Madiha Saadat is a graduate student in the Measurement, Quantitative Methods, and Learning Sciences program at the University of Houston. Her research focuses on using quantitative methods to address educational disparities in STEM by examining motivation, identity, and equity. Under the guidance of Dr. Allison Master and Dr. Snodgrass Rangel, Madiha aims to explore how early interventions can reduce gender stereotypes and promote inclusive learning environments. Her research interests include data analysis using tools such as SPSS, SQL, and Tableau. Outside of her academic work, Madiha enjoys hiking and reading contemporary fiction. 

Zach Baquet is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Measurement, Quantitative Methods, and Learning Sciences (MQM-LS) program at the University of Houston. His research focuses on motivation, identity, and educational equity, with a particular emphasis on how racially minoritized parents experience belonging and exclusion in K–8 schools. His dissertation centers on the development of a Parent Belonging Scale (PBS) to examine how parent-school trust and engagement are shaped by racialized school environments.

At UH, Zach is a Research Assistant for Dr. Virginia Rangel on an NSF-funded project focused on mentoring and postbaccalaureate student development. He is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the course Achievement Motivation (Fall 2025) and serves on the MQM-LS Program Social Hour Committee. Zach is a member of the Identity & Academic Motivation Lab (I AM Lab), directed by Dr. Allison Master, where he contributes to research on how students’ identities shape their motivation and academic outcomes.

Before entering academia, Zach spent nearly a decade in K–12 education, serving as a teacher, Dean of Students, and Vice Principal in schools across New Orleans, Dallas, and Houston. He later worked as a School Success Manager at Project Wayfinder, partnering with schools to implement purpose-driven social-emotional learning. He holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Carleton College and an M.S. in Educational Technology and Digital Age Learning from Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of AERA and SREE and participates in the Motivation in Education and Research Focus on Black Education SIGs.

Outside of research, Zach is a jazz musician, classic car enthusiast, and proud father of two daughters. He can be reached at zbaquet@cougarnet.uh.edu.

Kelli Lahman is a fourth-year student in the School Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Houston. After spending a year serving low-income and racially diverse children in public schools, she obtained her license as a specialist in school psychology (LSSP) and certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) in May 2022 after graduating from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Kelli's research focuses on: 1) Disciplinary processes for students with disabilities (SWDs; known as manifestation determination reviews [MDRs]) that includes SWD’s functioning and perceptions of/treatment toward them; 2) Improving underrepresentation of racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) youth in STEM; 3) Evidence-based assessments and interventions focusing on mood and disruptive behavior disorders; and 4) Disseminating evidence-based treatments through the use of computer programming. Kelli's dissertation builds off her published thesis (the first empirical MDR investigation demonstrating how bias and stigma affect these decisions) and aims to validate two measures she created as well as develop an MDR decision-making model and online training for all school personnel at no cost.

At the University of Houston, Kelli is a Research Assistant working under the direction of Drs. Bradley Smith, Virginia Rangel, and Peter Copeland on the FIELDGeo HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project. In total, Kelli has co-authored 3 scholarly articles (1 as first author), 9 peer-reviewed publications in NASP’s Communiqué (7 as first author). She has also received one national student research grant, three departmental and one college-level research travel grant, one national poster award, and facilitated over 45 national, state, and regional presentations, including invited trainings, workshops, symposiums, papers, posters, and webinars (21 first-author). Kelli is also a student member on the National Association of School Psychologist's (NASP) Research Committee. For the past two years, she served on the NASP Communiqué Editorial Board as an Associate Editor and the Publications Coordinator for NASP's Graduate Student Committee (GSC). She also served two years as the GSC Convention Coordinator. Kelli plans to pursue a career in academia after graduation. She can be reached at krlahman@cougarnet.uh.edu.

Lori D. Rhea is a postdoctoral research fellow in the inaugural Authentic Community-Engaged Scholarship (ACES) in STEM Education Fellowship at the University of Houston. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Houston in 2025, where she co-evaluated NSF-funded STEM initiatives, researched support for low-income parenting undergraduates, and led campus efforts to assist parenting students. A licensed master social worker, she applies a multidisciplinary approach to research that advances educational equity. In her current fellowship, she collaborates with faculty, postdocs, and community partners, particularly in Houston’s Historic Third Ward, to build a human and community-centered, STEM education research ecosystem.