Fernandez

Ann Zimmerman

KC STEM Alliance

Ayla Parham-Cortez

Brent Never

University of Missouri-Kansas City
Brent Never is Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the Bloch School of Management at UMKC.

Cheyenne Squire

The DeBruce Foundation

Eric Camburn

Jackie Spears

K-State Olathe
Jackie Spears, Ph.D., is the interim dean and CEO of K-State's Olathe campus, serving in the role since June 1, 2019. Throughout her tenure at Kansas State University, Spears has been a long serving member of the faculty senate. Spears earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in physics, a doctorate in curriculum and instruction - all from Kansas State University.

Karole Bradford

Kansas City Medical Society Foundation

Martha Nowak

Kansas State University-Olathe
I provide enriched curriculum to area school districts, with a particular focus in the area of One Health and promoting STEM careers. I was a classroom science teacher for 35 years and now enjoy coordinating field experiences and delivery programming on food science, horticulture and emerging zoonotic diseases.

Sirisha Naidu

University of Missouri-Kansas City