Steven is a NASA STEM EPDC (Educator Professional Development Collaborative) Specialist housed in the LBJ Institute of STEM Education and Research at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He currently holds a Master’s Degree in Infrastructure Planning and Management from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Neuropsychology from Georgia College and State University. Steven is beginning work on his PhD in Biology in the Fall. The primary focus of his current work is in supporting Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in inspiring the next generation of NASA scientists from among historically disenfranchised groups. Steven helps to develop, package, and deliver STEM curriculum that translates the work and discoveries of NASA for use in the classroom and helps teachers to make it more accessible to all students. He is working with university pre-service educators, in-service, pre-service, and informal teachers to help them create culturally responsive lessons that will create engagement with students that have previously felt left out of the amazing work that NASA is doing. Steven worked in K-12 education for nearly 20 years, most recently as Life Sciences Chair at a minority serving inner city school in Georgia. He has taught Biology, Forensic Science, Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, Earth and Space Science, and Physical science to special education, regular education, honors, and AP students in Georgia, Washington, and New Jersey. | |
Deepika is a NASA Education Professional Development Specialist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. She works to support education in eleven East Coast states ranging from Virginia to Maine. Deepika has worked in STEM Education in various capacities – as a researcher, educator, outreach coordinator, member of a non-profit startup, and K-8 Educator. She has enjoyed building diverse experiences in STEM education and hopes to add unique value to Educator Profession Development at NASA. Deepika has degrees in Electrical Engineering from University of Mysore, India (Bachelors), University of Maryland, College Park (Maters), and Purdue University (Ph. D.) where she researched how to teach fundamental disciplinary concepts in Electrical Engineering. | |
