The leadership team brings extensive experience in developing teachers and leaders.

PI Anne Papakonstantinou, Ed.D., RUSMP Director and Clinical Professor of Mathematics, Wiess School of Natural Sciences, has over 40 years of experience in K-16 mathematics education as an award-winning mathematics teacher, curriculum developer, and PD leader, including 20+ years as RUSMP Director leading large education and research projects.

Co-PI Richard Tapia, Ph.D., University Professor of CAAM, Director of the Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity, and 2011 National Medal of Science awardee, brings over 40 years of experience developing student programs that focus on increasing the participation of URMs in STEM careers.

Co-PI Judy Radigan, Ph.D., is the director of the Rice University Teacher Education Program. She is also a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Houston where she coordinates the Cultural Studies program for the College of Education. She spent more than 20 years teaching high school English, debate, speech, drama, and ESL in Texas. She also served as an elementary school principal for five years. She served as an evaluator for the Rice Elementary Science Lab and for 6 Even Start programs for recent immigrants and their children in the Houston area.

Co-PI Adem Ekmekci, Ph.D., RUSMP Director of Research and Evaluation and Clinical Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Wiess School of Natural Sciences, has more than 10 years of research experience, both quantitative and qualitative, in STEM education. Ekmekci has developed research and evaluation designs and conducted research and evaluation of several programs funded by private, non-profit, and federal institutions.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1556006.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.