Mayor Coral Evans was elected as Mayor in November 2016. Although new to the position of Mayor, Ms. Evans is not new to the Flagstaff City Council. She was first elected to serve on the Flagstaff City Council in 2008 and reelected in 2012. She served as Vice Mayor of the City from 2012-2014.

She is the third generation of her family to live in Flagstaff. Her family (the Dorsey’s) has been an active part of the Flagstaff and greater Northern Arizona community since the early 1900’s. Mayor Evans currently lives in a house that her grandfather built in 1942 in Flagstaff’s historic Southside neighborhood.

In addition to serving on Council, Ms. Evans is the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization (the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association of Flagstaff, Inc.) and a small business owner (Destiney's Creations). Mayor Evans is also a published author (book title: A Conversation with Alma).

Presently Mayor Evans is pursuing a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in sustainability; she holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She has a Masters level certificate in Public Management and is nationally certified in public participation practices. Ms. Evans is a Flinn-Brown Fellow and a graduate of the Flagstaff Leadership Program. In 2018 she was awarded two additional fellowships; the Babson College Fellowship from the Lewis Institute of social innovation and the Hunt Kean fellowship.

Her recognitions include the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Athena Award, the United Way of Northern Arizona Community Builder Award, the Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council Cesar E. Chavez Community Award, the Soroptimist International AZ Peaks Ruby Award, the State of Black Arizona Community Luminary Award, the Arizona Informant Newsmaker Award, and the Arizona Community Action Association’s Margie Frost Champion Against Poverty Award.

Mayor Evans believes in a balanced approach to the stewardship of community resources and is passionate about creating opportunities that allow for civic engagement, civil discourse, community revitalization and genuine sustainability and advancement for Flagstaff citizens.

Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee is a fellow in the program’s Center for Technology Innovation and a contributor to TechTank. She comes to Brookings from the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), a national non-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity and civil rights in the mass media, telecommunications, and broadband industries, where she served as vice president and chief research and policy officer. In this role, she led the design and implementation of their research, policy, and advocacy agendas. Her most recent White Papers at MMTC included, “A Lifeline to High-Speed Internet Access: An Economic Analysis of Administrative Costs and the Impact on Consumers” (March 2016), “Guarding Against Data Discrimination in the Internet of Everything” (September 2015), “Refocusing Broadband Policy: The New Opportunity Agenda for People of Color” (November 2013).

Prior to joining MMTC, Dr. Turner-Lee was vice president and the first director of the Media and Technology Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the nation’s leading think tank on issues related to African Americans and other people of color. In this role, she led the technology research agenda that was focused on advancing digital equity and inclusion for historically disadvantaged populations. Her most notable work was her development of the first national minority broadband adoption study in 2009 that was later cited in the congressionally mandated Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan. Her other publications there included, “Minorities, Mobile Broadband, and the Management of Chronic Diseases” (April 2012), co-authored with Dr. Brian Smedley and Joseph Miller; “Place Matters: The Debate over Broadband Availability” (2011); and, “Increasing Civic Engagement in the Digital Age” (2010) which was published by the Federal Communications Commission Law Journal.

In addition to these and other publications, Dr. Turner-Lee has been cited in the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Communications Daily, Multichannel News, Washington Informer, among other print and online publications. She is also a widely sought expert and speaker on issues related to communications policies in media and at conferences, and she has testified before Congress. Dr. Turner-Lee was a two-time Digital Research Program Scholar as part of Time Warner Cable’s Cable Research Program in Communications and recipient of countless recognitions, including the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition (2015) and one of the Most Inspiring Women in Media from the Alliance of Women in Media (2014).

At the Center for Technology Innovation, Dr. Turner-Lee researches public policy designed to enable equitable access to technology across the U.S. and to harness its power to create change in communities across the world. Dr. Turner-Lee’s research also explores global and domestic broadband deployment, regulatory, and internet governance issues. She is also an expert on the intersection of race, wealth, and technology within the context of civic engagement, criminal justice, and economic development.

Dr. Turner-Lee graduated from Colgate University magna cum laude and has a M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University. She also holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Dr. Turner-Lee is a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology at Arizona State University. She also serves on the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy (ACICIP). In her free time, Dr. Turner-Lee is active on the boards of various nonprofit organizations, including the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC), the Washington Literacy Center, and STEM4US, which is committed to advancing diversity in the technology fields.

Ji Mi Choi serves as an associate vice president advancing corporate engagement, economic development, and entrepreneurship and innovation, utilizing her twenty-plus years of expertise in higher education at the intersection of entrepreneurial and public-private partnerships.

Previously, Choi served in various fast-paced and evolving roles at New York University: early in her career at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts before new media was new media; later at the Polytechnic University (now the Tandon School of Engineering at NYU), first serving as the chief of staff to the president and vice president for strategic initiatives, then later serving as the senior director of integration, leading the merger between the two institutions; and subsequently serving as the assistant vice president for global programs planning. Choi has also served at the world-renowned Earth Institute at Columbia University, ultimately as chief of staff and assistant deputy director.

A long-time New Yorker by way of Seoul and an avid internationalist, Choi has served in a leadership role for the United Nations Development Programme and in various capacities for numerous start-up organizations, both not-for-profit and for profit (helping take a company public in the early days of the dot-com boom), and has been involved in political campaigns.

Choi received her BA in English literature and communications from Marymount Manhattan College and her MS in strategic communications from Columbia University.

Dr. Maria Artunduaga is the Founder and CEO of Respira Labs, a startup focused on enhancing the quality of life for people living with Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease through transformative technology.

An accomplished physician-scientist turned entrepreneur, Maria graduated top of her class from Colombia’s premier Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, ranked fifth among Latin American medical schools. She moved to the United States to pursue postdoctoral training, first at Harvard’s Department of Genetics then at the universities of Washington and California in Berkeley-San Francisco, where she obtained master's degrees in Public Health and Translational Medicine respectively.

As a former plastic and reconstructive surgery candidate at the University of Chicago, Maria’s clinical interests remain at the intersection of medicine, technology, policy, and education. She believes her multifaceted training has been crucial for her newly minted entrepreneurship career. Maria has over 12 years of combined clinical, research and technology experience, during which she has led projects funded by NIH, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Colombian government, Haas School of Business, UCSF and UW Medicine.

Maria has been awarded over 20 grants, scholarships and prizes, has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine and Nature; and has presented her work internationally. She has received funding from the National Science Foundation and VentureWell. She also is a peer reviewer for scientific journals in her native Colombia. Currently, Maria is currently a Founder in Residence at UC Berkeley's start-up incubator programs, Skydeck and CITRIS Foundry, and an entrepreneur with STEM to Market: The AWIS Accelerator. She is also completing StartUp School at Y-combinator under the advisory track.

Allison Scott, PhD is the Chief Research Officer, leading a research team aiming to enhance diversity in the tech ecosystem through: (a) conducting landscape studies and research on interventions within educational settings and the technology workplace, and (b) disseminating effective research-based strategies, resources, and practices across the tech ecosystem. Prior to leading research at KCSI, Dr. Scott was the Program Leader for the NIH’s Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-funded Workforce Program, a set of three experimental initiatives implementing and examining the effectiveness of training, mentoring, and institutional development interventions to enhance diversity in biomedical research. Dr. Scott was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI), overseeing a research agenda examining barriers to the pursuit and completion of degrees and employment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among underrepresented populations. Her research examined the influence of perceived barriers and stereotypes in the sciences, the double-bind facing women of color, and the effectiveness of research-based interventions in improving STEM outcomes for underrepresented groups. In addition, Dr. Scott led the longitudinal evaluation of LPFI’s pre-college STEM intervention programs and is Principal Investigator for an NSF CE21 grant to increase access, success, and preparation in computer science for underrepresented students in California. In just 2 years, this project has demonstrated significant increases in the numbers of underrepresented students of color and girls completing computer science courses, taking the AP CS exam, and intending to major in CS in college. Dr. Scott holds a Ph.D. in Education, with a specialization in School Psychology, from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hampton University. Allison enjoys traveling, jogging, and drinking Diet Cokes.

Tracy has responsibility for leading the company’s social responsibility and compliance programs in the Americas (including the company’s operating portfolio in the U.S., Chile and Peru). She sets strategic direction and provides oversight for the function, including stakeholder engagement, social investment, social risk management and other sustainable development initiatives.

Tracy also serves as President of the Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation, the primary philanthropic vehicle of the company. The Foundation provides grants for programs that promote education, economic development, environmental stewardship, and health and wellness, and capacity with the goal of facilitating sustainable community development in the company’s areas of operation. She also oversees governance and serves on the boards of the company’s other charitable Foundations abroad.

Tracy has been with Freeport-McMoRan since 1997, originally with Phelps Dodge Corporation, which was acquired by Freeport-McMoRan in 2007. Prior to joining Phelps Dodge, she managed public affairs programs for the American Express Western Region Operations in Phoenix. She holds a bachelor’s degree in media arts from the University of Arizona, and an executive certificate in Global Management from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management.

She regularly participates in national and international forums related to social development, including the UN Equal Futures Partnership, the Asia Pacific Economic Council (APEC), and the former Clinton Global Initiative. Tracy has lead the company’s CSR practice to be recognized for its leadership and innovation. Freeport-McMoRan has been named to the Civic 50 list as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation for 5 consecutive years, and also to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens List.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) is a natural resources company headquartered in Phoenix, with geographically diverse assets in copper, gold, molybdenum, and cobalt, FCX is the world’s largest publicly traded copper producer, and the world’s largest producer of molybdenum. The company’s global workforce, comprised of employees and contractors, includes approximately 75,000 members.

Cecily Bee is a Diversity & Inclusion professional based in the Midwest region of the United States. Over the past five years, Cecily has worked with large corporations to develop and implement diversity recruitment initiatives and inclusion programs on a local and global scale. In her current role, Cecily partners with recruiting teams and business leaders to recruit and retain top, diverse talent for the organization.

Pamela is a dedicated Human Resources Professional with 20 years of progressive HR Management experience. She has extensive experience in employee relations, conducting internal investigations, writing and submitting position statements to the EEOC and the respective Civil Rights Divisions. In addition to her comprehensive knowledge and extensive hands on experience with complex HR matters, state and federal employment laws, Pamela is also a certified Title IX Coordinator/Investigator. Pamela earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston – Downtown. She received her certifications in Mediation and Advanced Mediation from the University of Houston Law Center.

In her spare time Pamela likes to travel, read and spend time with her family. Pamela is also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.

is a leader in education, innovation, and entrepreneurship with a track record of success in incubating and scaling new initiatives. In her current role as director at Arizona State University (ASU), Katherine initiates, develops, and leads strategic education initiatives in Entrepreneurship + Innovation in Knowledge Enterprise Development (KED). KED is responsible for advancing research, innovation, partnerships, entrepreneurship, and economic development for ASU. Katherine is also a faculty associate in the ASU College of Public Service & Community Solutions. Previously, she has served as faculty in the Fulton Schools of Engineering and Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College. Prior to joining ASU, Katherine served as an English teacher at Maryvale High School, where she designed and implemented an innovative, rigorous curriculum that resulted in unprecedented student growth and achievement. She entered the teaching profession in 2010 through Teach For America, an organization that seeks to raise student achievement in high-need schools. Katherine received her B.A. in political science from Purdue University and her M.Ed. in secondary education from ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.

Khadijah is a Sr. Program Coordinator, Middle School Programs for the Verizon Innovative Learning Middle School programs and Cisco Global Problem Solvers Program. She has also served as sr. program coordinator for the Verizon Innovative Learning (VIL) design thinking high school program. Prior to joining the Youth Entrepreneurship team, Khadijah served as a 7th and 8th grade Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teacher. On top of her experience as an educator in the classroom, Khadijah has extensive experience as a teacher leader. She has worked at the Teach for America (TFA) summer institute leading teacher professional development.

Through this role, she provided instructional coaching on evidence-based instruction, evaluated teacher performance, and provided targeted feedback to aid in the development of new teachers. Khadijah serves as the Co-Chair of the Executive Board Committee for the TFA Phoenix Collective Board and also serves on the TFA Regional Excellence Fellowship Selection Committee. Khadijah has Bachelors of Arts in Biology from DePauw University, Masters of Arts in Secondary Education from Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Masters of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University.

Quiana Dickenson is highly skilled and trained in conflict resolution, mediation, community conflict management, communication, training and public speaking. She serves as an adjunct professor of public administration and communication for several nationally and regionally accredited institutions. Quiana has worked with both for profit and non-profit organizations, facilitated seminars for government agencies and officials and is frequently called to advise in matters of effective communication and community conflict strategies. She is a member of several local and national community service and advocacy organizations such as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and the National Organization for Women. Quiana has also founded Tamar Communication Consulting, which advocates and trains individuals and organizations on effective communication, education, public policy and political initiatives and practices.

Quiana has worked with candidates seeking local and statewide office for years. Currently she is the Chair of the Arizona African American Caucus. Her political work includes; Regional Political Director for Arizona List and is now the Political Director for the Arizona Democratic Party, where she works with candidates, communities in winning elections and engaging with the community.

Tanaha Hairston is a technical business consultant that builds products/services from inception to revenue, using modern marketing, business development, and technical engineers.

Tanaha has launched two consumer product companies, Derivations and Blended Pure, from concept to profitable institutions. Derivations was a sold and Blended Pure has a monthly subscription customer base. Both businesses required sourcing manufacturing, packaging, to building profitable customer value proposition funnels to build both entities leanly and efficiently sourcing domestic and international contractors.

Prior to Blended Pure, Tanaha served as the Managing Director of the Thunderbird Angel Network. Tanaha’s professional experience began as a software engineer and transitioned to sales engineering, developing and selling voice, data, and video network solutions to Universities and Hospitals throughout the United States. Tanaha provides strategic consulting as a Venture Investor and business developer. She published an article, “Changing the Game of Venture Capital: Expert Insights” in the Journal of Private Equity. Tanaha holds a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from Arizona State University (ASU) and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of International Management. Her philanthropic efforts include educating high school and college students on the importance of entrepreneurship and engineering programs.

Ms. Kelley has a demonstrated professional passion for gender diversity in business and entrepreneurship ecosystems, as well as instructional design and program development. She earned her undergraduate degree in international relations from Mount Holyoke College (2005) where she focused on the social, economic and political dynamics of ethnic conflict. She then developed two pioneering financial education programs at REACH Community Development in Portland, Oregon. Both programs empowered different populations of affordable housing residents to think differently about their goals in relationship to their income and assets. After launching these programs, she earned a master’s degree in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC (2010). At SAIS, Ms. Kelley studied global entrepreneurship ecosystems and the factors that harm or help business launches and growth. Ms. Kelley then earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (2012), where she studied general management and corporate innovation. During her MBA, she interned at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore, Maryland, to assess progress in executive- and management-level gender diversification efforts and recommend methods for continued improvement. Upon graduation, Ms. Kelley joined IBM as a Senior Change and Learning Consultant, focusing on training design and implementation in the healthcare and hospitality industries. At the National Women’s Business Council, she served as the Director of Research and Policy, overseeing a research portfolio to further understanding of how policy can support the success of women entrepreneurs. She now works as an independent consultant, specializing in program development, instructional design, gender diversity, and process improvement.

Marilyn R. LaCount taught developmental mathematics courses and the algebra series for the Maricopa County Community Colleges District (MCCCD) as adjunct faculty from 1999 to 2013. She continued at South Mountain Community College as a project lead for Multiple Measures Pilot in the Division of Mathematics, Science and Engineering. As faculty associate in the School of Letters and Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU), she taught college mathematics. In ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, she taught mathematics methods courses for perspective teachers. From 1998 to 2012, she was actively certified in secondary education - mathematics for grades 7 to 12.

Dr. LaCount earned the Bachelor of Arts in Education in Mathematics and the Master of Education degree in Secondary Education – Mathematics, both from Arizona State University. In August 12, 2014, she completed the Ph.D. degree program in Curriculum and Instruction with a Concentration in Mathematics Education also at ASU.

Dr. LaCount began her ASU career in 1987. She began her Office of Youth Preparation (OYP) affiliation in 1990. OYP was one of the premiere educational and community outreach offices of the University. She remained at OYP, while serving in a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, until the disestablishment in 2011 of the Office of the Vice President for Education Partnership of which OYP was then a division. By that time, Dr. LaCount held the position of executive director of OYP. During her years at OYP (formerly known as Project PRIME), she developed and implemented a variety of programs and initiatives, especially in the area of mathematics and science. She also oversaw the operations and administration of ten (10) or more concurrent programs.

The following is a partial list of programs and initiatives that Dr. LaCount has developed, implemented, and/or administered. One such program is the Summer Math and African Culture Excursion which was featured in print and television news coverages. She has directed, developed or assisted in the development of many programs including AIMS Prep for Grades 3, 5, and 8; Math and Science Outreach program components; Math Start-Ups; Young Archaeologist Program; Leaps and Bounds: A Kindergarten Readiness Program and many other mathematics/science programs. For OYP’s Programs for Talented Youth, she developed courses such as Exploring Mars Odyssey; Fast-Paced Algebra; On the Move to Algebraic Thinking; Mathematics as Number Systems; and Combinatorics, Probability and Cribbage Play. She also developed numerous programs through inter- and intra-university partnerships and collaborations as well as in community outreach and consulting.

Dr. LaCount, a mathematics enthusiast, has established a new personal initiative, S.T.E.M. – Elation. Its goal is to “positively change S.T.E.M. attitudes, dispositions, and self-efficacies one child, one family one community at a time” - primarily in underserved communities. Through workshops for parents, teachers, and students; training sessions; professional development, and programming, she hopes to begin the change. Her second initiative, Granny’s Got Math, provides mathematics tutoring for remediation and enrichment.

Dr. Daniel D. Liou is an assistant professor at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. His research examines the sociology of educators’ expectations in fostering conditions to support equity and school reform at different stages in the pre-kindergarten to university (PK-20) educational pipeline. Dr. Liou is the author of twenty-eight peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and other publicly accessible scholarship. Dr. Liou primarily teaches in the educational leadership program. He is the recent recipient of the Social Justice Teaching Award in Educational Administration from the American Educational Research Association (LSJ SIG), and the Outstanding Promising Research Award from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. As a former Upward Bound student and McNair Post-baccalaureate (TRIO) mentor, Dr. Liou has more than twenty-five years of experience supporting equity initiatives and community-based research projects in Arizona, California, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Nevada.

Dr. Metcalf is Director of Research and Analysis for AWIS where she leads empirical work on gender and the STEM workforce. Her research contributes to the AWIS vision of positive system transformation in STEM. She has undergraduate degrees in applied mathematics and computer science (Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2003) and holds master’s degrees in computer science (The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005) and gender studies (University of Arizona, 2007). She earned her doctorate from the University of Arizona’s Center for the Study of Higher Education (2011), where she studied higher education science and technology policy. She utilizes her unique interdisciplinary background to conduct applied research on diversity and equity issues in STEM fields. Dr. Metcalf holds a patent on unconscious bias training materials for search committees. Throughout her career, she has utilized her work to influence change in academic, industry and public policy spaces and to train researchers and practitioners in building equity into their daily thought and work. Dr. Metcalf has research, policy, and programmatic expertise on myriad topics in STEM, such as bias; educational and workplace cultures; harassment and discrimination; innovation and entrepreneurship; pathways; workforce development; organizational and systemic change; recruitment and retention; equity across fields, sectors, and ranks; mentoring; sense of fit; self-efficacy; federal funding; institutional and federal policy; structural and cultural barriers; and work-life integration. She has appeared on: Public Radio International and The Atlantic to discuss sexism in science; National Public Radio and The Chronicle of Higher Education to provide expertise on harassment in STEM; and Scientific American to share insights on the policy implications of the GAO’s investigations of gender bias in federal research funding.

Dr. Sian Proctor is an analog astronaut, geoscientist, and science communicator with a passion for space exploration. She was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Program and is the only black female to live in three analog simulations (2-weeks in the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), 4-months in the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), and 2-weeks in the LunAres Moon Habitat). She is an international speaker who enjoys engaging in educational outreach. She is a 2018 Solar System Ambassador and was a 2016 Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador (ACEAP). She was also a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2017 Teacher at Sea and a 2014 PolarTREC Teacher investigating climate change in Barrow, Alaska. She did her 2012-13 sabbatical at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute developing their science of disasters curriculum. She has appeared in multiple international science shows and is currently a science demonstration expert on the Science Channel show Strange Evidence. Her areas of expertise are STEM education, sustainability, resiliency, faculty development, teaching with technology, disaster science, and diversity. She is a geology, sustainability, and planetary science professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Science Education.

As a member of the Isos Technology support team, Marielenna “Mary” Ramirez is one of the primary problem solvers for long-term Atlassian clients. She brings strong Atlassian and technical skills along with extensive helpdesk experience to clients’ aid.

Mary began her career in technology in 2011 when she enlisted in the United States ARMY, working primarily in the helpdesk. Over the course of her enlistment, she had the opportunity to explore a wide range of technologies in hardware, software and satellites. In 2015, Mary completed her service obligations and moved to Arizona with her husband and daughter. With an untraditional background in law and business, Mary continued to pursue her career in technology.

In addition to the aid Mary renders to Isos Technology’s clients, she is highly engaged in mentoring and teaching underrepresented students on different topics of STEM. She serves as the High School Program Director for the ChickTech Phoenix chapter and as a TECHNOLOchicas ambassador. She is involved in a wide range of organizations that bring education and opportunities in technology to those who might otherwise be missed.

Maria Reyes is the Vice President of Industry Partnerships for the Maricopa County Community College District, Chancellor’s Transformation Team. With over 25 years of experience ranging from student and academic affairs, to institutional development and as an adjunct faculty member, her emphasis is in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations in the STEM disciplines. One of her many notable career distinctions include being the program director for the Hermanas: Diseña Tu Futuro conference for junior and high school students aiming to increase the number of Latinas in engineering.

Previous positions include: Dean of Industry and Public Service at Phoenix College, Dean of Career and Technical Education at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Associate Dean for Occupational Education at Estrella Mountain Community College. While at Estrella Mountain, she established and served as the Director of the NASA Center for Success in Math & Science, funded by NASA. As an advocate of progressive and innovative programs, Reyes also served as the college’s Title V: Hispanic Serving Institution Department of Education Grant Director and co-authored its second Title V grant, which garnered Estrella Mountain nearly $3 million in support from 2008 - 2013. In addition, she also managed a $5.5 million federal grant from the US Department of Labor. In 1993, she served in several positions at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering for eight years, where she created and executed a successful student freshman engineering bridge program (from high school to university) with an 85-90% retention rate after three consecutive semesters.

Ms. Reyes is the author and contributing writer of over 20 academic publications with an emphasis in the social and cultural pedagogies of minorities in STEM environments. She has also designed leadership and outreach programs for women of color in STEM and has mentored countless women who have successfully pursued a STEM career. Her passion for education goes beyond the classroom, demonstrating not only her commitment to Maricopa County, but to one of the largest community college systems in the nation.

The Arizona native is a past fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a national program in which only 20 women are handpicked each year. During this fellowship, she participated in two of the top-ranked leadership development programs in the country: the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and the Center for Creative Leadership.

Ms. Reyes served on the Engineering Pathways Taskforce for the AZ STEM Initiative, a statewide effort to bring STEM programs to underserved areas and expand outreach. She has previously served as the Chairwoman for Hispanic Women’s Conference, the largest national conference for Latina professionals.

As an engineer, she designed the drainage system for Phoenix’s Pima Freeway, Loop 101, one of the most-traveled roads in the metropolitan area. She also spent several years in engineering consulting with a private firm and as an engineering intern with the Arizona Department of Transportation.

She holds a BSE and MSE in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Tom Rudin is the director of the Board on Higher Education and Workforce (BHEW) and director of the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM) at the National Academy of Sciences. BHEW provides government, academic and industry leaders with analyses and recommendations designed to inform action and public policy on issues in higher education and the workforce. CWSEM coordinates, monitors, and advocates actions to increase the participation of women in science, engineering, and medicine.

Prior to joining the National Academies, Mr. Rudin served as senior vice president for career readiness and senior vice president for advocacy, government relations and development at the College Board from 2006-2014. He was also vice president for government relations from 2004-2006 and executive director of grants planning and management from 1996-2004 at the College Board. Before joining the College Board, Mr. Rudin was a policy analyst at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

In 1991, Mr. Rudin taught courses in U.S. public policy, human rights, and organizational management as a visiting instructor at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. In the early 1980s, he directed the work of the Governor’s Task Force on Science and Technology for North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., where he was involved in several new state initiatives, such as the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Purdue University, and he holds master’s degrees in public administration and in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Valerie Taylor joined Argonne in 2017 as the director of the Mathematics and Computer Science Division. She received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1991. She then joined the faculty in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Northwestern University., where she was a professor for 11 years. In 2003, she joined Texas A&M, where she served as head of the computer science and engineering department and, most recently, as senior associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Engineering and a Regents Professor and the Royce E. Wisenbaker Professor in the Department of Computer Science.

Taylor is a fellow of both IEEE and ACM. She has received numerous awards, including the Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award for Scientific Scholarship. Civic Science, and Diversifying Computing.

Katherine Zuga is the Program Director for North American DreamBuilder, an online business plan program created by the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation in partnership with Thunderbird School of Global Management. In this capacity, she oversees program implementation and partnership development for DreamBuilder in the United States. She also manages Project DreamCatcher, a business training initiative for Native American women entrepreneurs. She has more than 20 years of experience launching and directing programs for education and non-profit organizations. She holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BSFS from Georgetown University’s School of Fo