Ayana Allen-Handy, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Urban Education and the Founder/Director of the Justice-oriented Youth (JoY) Education Lab at Drexel University’s School of Education. A native Philadelphian and former elementary school teacher and high school counselor, Dr. Allen-Handy's 19-year career has been dedicated to social justice urban education. She received a PhD in Education Curriculum & Instruction, Specializing in Urban Education from Texas A& M University, a MEd from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double majoring in Management & Society and Spanish. She is also a former Post-Doctoral Fellow of The Urban Education Collaborative at UNC-Charlotte.

 Kimberly Sterin is a Ph.D. student focused on Educational Leadership and Policy at Drexel University’s School of Education. After teaching middle and high school English in two Title I public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland for seven years, she decided to become a driver of the research that influences educational policy. Sterin earned a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education through their School Immersion Master of Arts in Teaching (SIMAT) program. She also holds two undergraduate degrees in English Language & Literature and Spanish Language & Literature, as well as a minor in Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry, from the University of Maryland, College Park. Sterin was awarded the Johns Hopkins Dr. Diane Tobin Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2017. As a member of the JoY Ed Lab, Sterin is committed to advocating for equitable distribution of educational resources.

 Destiny Bugg has spent the past several years as an arts administrator and coordinator in the non-profit sector of Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Drexel University, class of 2019, and is heavily involved in the arts. She is an advocate for arts education and strives to support educational programming in various aspects of her life. Destiny is specifically focused on continuing to make the arts accessible and increasing exposure in communities where the arts disproportionately lack funding. She has multiple years of experience as a dance teacher for the youth and also as a company member for a Philadelphia dance company, Danse4Nia. Destiny is now the Project Coordinator for Black Girls STEAMing through Dance, an interdisciplinary program that encourages and engages young Black girls in dance, design, and coding activities.

Tajma Cameron is a PhD candidate in the School of Education at Drexel University pursuing her degree in Education Leadership and Policy. Prior to arriving at Drexel, Tajma earned a BS in Biology from Temple University, an MS in Biotechnology Studies, and an MAT with a Biology certification from UMGC. In addition to being a doctoral student, Tajma is a certified Biology teacher (7th-12th grade) in Maryland and Pennsylvania and worked as a science and math teacher teaching a range of courses to 9th-12th grade students. Tajma’s overall research focuses on how culturally affirming, sustaining, and creative instructional practices and curriculum can be utilized to cultivate and nurture Black girls’ STEM identity in formal school settings and informal STEM environments.  

 
Karena Alane Escalante is a doctoral candidate from Los Angeles, California. Before attending Drexel University School of Education, she earned her B.A. in psychology from Grinnell College in Iowa and her M.S.Ed. from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. After teaching for five years in Oahu, Hawai’i, Karena became interested in assessing the various ways in which ELL policies on a federal level impact rural learning communities. Her research interests involve advocating for non-native English students and illuminating their cultural relevance at multiple levels of the education system. As a woman of color and first generation Ph.D. candidate, Karena is passionate about dismantling systems of oppression within academia.  

 Isaiah Lassiter is a Philadelphia native and an alumnus of a Philadelphia Charter school that stood for Excellence, No Excuses! He earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Business in 2012 from the Pennsylvania State University and began a career as a Human Resources Professional. In 2014, he moved to the Washington, DC metro area, where he started his graduate studies and earned a Master of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology in 2016. As an I-O Psychology Practitioner, he focused on Talent Management and Organizational Development. He entered the field of education through his employment with the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), where he supported the district’s high schools and its Central Services. Now at Drexel University, he is interested in exploring the motivations of disengaged youth to develop culturally relevant programs to re-engage them socially, emotionally, and academically and how technology can assist with the staging and sequencing of curriculum for improved instruction and learning experiences. He looks forward to expanding his I-O Psychology knowledge, skills, abilities, and cultural competencies in an educational context to enhance leadership and policy globally.

 
Katie Mathew is a PhD candidate in Educational Leadership and Policy at Drexel University’s School of Education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Arts in Child Study and Education from the University of Toronto. Prior to embarking on doctoral studies, she was an elementary school educator for seven years in a variety of school contexts both in Canada and the United States. Her dissertation research focuses on families’ and children’s beliefs about kindergarten readiness in a historically marginalized neighborhood. She draws upon both quantitative and qualitative methods and considers herself an emerging mixed methodologist. Through the JoY lab she is involved in projects related to supporting the advancement of underrepresented women of color in STEM and promoting civic engagement and civic infrastructure through arts-based participatory action strategies in West Philadelphia.  

 
Neisha Young is a doctoral student in the Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Policy program at Drexel University. She has over 12 years of experience as a middle and high school English Language Arts educator in Jamaica and the United States, where she operated in various teaching and leadership roles. She holds a teaching diploma in Double Option English from Shortwood Teachers College in Jamaica, in addition to a BA in English from Georgia State University (summa cum laude) and an MA in English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her research focuses on exploring the intersectional identities of immigrant students and exploring ways in which critical multiliteracies can be utilized as a platform for immigrant youth to navigate dominant discourses about their identities.  

 Professor Brooks has close to 30 years of experience as an educator, facilitator, presenter, and trainer in the areas of experiential learning, professional development, civic engagement, and cross-cultural communication. Since 2007, she has served as the Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and a Professor of Law at the Drexel University’s Kline School of Law. Professor Brooks has written extensively and has conducted workshops in the U.S. and across the globe to promote “Relational Lawyering,” an integrative humanistic approach to legal practice and education aimed at positive social change. She received her J.D. degree from New York University in 1990, an M.A. in clinical social work from the University of Chicago in 1984, and earlier received a B.A. from the same university. She is a member of the Pennsylvania bar, a family mediator, and a trained peacemaking circlekeeper, and maintains her social work certification.

 Uk Jung is an architect and educator in the Department of Architecture, Design, & Urbanism. He founded a design and consultation practice in 2016 in Philadelphia. His research is focused on the availability of affordable housing and affordable commercial spaces in underserved communities undergoing rapid development and gentrification.

 Jacqueline Genoves, PhD is Vice President, Center for STEAM Equity at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. She has worked in the department since 1991 and has dedicated 25 years to refining the WINS model. Her research specialty focuses on out-of-school opportunities in STEM for under-represented populations. Genovesi has been a charter partner in the Philadelphia Informal Science Education Collaborative (PISEC) since 1991 and a Co-PI on two NSF-funded PISEC projects (ESI-0337266; DRL-0840230) to train community-based mentors in STEM education from under-resources neighborhoods. She was recently appointed Team Captain for ANSDU’s role in iPAGE, the Science Museum of Minnesota’s leadership program, “Developing a Model for Broadening Participation in Informal STEM Institutions” (NSF #1612640).

 Kristine S. Lewis Grant, Ph.D. is a Clinical Professor of Multicultural and Urban Education in the School of Education at Drexel University. Prior to joining the Drexel faculty, she was a Research Associate with Research for Action. She earned a PhD in Urban Education from Temple University, a MEd from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a BA from Knox College. Her research interests include culturally and linguistically diverse family engagement in urban schools, and recruitment and retention of teachers of color. She is a member of the board and former president (2017 - 2020) of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education.

 Dr. McGhee Hassrick is an assistant professor with the Life Course Outcomes Research Program at the A. J. Drexel Autism Institute.  She received her masters and doctoral degrees in Sociology from the University of Chicago and a masters in Education from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

 Dr. Deanna Hill is Associate Clinical Professor at Drexel University. She has taught policy, leadership, and research courses at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels in hybrid and online formats. Additionally, Dr. Hill has served in a number of leadership roles at Drexel, including Capstone Coordinator; Director of the Master of Science in Higher Education program; and Director of the award-winning Education Doctorate (EdD) in Educational Leadership and Management program.  Dr. Hill’s work history is diverse.  She was Senior Technical Assistance Consultant at the American Institutes for Research where she was the Equity and Talent Development Lead for the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders, led projects for the Southeast Comprehensive Center, and served as the sub-practice area lead for school choice research and technical assistance.  Dr. Hill was Senior Policy Analyst at West Wind Education Policy Inc. where she conducted research and authored reports on a number of critical issues in education, including education workforce development and racial equity.  She worked as a research and evaluation specialist in the Title I Division of the Georgia Department of Education where she conducted research to inform and support the implementation of state policy.  She also conducted research for a number of organizations, including the Center on Education Policy and the RAND Corporation.  Dr. Hill’s current research focuses on the educator workforce and specifically on the recruitment and retention of teachers of color across contexts.  Her work has been published in online and print journals, and she recently published co-authored book chapters on the recruitment and retention of teachers of color in rural contexts and on the equity implications of school choice policy in the U.S.  Dr. Hill earned a B.A. in Political Science (with a certificate in African Studies) from the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts in 1994, a J.D. (Law) from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Administrative and Policy Studies (Education) from the University of Pittsburg School of Education in 2006.  Dr. Hill practiced law in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s and is a member of the Texas Bar Association.  She currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

 Valerie Ifill is an active dance artist, educator and researcher interested in the intersection of dance and community as well as making dance more accessible. Valerie is an independent collaborative dance artist and Associate Teaching Professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Her work in higher education is focused on university-community dance education initiatives and using the Africanist perspective to support university dance curriculum. Her written research is centered on university-community partnerships; race and power in education; and making dance accessible. Valerie has founded and directed university-community dance programs at Drexel University through Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships in Philadelphia, PA, and at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC. Certified to teach Inside-Out Prison Exchange courses, facilitating classes for groups of university students and incarcerated citizens. Black Girls STEAMing through Dance is a collaborative project making Dance, Code, and Making with electronic textiles accessible to 7-12 year old African American girls. This research has been presented nationally and internationally. Valerie earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Oregon, completed the Independent Study Program at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a Dance minor from Kent State University.

 Kirsten Kaschock is a poet, a novelist, a critic, and an editor who works in several genres but whose work consistently addresses intersections between language and body. Her most recent book of poetry, The Dottery, won the Donald Hall Poetry Prize from the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). She is currently the editor-in-chief of thINKing DANCE, an online journal produced by a consortium of dance writers in the Philadelphia Area.

 John is the Executive Director of Drexel University’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships. He has a background in community engagement and public health and is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist. He works from the belief that a community’s health is greatly affected by both its socioeconomic environment and socio-behavioral factors. He grew up in DC in neighborhoods much like the ones he serves today. He graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Kinesiology and completed a Biomedical Sciences program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He served in multiple positions while working at Quality Community Health Care, Inc in North Philadelphia: Front desk; Office Manager; and finally, as a Care Manager. This final position brought him together with other health professionals in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Chronic Care Initiative, where they aimed to find ways to reduce cost, improve access and improve the quality of care. He later took a position as the Fitness & Wellness Trainer at Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University. He received his Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University in 2015, and with it continued to spread a culture of health. That year, he was promoted to Director of Community Health and Wellness, tasked with leading the center in its engagement with the community and local strategic partnerships; creating marketing and communication strategies; planning community based health events and programming; and evaluating feedback from the community about how the center can improve its effectiveness. In 2017, he helped lead a team of city health professionals, in partnership with a Pennsylvania State Representative, in its planning of a 2-day LEARN Conference (Leveraging Emotional wellness And Resiliency Networks). Currently he leads the Dornsife Center in its mission to harness the power of the University, partnering with local communities for matters of shared importance.

 Sherri L. Manson is a Program Administrator and she works closely with the Associate Deans in Office of the Dean in the School of Education.  Sherri joined Drexel in 2009.  She began in the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture as the Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator to Program Administrator and then transitioned to the School of Education in 2011.  Currently, she has been the Co-Chair of SoE’s Critical Conversation in Urban Education (CCUE) since 2016 (and a member since 2012).  She is a Co-PI on a recently awarded Rapid Research Racial Equity grant from the Office of Research and Innovation at Drexel.  She was invited to join the ANS’ IDEAL Charter Team in 2019 and is a member of the Training and Event Sub-committee.  In addition, she is one of four Co-Chairs on the SoE Dean’s Equity Leadership Team to focus on issues of systemic and structural racism in our school and over the year laying out a transformation plan within the School to ensure that we sustain a diverse and inclusive community that maintains anti-racism throughout all of our systems. Ms. Manson received a B.A. degree from Sweet Briar College and a M.B.A. degree from Keller Graduate School of Business.

As a registered architect, fine artist and certified interior designer; Dee researches, designs, and advocates for services and strategies to bring health and the security of living spaces to people in urban environments. In 2013 Dee established Integral Living Research (ILR), an umbrella Lab that houses her research on housing and the scholarship on process and inter-professional teaching. The impetus for the ILR Lab is her transdisciplinary collaborative research practice that focuses on human health in the urban environment, while at the same time, training students across disciplinary boundaries to use qualitative design research processes and experimentation in working towards socially responsive change. Dee is the director of the MS Design Research program, and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. She then received an MFA from the University of the Arts and is a registered architect, an NCIDQ certificate holder and LEED Green Associate. In summer 2017 she became a doctoral student at Antioch University under the topic of equity and change in design education. For almost ten years, she ran a solo practice in Philadelphia executing residential interiors, experimental materials reuse, storefront revitalization, space planning and adaptive interior nonprofit reuse and also holds a certificate in Health and Design from Cornell University.

 Michelle L. Rogers, PhD is a program officer at the National Science Foundation in the Computing and Networking Systems division of the CISE directorate. There she is working on the Broadening Participation efforts with the Education and Work Force working group. In addition, she is an associate professor in the College of Computing and Informatics at Drexel University. For over 15 years, Dr, Rogers has used human factors engineering methods and socio-technical systems theory to study the impact of health information technology (HIT) on clinical workflow and usability of technology with and by medically under-served populations.  Most recently, Dr. Rogers has been investigating the usability and utility of patient portals and electronic medical records. Internationally, her investigations are focused on HIT in Uganda health systems. In addition, she is collaborating with faculty from industrial design, dance and education to understand how making, arts, and coding can assist in making the realization of a career in STEM fields achievable – BlackGirlsSteamingthroughDance (BGSD).

 Raja Schaar, IDSA is Program Director and Assistant Professor of Product Design at Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. She also co-chairs IDSA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. She is an industrial designer with an extensive background in museum exhibit design and healthcare design who is passionate about ways design can make positive impact on society at the intersections of health equity, the environment justice, and STEAM education. Raja’s interdisciplinary research focuses on addressing inequities in maternal health through wearable technology; methods for engaging black girls and underrepresented minorities in STEM/STEAM through design and technology and dance; innovation and entrepreneurship education; and biologically-inspired design and sustainability. Raja studies the ethical implications of design and technology through the lenses of science fiction and speculative design.

 Rachel Wenrick is an Associate Teaching Professor of English and Founding Director of Writers Room, a university-community literary arts program at Drexel University. She has worked as a waitress, a roofer, and a personal assistant. All of these jobs required paying attention. Being a writer has trained her to look for the through-lines that intersect to make a larger narrative. She received an MFA from Columbia University’s School of the Arts and is co-author of singer and activist Angelique Kidjo’s memoir, Spirit Rising.

 Christopher G. Wright is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, & Curriculum in Drexel University’s School of Education and co-Director of the In/Formal Learning Linking Engineering, Science, & Technology (ILLEST) Lab at the ExCITe Center. His research deploys critical perspectives while engaging in design-based research that looks to enhance learning and identity development opportunities in k-12 engineering and science learning environments. This work investigates the cultural and political elements within informal and formal learning spaces that could potentially impact the experiences of and learning opportunities afforded to those from historically excluded communities in STEM. Understanding how intersections of race, class, gender, & language can impact learning opportunities, this work looks to reimagine engineering & science learning environments as opportunities for affirming, cultivating, and building upon the intellectual & linguistic resources that research partners bring to the context. Dr. Wright is a 2019 recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

 Carol Richardson McCullough is a Founding Member of Writers Room who has been an integral part of each stage of the program’s growth—from its regular programming to the NEA-funded festival celebrating the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston to TRIPOD, an intergenerational photo-essay project. Her work as Cultural Liaison has helped forge partnerships with institutions including The Free Library of Philadelphia and Mural Arts Philadelphia. Her work as a researcher on the Corporation for National and Community Service study (now AmeriCorps) utilizes her expertise as a writer and her experience as a secondary language arts teacher. Holding a BA in Language Arts, Marshall University ’76, she is Old School. Vintage.

 Rebecca Rose is a resident of West Phila., and a member of Dornsife DCAC. She hold a M.S. in Human Services from Springfield College and a B.F.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University. She has work as an artist, art therapist and director of children and older adult services. She co-hosted Juneteenth events with Petersburg National Battlefield for ten years and in so doing founded in 2011 Hopewell Museum of Art and Intercultural History which has emerged into the Humanity Museum of Art and Intercultural History in Philadelphia. Lending her experience, she is delighted to participate in this Critical Race Dialogue project team.

 Marie Wilkins-Walker has been teaching for over 25 years. Teaching and learning in the classroom and the community begins with the students. Student choice and student voice is a mandatory component of the WPHS community and blends well with educating the whole student. Committed to focusing on College and Career Readiness, research and active engagement are the cornerstones to success in developing lifelong learners. My mission for students is to be successful in their communities and partnering with Dr. Ayana Allen-Handy and her team are the ultimate best fit! The Preserving History and Research Project provides our students with real world real time experiences. I am excited and will remain committed to our continued success.

 De'Wayne Drummond has been involved in family and community engagement and leadership for most of his adult life. He has served his community in a wide variety of roles. He has served as the Chairman of the 24th Ward Democratic Executive Committee from 2010 to the present, Committee and the President of the Mantua Civic Association since 2012. His passion for serving the children and families of his community and the City of Philadelphia has been realized in his increased involvement in the development of the Mantua Transformation Plan, completing the Citizen’s Planning Committee Institute and the completion of the Mayor’s Office of Community Services, Fatherhood Initiative. Furthermore, his ongoing participation in the Promise Zone Initiative Collaborative Engagement efforts has insured that his community and constituents remain current and involved. Over the last 14 years, DeWayne worked his way from volunteer, to intern, to Head Start Policy Council and currently a full-time employee in the Office of Head Start of the School District of Philadelphia.

 Alysha (Aly) Friesen Meloche is a Ph.D. candidate and research assistant at Drexel University’s School of Education. Her research interests include formal and informal art education, creativity, and aesthetics in interdisciplinary contexts. She is currently completing a dissertation exploring how knowing the identity of an artist changes the emotions that one experiences while looking at their work, particularly when aspects of identity are shared. She would like to study approaches to art education and the history of art that instill creative confidence and identity in students. Some of the areas that interest her are the significance of learning about one’s cultural and identity-specific visual heritage, and the effect of being taught the creative process through examples from history. Before joining Drexel University, Meloche earned both her B.A. and M.A. in Art History from Temple University. Her Master’s focus was on Late Antique architecture. She then worked for five years as an adjunct Art History and design professor. She wishes to research ways that people are making Art and Art History education accessible and valuable.

 Rasheda Likely, Ph.D. (JoY Ed. Lab Alumni) is a native of Pensacola, FL. She earned both her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Biology from the University of North Florida. Prior to her doctoral studies at Drexel University, she worked as a medical scientist for the Florida Department of Health where she performed testing during the Zika virus outbreak. While attending Drexel, she has been pivotal in the development and implementation of seven different science curricula across the Greater Philadelphia Area. Over 400 elementary and middle school students have participated in these science programs, two of which were grant funded by the US Department of Education. Dr. Likely's research passions include developing decolonized science curricula and culturally sustaining assessments. She recently defended her dissertation research titled "Lotions and Potions: Exploring Black Girls' Engagement in and Perceptions of Science Practices through Hair Care". She will begin as an Assistant Professor of Science Education at Kennesaw State University in the Fall of 2020. Dr. Rasheda Likely takes great delight in imagining and creating learning experiences that reflect the brilliance of minoritized students.

 Ague Mae Manongsong is a PhD. Candidate in the Educational Leadership track. Prior to her doctoral studies, Ague Mae earned her BA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Sacramento State University and an MA in Organizational Behavior and Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University. In addition to her research activities, she is also an editorial board member for SOE’s Emerging Voices in Education Journal, as well as lead the development of online feminist mentoring workshops. Her current research interests center on the different applications of mentoring for the purposes of increasing the likelihood of positive leadership and career outcomes for women and women of color, as well as other marginalized groups. Specifically, Ague Mae seeks to explore how these different populations utilize and benefit from mentoring.

 Monique ‘Moe’ Woodard is a third year PhD student in the School of Education. She earned her Bachelors' from Wilkes University, completing a dual major in Integrative Media and Theatre. She earned her Masters in Digital Media, and continues to integrate her digital media background in her research. She also has several years of experience working at summer outdoor and indoor camps, serving as a director. Her research focuses on facilitating creative processes in Black girls as they learn to design and code virtual reality environments.

 Jaaziel Cooper is a rising second year BSBA student in Drexel University's Lebow College of Business. She has been active in the Drexel community as a Student Advocate in the Student Center for Diversity & Inclusion and is an Undergraduate Research Fellow working with the JoY Education Lab through the STAR Scholars program. Her research focuses on the various types of funding currently used in the United States education system and methods of optimizing current structures in order to achieve consistent student success and equality.