Approaches to Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion in STEM Education & Research

Join us for this session by clicking the Join Meeting Link (online) or come in-person to 3503 Thomas Hall (Stephens room) at NC State's main campus.  Bagels and juice will be available prior to this session in the event room at 8:45 am.

Goal: The goal of this panel discussion is to discuss mechanisms to increase access to STEM opportunities in K-12 schools, particularly for underrepresented groups.  Panelists will share their perspectives and experiences to foster engagement of university faculty, students and staff in science outreach programs.

Jason Painter - Director, The Science House, NC State University

Dr. Jason Painter is the Director of The Science House, the outreach and engagement unit for the College of Sciences at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Dr. Painter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Arts degree in Science Education from East Carolina University (ECU). He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). Dr. Painter is in his 25th year of state service to the citizens of North Carolina. He began his career as a science and mathematics teacher at Farmville Central High School in Farmville, NC. He then directed ECU’s Center for STEM Education, leading efforts to improve STEM teaching and learning in eastern North Carolina schools. In 2002, Dr. Painter became the Assistant Director of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Center for Mathematics and Science Education, leading all aspects of an NSF project that built middle school math education leaders across North Carolina. During his time at Chapel Hill, he became very involved in the North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO). In 2006, Dr. Painter received funding from the North Carolina General Assembly and partnered with NC State to become the first paid Executive Director of NCSO. In Dr. Painter’s six years as NCSO’s leader, the program became the state's largest K-12 STEM academic competition, growing by 80 percent and reaching more than 600 schools and 12,000 students. In 2012, Dr. Painter took on the Director of The Science House role, where he leads efforts to create innovative K-12 teacher and student programs that inspire a passion for STEM learning, research, and discovery. Dr. Painter excels at developing outreach and engagement programs that connect scientific and non-scientific communities. He has received UNC-Chapel Hill’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the NC Science Leadership Association’s Herman Gatling Award for Outstanding Science Leadership in NC, the National Science Education Leadership Association’s Outstanding Leader in Science Education Award, and the NC Science Olympiad Distinguished Service Award which was established and named in his honor.

Alonzo Alexander - Director, Imhotep and Kyran Anderson Academies, The Science House, NC State University

Dr. Alonzo Brandon Alexander is the director of the Imhotep and Kyran Anderson Academies K-12 STEM outreach programs at North Carolina State University. He works to promote increased STEM participation among students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields. He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in STEM Education, where he studied how participation in STEM outreach programs shapes student attitudes towards and future participation in STEM careers. Before transitioning fully to education research, Alonzo was a practicing fusion physicist and a classroom educator at the secondary and post-secondary levels. His current research interests include further explorations of his dissertation work, including improving survey and measurement methods for outreach programs to develop a better understanding of how effective STEM programming improves student persistence.

Zakiya Leggett - Associate Professor, NCSU Forestry & Environmental Resources

Dr. Zakiya Leggett is an associate professor at North Carolina State University in the College of Natural Resources. She currently teaches Introduction to Environmental Science and serves as the campus director for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars (DDCS) Program, program director for the National Needs Fellowship Program and program director for a high school summer research program. These programs focus on increasing diversity and inclusion in natural resources, conservation biology, and/or forestry while also improving retention in these fields for students at various levels (high school, undergraduate, and graduate). In addition to these duties, Dr. Leggett conducts research related to forest and soil ecology. Her research has focused primarily on enhancing the productivity and sustainability of loblolly pine, one of the most common species planted in the southeastern US. Before teaching at NCSU, Dr. Leggett worked for 10 years as a sustainability scientist with Weyerhaeuser Company, which is a forest products company.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Leggett earned a B.S from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL. After completing a Masters degree from Duke University, she earned a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. Dr. Leggett resides in Raleigh, NC with her husband and four kids.