Appendix D

Committee and Staff Biographies

COMMITTEE

EILEEN R. CARLTON PARSONS (Chair, she/her/hers) is professor emerita at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where she served as faculty chair of the School of Education and has been heavily involved in faculty governance. She has served as an elected member on various influential University committees, has been appointed by the University leadership to key search committees, and she has been involved in strategic planning task forces and plan implementation teams. Parsons is a fellow for the American Council on Education, science policy fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Scholar. She has received several prestigious grants funded by the American Educational Research Association, Spencer Foundation, and National Science Foundation to fund her research focused on cultural inclusiveness and equity in grades 6–12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Parsons’ scholarship is widely published in highly ranked venues in science education and other disciplines. Additionally, she has served as associate editor, editor of a special issue, section editor, and on the editorial boards of the top research journals in science education. Over the years, Parsons has actively engaged several professional organizations and assisted in developing and implementing strategic initiatives that altered or established new organization-wide directions. She is currently the immediate past president of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Early in Parsons’ career, she taught high school chemistry, physical science, and trigonometry. She received her B.S. degree from UNC

and both her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from Cornell University. Parsons served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that wrote the 2019 consensus report Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center.

MEGAN E. BANG (she/her/hers) is a professor of learning sciences and psychology at Northwestern University and senior vice president at the Spencer Foundation. She studies dynamics of culture, identity, learning, and development broadly with a specific focus on the complexities of navigating multiple meaning systems in creating and implementing more effective and just learning environments in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education. Bang focuses on reasoning and decision making about complex socioecological systems and their intersections with culture, power, and historicity. She conducts research in both schools and informal settings across the life course. Bang is an elected member of the National Association of Education. She is a recipient of the American Education Research Association Mid-Career Contribution Award, the Division K, Teaching and Teacher Education, Early Career Award, and the Bobby Wright Award for Early Career Contributions to Research in Indigenous Education. Bang earned her Ph.D. from Northwestern University and completed postdoctoral training at the Cheche Konnan Center at TERC. She has contributed to past consensus studies, was a committee member on “Learning Through Citizen Science,” and she currently serves on the Board of Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences.

COURTNEY A. BELL (she/her/hers) serves as the director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research and professor of learning sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She previously was a high school science teacher, a teacher educator, and most recently spent more than a decade as a research scientist at Educational Testing Service. Bell is passionate about understanding and improving teaching for historically underserved children. She recently served as a primary investigator on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development–organized Global Teaching InSights study, leading the development of observation systems to measure teaching quality in eight economies. Bell’s interdisciplinary, collaborative work, which spans issues of parental choice, international comparisons of teaching, teaching quality, teacher learning, and the measurement of teaching, is situated at the intersections of research, policy, and practice. She was a Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellow, won the American Educational Research Association Division L Dissertation of the year award, and was awarded research excellence awards from both the University of Connecticut and Educational Testing Service. Bell also co-edited the fifth edition of

the American Educational Research Association’s Handbook of Research on Teaching. She earned her B.A. in chemistry at Dartmouth College and her Ph.D. in curriculum, teaching, and educational policy at Michigan State University.

MARTA CIVIL (she/her/hers) is a professor, a University Distinguished Outreach Professor, and the Roy F. Graesser Chair in the Department of Mathematics at The University of Arizona. Her research focuses on cultural, social, and language aspects in the teaching and learning of mathematics; participation in the mathematics classroom; connections between in-school and out-of-school mathematics; and parental engagement in mathematics. Civil’s research seeks to learn from the communities to develop culturally sustaining learning environments in mathematics education. She received the TODOS Iris M. Carl Equity and Leadership Award and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Lifetime Achievement Award. Bell is an ex officio member of the U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction. She is an elected member at large of the International Customer Management Institute Executive Committee (2021–2024). Bell received her Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was a member of the committee on supporting English learners in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects with the National Academies of Sciences.

GUDIEL R. CROSTHWAITE (he/him/his) is currently the superintendent at Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD) in Los Angeles County, California. He has spent his career teaching, mentoring, and working in leadership focused on removing educational barriers. As the assistant superintendent of educational services, Crosthwaite’s leadership team was instrumental in the district’s extraordinary gains in achievement, including in graduation rates and enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. In 2017, LUSD was one of only three districts in the nation—and only one in California—to be named the AP District of the Year by the College Board. Crosthwaite earned his Ph.D. in education from Claremont Graduate University.

MAISIE L. GHOLSON (she/her/hers) currently serves as an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Michigan. She is the faculty lead for secondary mathematics teacher education program and the faculty lead for the doctoral program in Educational Studies. Gholson also coordinates the Race and Social Justice Institute within the School of Education. Her expertise relates to the mediating role of race and gender in learning and identity development of mathematics learners. Gholson is currently the principal investigator for a large-scale National Science

Foundation study tracking the mathematics development of 100–250 Black youth across five years. She was a Spencer dissertation fellow and the recipient of the Early Career Publication Award for the Research in Mathematics Education. Gholson received her B.S.E. from Duke University and her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

STEFANIE L. MARSHALL (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor at Michigan State University. She previously was at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She situates her work at the intersection of educational policy, leadership, and science education, focusing on the systemic and organizational needs for science education. More specifically, Marshall’s work examines equity in science education through building and sustaining networks, the impact of policies on science, and the role of school administrators in science education. She is a member of National Association for Research in Science Teaching, American Educational Research Association, and University Council for Educational Administration. Marshall is a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. She earned her B.S. in biology from Oakland University, her M.A. in educational studies from the University of Michigan, and her Ph.D. in educational policy from Michigan State University.

WILLIAM R. PENUEL (he/him/his) is a professor of learning sciences and human development in the School of Education and Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research focuses on interest-related learning across settings, classroom assessment in science, teacher learning, and promoting the equitable implementation of reforms in STEM education. As principal investigator for a U.S. Department of Education knowledge utilization center, the National Center for Research in Policy and Practice, Penuel studies how school, district, and state education leaders use research evidence in decision making. He has been involved in research-practice partnerships at the district and state levels focused on supporting implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards through co-design of curriculum and assessment resources that connect to students’ interests, identities, and experiences. Penuel is a fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences, American Educational Research Association, the International Society for Design and Development in Education, and the National Education Policy Center. He holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Clark University. Penuel is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and member of the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

THOMAS M. PHILIP (he/him/his) is a professor in the Graduate School of Education at University of California, Berkeley, where he also serves as the faculty director of teacher education. His research focuses on how teachers make sense of power and hierarchy in classrooms, schools, and society. Philip is interested in how teachers act on their sense of agency as they navigate and ultimately transform classrooms and institutions toward more equitable, just, and democratic practices and outcomes. His recent scholarship explores the possibilities and tensions that emerge with the use of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital learning technologies in the classroom, particularly discourses about the promises of these tools with respect to the significance or dispensability of teacher pedagogy. Philip’s research has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division K Midcareer Award, the Spencer Midcareer Grant, the AERA Division G Early Career Award, the AERA Division C Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies, the National Association for Multicultural Education’s Research Award, and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship. Philip received both a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science and a Ph.D. in cognition and development from University of California, Berkeley.

CATHERINE RIEGLE-CRUMB (she/her/hers) is professor of STEM education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction as well as the Department of Sociology (by courtesy), and a faculty research associate at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research agenda focuses on the social construction of gender and racial inequality in STEM fields, examining how inequality is created through both institutional structures and everyday individual interactions, which converge to (re)create the privilege of white and male students. In doing so, Riegle-Crumb’s work also considers variation across local contexts to understand how inequality can be deconstructed. Her research focus spans educational trajectories from middle school to high school and college, as well as the transition to the labor force. Riegle-Crumb has expertise in quantitative data analyses; her research utilizes secondary analyses of national datasets, as well as original survey design and data collection in schools, districts, and communities. She has received external funding from the National Science Foundation and the Spencer Foundation among other sources. Her work speaks to multiple audiences across several disciplines and has been published in top-tier journals in education, sociology, and psychology. Riegle-Crumb earned her B.A. in sociology from Texas A&M University, and both her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.

JEAN J. RYOO (she/her/hers) is director of research of the University of California, Los Angeles’ Computer Science Equity Project. She previously served as a senior researcher at the San Francisco Exploratorium in collaboration with the Tinkering Studio. Ryoo’s work focuses on equity issues in STEM and computer science education through qualitative examinations of student learning and educator pedagogy in both public schools and out-of-school contexts. Her works in research-practice partnerships—focused on elevating youth voices as well as educator and administrator perspectives—that explore topics regarding youth identity, agency, and engagement in relation to culturally responsive and sustaining STEM/computing education. Ryoo is the recipient of the American Educational Research Association Jan Hawkins Early Career Award and her work is currently funded by the National Science Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Google CS-ER Grants. She received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University; her M.Ed. in teaching from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa; and her Ph.D. in Urban Schooling from the University of California, Los Angeles.

SHAWN P. SHEEHAN (he/him/his) is an assistant principal and formally the Director of Governmental Affairs for Lewisville Independent School District in Lewisville, Texas. He has taught math to emergent bilingual students and students with disabilities in Texas and Oklahoma. A strong advocate for public education, Sheehan has been featured on CBS This Morning, NPR, The Economist, and more. In his current role, he supports his school district by tracking education policy, drafting and implementing the district’s legislative priorities, and working closely with governmental entities and elected officials. Sheehan was selected as Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. He has also worked in a congressional office on Capitol Hill as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. Sheehan received his B.A. in journalism and mass communication from Arizona State University and his M.E. in special education from the University of Oklahoma.

CARRIE TZOU (she/her/hers) is a professor of science education in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. She also serves as the director of the Goodlad Institute for Educational Renewal. Tzou’s primary research expertise is utilizing sociocultural theories of learning to design and study equity-centered science learning environments for learners and their families preK–12, both in schools and in community-based settings. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, the International Society of the Learning Sciences, and the American Educational Research Association. Tzou received the Chancellor’s award

for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, and Creative Practice at University of Washington Bothell. She received her M.S. in science education from Vanderbilt University and her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. She then trained as a postdoctoral scholar with the LIFE Center at the University of Washington Seattle. She previously served on the National Research Council committee for the preK–5 science and engineering report.

SEPEHR VAKIL (he/him/his) is an associate professor of learning sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. Previously he was assistant professor of STEM education and the associate director of Equity & Inclusion in the Center for STEM Education at the University of Texas at Austin. He has expertise broadly on issues of equity, race, and identity in STEM areas, with a disciplinary focus in computer science and engineering education. His work draws on a range of methods including qualitative, ethnographic, design, as well as archival and historical methods. He received his B.S and M.S in electrical engineering from University California, Los Angeles, and his Ph.D. in the education in mathematics, science, and technology program at University of California, Berkeley.

SHIRIN VOSSOUGHI (she/her/hers) is an associate professor of learning sciences in Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. She was previously a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the Exploratorium, and a National Academy of Education/Spencer postdoctoral fellow. Vossoughi’s research centers on equitable learning environments that support young people to develop, question, and expand disciplinary knowledges. She is particularly concerned with the forms of pedagogical mediation, ethical and intellectual relations, and developmental trajectories that take shape within these settings. Vossoughi’s research has looked closely at student and teacher learning in the context of making/STEAM settings, and efforts to co-design transdisciplinary learning across teachers, researchers, students, and families. She has received numerous early career awards, including the American Educational Research Association Division C Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies and the International Society of the Learning Sciences Early Career Award. Vossoughi also recently received the Outstanding Paper of the Year Award from the Journal of the Learning Sciences, and several teaching and mentorship awards at Northwestern. She completed her Ph.D. at University of California, Los Angeles, with a focus on social research methodology, literacy, and the study of human learning. Vossoughi has previously authored a white paper on making/tinkering for the National Research Council.

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT (he/him/his) is an associate professor of STEM education in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum in the School of Education at Drexel University. His research focuses on reimagining, designing, and studying STEM learning environments that affirm, cultivate, and build upon the cultural, intellectual, and linguistic resources that students bring to engaging in engineering, science, and making. Understanding that learning in K–12 engineering and science contexts inevitably takes place at powered boundaries of culture, race, class, and language, his research focuses on individuals from communities that have been historically excluded in engineering and science. Wright is a recipient of several National Science Foundation awards including the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. He earned a B.Arch. from Hampton University and a Ph.D. in STEM education from Tufts University.

STAFF

KENNE DIBNER (study director, she/her/hers) is a senior program officer with the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Since 2015, she has served as study director for a number of consensus reports for the National Academies, including The Future of Education Research at IES: Advancing an Equity-Oriented Science, Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities, and Science Literacy: Concepts, Contexts, and Consequences, as well as multiple assessments of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate’s education portfolio. Prior to this position, Dibner worked as a research associate at Policy Studies Associates, Inc., where she conducted evaluations of education policies and programs for government agencies, foundations, and school districts, and as a research consultant with the Center on Education Policy. She has a B.A. in English literature from Skidmore College and a Ph.D. in education policy from Michigan State University.

LETICIA GARCILAZO GREEN (she/her/hers) is an associate program officer for the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. As a member of the board staff, she has supported studies focusing on criminal justice, science education, science communication, and climate change. Garcilazo Green has a B.S. in psychology and a B.A. in sociology with a concentration in criminology from Louisiana State University and an M.A. in forensic psychology from The George Washington University.

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER (she/her/hers) is the director of the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She has served as study director or co-study director for a wide range of studies, including those on revising national standards for K–12 science education, learning and teaching science in grades K–8, and mathematics learning in early childhood. Schweingruber also coauthored two award-winning books for practitioners that translate findings of National Academies’ reports for a broader audience, on using research in K–8 science classrooms and on information science education. Prior to joining the Academies, she worked as a senior research associate at the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. Schweingruber also previously served on the faculty of Rice University and as the director of research for the Rice University School Mathematics Project, an outreach program in K–12 mathematics education. She has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and anthropology and a certificate in culture and cognition, both from the University of Michigan.

BRITTANI SHORTER (she/her/hers) is a senior program assistant for the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. As a member of the board staff, she has supported studies focusing on science education, science communication, and STEM education in rural areas.

TIFFANY E. TAYLOR (she/her/hers) is currently a senior program officer for the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. In this role, she provides research, planning, and management support for several ongoing projects including the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication and the Symposium on the Future of Undergraduate STEM Education. She is extremely passionate about the inclusion of persons of diverse background in science and aspires to leverage her Ph.D. training and science policy experience to address education equity within society, in both domestic and global settings. Taylor came to the National Academies as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow, where she also worked with the Board on Science Education. She received her B.S. in biology from Howard University and her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of California, San Diego.

This page intentionally left blank.