People
Our core interdisciplinary team of researchers who focus on inclusion in undergraduate STEM span biology education, geosciences education, engineering education, math education, sociology, and higher education. Our affiliate members are strongly interested in translating our research findings into policy and practice. If you are at Arizona State University and are interested in becoming either a core member or an affiliate member, please contact us for more information.
Leadership
Sara Brownell
Directorsara.brownell@asu.edu
Website
Trained as a PhD neuroscientist, Sara transitioned to become a discipline-based education researcher and conducts research on how we can make undergraduate biology learning environments more inclusive, specifically focusing on women, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, transfer students, and religious students.
Kristen Parrish
Associate Directorkristen.parrish@asu.edu
Website
Kristen Parrish is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and Chair of the Graduate Programs for the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University (ASU).
Core faculty and staff
Naneh Apkarian
Assistant Professornapkaria@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Apkarian has a research-focused PhD in Mathematics Education from San Diego State University, with a concentration in Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. She is experienced with a variety of research proje…
Brooke Coley
Assistant ProfessorBrooke.Coley@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Brooke Coley is an assistant professor in engineering at the Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Prior to joining the Polytechnic School, Dr. Coley completed…
Katelyn (Katey) Cooper
Assistant Professor, Director of the Mental Health Division
katelyn.cooper@asu.edu
Website
Katey is the PI of the Cooper Biology Education Research Lab at ASU. Her research group examines how to make biology learning environments more inclusive for students with anxiety and depression. In addition, Katey leads RISE research projects…
Anna Cunningham
Anna.M.Cunningham@asu.eduDr. Cunningham (called Dr. C by her beloved students) is a microbiologist and has been teaching biology since 2014. She has a passion for community-based inclusive and anti-racist teaching methodologies, as well as spreading her love for infect…
Antonio Duran
Assistant Professoraaduran1@asu.edu
Website
Antonio Duran, PhD (he/him/él) is an assistant professor in higher and postsecondary education at Arizona State University. His research examines how historical and contemporary legacies of oppression (e.g., racism, heterosexism, trans oppressi…
Firoz Firozzaman
mfirozz@asu.eduI have been teaching at ASU since January 2002. My interest is in teaching and researching mathematics, especially for K-12. I have developed a foundation course (AP Precalculus) for STEM students. In this course, students have the opportunity…
Meseret F. Hailu
Assistant Professormeseret.hailu@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Meseret F. Hailu is an Assistant Professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education at Arizona State University (ASU). Her research focuses on the retention of minoritized women in STEM higher education pathways. Rec…
Ally Hamie
Chemistry Instructorahamie1@asu.edu
My doctoral studies, with an emphasis on leadership for higher education (EdD), have equipped me with the necessary professional skills and qualitative and quantitative statistical analysis perspectives. Additionally, my focus on research, with…
Mary Kahraman
Research Assistantmkahrama@asu.edu
Bio: Mary is a first-generation Assyrian college student from Guatemala.
Chris Mead
Assistant Research Scientistcjmead1@asu.edu
Bio: I am an Assistant Research Scientist in the School of Earth & Space Exploration and the Center for Education Through Exploration at Arizona State Univeristy. I received my PhD in Isotope Geochemistry and Disciplin…
Barret Michalec
Associate Professor, Director - Center for Advancing Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research (CAIPER)
Barret.Michalec@asu.edu
Bio: A sociologist by training, Michalec’s research examines socialization and professionalization processes and mechanisms nested within health professions education and practice – most notably those impacting socio-emoti…
Fabio Milner
School of Mathematics Center Director & Professormilner@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Fabio Milner studies structured population models, including demography, epidemics, ecology, and tumor growth. Populations are usually structured by age (demographic and/or age-of-disease), and may also be structu…
Tasneem Mohammed
Masters Studenttmohamm2@asu.edu
Bio: Tasneem is a first-generation and transfer student born in Phoenix, Arizona, originally from Palestine. At Arizona State University, Tasneem is pursuing a B.S. degree and Master's degree in Biological Sciences with a conce…
Jynx Pigart
PhD Candidatecpigartc@asu.edu
Growing up in NY and NC, Jynx later earned her BS in Biology & Psychology at East Carolina University.
Saumya Ramanathan
Assistant Professor of GeneticsSaumya.Ramanathan@asu.edu
I am a cancer-biologist by training and my lab studies the expression patterns and biochemical function of group of genes that are aberrantly expressed in many cancers. Our future goals, in addition to cancer research, is to identify equitable…
Darryl Reano
Assistant ProfessorDarryl.Reano@asu.edu
Bio: Darryl Reano is an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration. Reano's research is focused on creating culturally relevant educational environments using Indigenous research frameworks. Before jo…
Rod D. Roscoe
Associate Professorrod.roscoe@asu.edu
Bio: I am a queer, able-bodied (ish) person of the global majority. I enjoy reading, video games, and television, typically with a science fiction or fantasy theme. I also enjoy amateur nature photography and collage art p…
Teona Savic
Undergraduate researchertsavic@asu.edu
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Teona moved to Arizona to pursue a B.S.
Dina Verdín
Assistant Professordina.verdin@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Dina Verdín is trained in the fields of Engineering Education and Industrial Engineering. She is a Mexican-American, Southern California native who was the first in her family to attend college (i.e., first-genera…
Nicholas Wiesenthal
Lead of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsnwiesent@asu.edu
Bio: Nick is a Research Specialist from Orlando, Florida who moved to pursue his graduate degree at Arizona State University in Fall 2022 and graduated in Fall 2023 with an M.S. in Biology. Nick transferred from George Mason Un…
Core research team
Carly Busch
PhD Studentcabusch@asu.edu
Bio: Carly grew up in Houston, TX and earned her BA in Biology at Whitman College. After teaching introductory biology labs at the University of Washington in Seattle, Carly realized her interest in undergraduate biology education. She is currently a PhD student at ASU and is broadly interested in research to make undergraduate learning environments more equitable and…
Baylee Edwards
PhD Student, RISE Center Liaison to the Teaching Innovation Center
baedwa10@asu.edu
Bio: Baylee was born and raised in Chandler, Arizona. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology and Society from Arizona State University in 2021 and is now continuing her education at ASU as she works towards an M.S. in Biology and Society. Baylee fell in love with biology during high school, and her goal is to one day become a teacher and give other students that same passion…
Emma Goodwin
Postdoctoral Scholarecgoodw1@asu.edu
Bio: Originally from Vacaville, California, Emma completed a B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA, where she became involved as a student in both independent faculty-mentored undergraduate research and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). After finishing her undergraduate degree, Emma taught upper-division CUREs as a non-…
Mary Kahraman
Research Assistantmkahrama@asu.edu
Bio: Mary is a first-generation Assyrian college student from Guatemala.
Sam Maas
Undergraduate Researchersmaas1@asu.edu
Bio: Sam is a senior majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Biology and Society and minoring in Public Service and Policy. In their free time, Sam enjoys spending time with their cats and playing on ASU’s quidditch team.
Research: Sam is interested in making biology more equitable for all students and has focused their…
Taya Misheva
PhD Studentamisheva@asu.edu
Bio: Taya was born in Ukraine and grew up in Chicago, IL, where she received a B.A. in Anthropology from Northwestern University. Taya then came to Arizona State University, where she received an M.A. in Evolutionary Anthropology and is currently working on a certificate in Scientific Teaching in Higher Education. Taya spends my free time cross-stitching, inventing sci-fi…
Tasneem Mohammed
Masters Studenttmohamm2@asu.edu
Bio: Tasneem is a first-generation and transfer student born in Phoenix, Arizona, originally from Palestine. At Arizona State University, Tasneem is pursuing a B.S. degree and Master's degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Biology and Society, and on a Pre-health track. Due to her passion for education and medicine, Tasneem plans on continuing her studies to…
Joseph Gazing Wolf
Doctoral Research Fellow (NSF GRFP Ph.D. Student)jgwolf1@asu.edu
Bio: Joseph Gazing Wolf is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe with mixed race Black Seminole and Amazigh heritage. His life’s work is located at the interface of Indigenous lifeways and colonial cultures. His early journey from landless abject poverty and starvation revealed the vast indignities that Indigenous peoples have endured under colonial rule.
Affiliates
Ariel Anbar
President's Professoranbar@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Ariel Anbar is a President’s Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of Molecular Sciences. He is a geochemist exploring Earth's past and future as an inhabited world, and the prospects fo…
Mitra Asgari (she/her)
Biology Lecturer and Researchermasgari1@asu.edu
Website
Bio: I identify myself as an Iranian female biology college teacher and researcher. I am a passionate and critically reflective teacher, a strong advocate of student-centered and inclusive teaching with the hope to improve…
Ara Austin
Director of Online Engagement & Strategic Initiatives - The College, Clinical Assistant Professor
Ara.Austin@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Ara Austin received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Minors in Psychology and Communication Studies in 2011 and Ph.D. in Chemistry Education in 2018, all from Arizona State University. As the Director of Online Engage…
Karin Ellison
Clinical Professorkarin.ellison@asu.edu
Karin Ellison's research, teaching and program development activities span the areas of research ethics, ethics education development and the history of American science and technology. As director of the Life Science Ethics Program within the…
Leah Gerber
Founding Directorleah.gerber@asu.edu
Website
Leah Gerber is a professor of conservation science in the School of Life Sciences and founding director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at Arizona State University. Gerber’s research, teaching, and leadership advance the integration of…
Sharon Hall
President's Professorsharonjhall@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Sharon J. Hall is an ecosystem scientist who explores the ecology of native and managed ecosystems that sustain people and other organisms within the community of life.
Tiffany Lewis
PhD Candidateecotlewis@asu.edu
Bio: Tiffany currently is a professor and instructional designer for the Online Master’s Program in the School of Life Sciences (SOLS). She also works with the Teaching and Learning Center in SOLS, focusing on supporting i…
Keon M. McGuire
Associate Professor & Program Co-Coordinatorkeon.mcguire@asu.edu
Bio: Dr. Keon M. McGuire (he/him/his) is an Associate Professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and a Faculty Affiliate with the School of Social Transformation. He holds a joi…
Amy Pate
Director of Learning DesignAmy.Pate@asu.edu
Bio: Amy is the Director of Learning Design for the College of Global Futures. Her passion is developing high quality inclusive courses that effectively implement emerging technologies for all students. She promotes collab…
Jessica Verpeut
Assistant Professorjverpeut@asu.edu
Website
As an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, my research focuses on the development of cerebellar neural circuits and structure. The lab uses cutting edge techniques to manipulate neurons in specific parts of the brain to examine resul…