Fellowship

Centering Black Women STEM Educators

Girl Power by Design provides personal development opportunities, such as fellowships for educators and those interested in understanding the significance of accommodating every student in their classroom. Our fellowship programs offer individuals the chance to engage in research or practical work in their area of interest. We aim to foster talent, inspire innovation, and establish a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to making a meaningful impact in their respective fields. In 2024, we hosted two iterations of the Centering Black Women STEM Educators fellowship, both on a global scale and locally in the Sacramento region. This fellowship, led by esteemed speakers Dr. Aaminah Norris, Dr. Dale Allender, and Dr. Asia Thomas-Uzomba, specifically concentrated on Black women STEM teachers, exploring and celebrating the rich history and contributions of Black women teachers in American education. The fellows were encouraged to delve into the pedagogies of Black women teachers, drawing inspiration from their own family lineages to develop powerful presentations showcased at our Black Gaze Symposium.

Link to video

2024 Fellows

Dr. Faheemah N. Mustafaa
Dr. Faheemah N. Mustafaa is an assistant professor of education (Learning and Mind Sciences emphasis) at the University of California, Davis. She is driven by a passion for teaching and supporting others’ life journeys. Her research spans projects such as leading a study of Black adolescent girls, well-being in over 8,000 California schools, and serving as Co-PI on a National Science Foundation grant focused on the experiences of Black girls and college women in a culturally relevant robotics and engineering leadership program. A former middle school science teacher, Dr. Mustafaa is passionate about partnering with adolescents to imagine and pursue paths toward their highest potential. Beyond work, she finds joy in travel, nature, and quality time with loved ones.

Dr. Ugochi Emenaha
Dr. Ugochi Emenaha is a faith-driven, passionate author, writer, and storyteller. She has taught for over 15 years as a college professor, K-12 educator, and assistant principal. Her work also includes teaching, assisting students in applying for college, curating professional resumes, and detailing her clients' online presence. She is the award-winning author of two children's books, Beautiful and Brave, and numerous poetic works. She received her doctorate in education from Baylor University and her Bachelor's in English and Political Science from the University of Michigan. She is the Associate Director of MAT/Faculty member at Rice University. Her most prized accomplishment is raising her 9-year-old son.

Dr. Jessica Rush Leeker
Dr. Jessica Rush Leeker is the Faculty Director of Undergraduate Education in the Engineering Management Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Leeker's impact on her community is driven by her vast educational background and commitment to making a difference. With degrees from Penn University and Purdue University, she has been sharing her expertise in broadening participation in Engineering at CU Boulder for three years. She leads a "living-learning laboratory," a joint project with Tuskegee University, focusing on STEM education and combating food injustice. As a children's book author and yoga teacher, Dr. Rush Leeker mentors all ages, fostering creativity, kindness, and the courage to pursue passions.

Joytrese George
Joytrese George is originally from Minnesota. Now, a tenured science educator in NYC. Before teaching, Joytrese worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in research, and with non-profit youth programs in DC. Joytrese is a fellow in Math For America; where she collaborates with other STEM educators to promote professional growth and continued learning. She has facilitated domestic and international research trips, allowing student exploration in sustainability and conservation. Additionally, she was a STEM-Ed Innovator, working to foster empathy and antiracism in the classroom. Joytrese is an alumna of Howard University and St. John’s University. Currently, a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Policy and Leadership at American University. Joytrese loves food, architecture, and envisions a future thriving in West Africa.

Diana Brooks, MEd
Diana Brooks, MEd in Secondary Science Educator, Laguna Creek High School. She started teaching science in 2006 after a 21-year career in Environmental Toxicology. She chose education as her second career in hopes of inspiring young BIPOC middle school and high school students to consider STEM as a career choice. She has had the opportunity to create many experiences for students and the community. She is a mother of three beautiful adult children and five grandchildren. She loves to sew, paint watercolors, hike, ski and rock climb.

Meghan L. Green, EdD
Meghan L. Green, EdD is an Assistant Professor of Raciolinguistic Justice in Early Childhood Teacher Education at Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL. Over the past 17 years, she has served in the field of early childhood education as a researcher, an adjunct professor, a pre-kindergarten to 4th-grade teacher, a university field-based liaison, and an anti-bias and anti-racist training facilitator. Her scholarship centers on Black feminist thought and endarkened feminist epistemology within early childhood settings, specifically highlighting the diverse lived experiences of BIPOC early childhood educators through arts-based qualitative inquiry methods. Meghan’s research interests include the impact of teachers’ lived experiences on their use of culturally sustaining pedagogy, anti-racist and anti-bias teacher education in college/university settings, and anti-bias and anti-racist early childhood education.

Valarie Williams
Valarie Williams is a Project Implementor in the College & Career Connections Dept at Elk Grove Unified School District and a Senior Adviser and Liaison in the Teaching Credentials and Computer Science Department at California State University, Sacramento. She serves as an expert who provides insight into our researcher-practitioner partnership and builds sustainable relationships with teachers and parents to expose more girls of color to ICT. Valarie identifies as a Black woman, Christian, scholar, daughter, sister, parent leading by example, and bonus mother.

Dr. Elizabeth H. Morgan
Dr. Elizabeth H. Morgan, is a passionate educator, researcher, and advocate for disability rights and inclusion, and is committed to empowering BIPOC mothers and ensuring equitable access to services for their children. Her dedication began during her tenure as a K-12 teacher and administrator. Dr. Morgan's focus extends to the African continent, where she has undertaken significant work in Ghana, Kenya, and Morocco. Recently, she completed a global public health fellowship in Nairobi, solidifying her commitment to social justice. As a professor, Dr. Morgan strives to amplify marginalized voices through impactful community-based applied research projects and to prepare the next generation of educational leaders and disability rights advocates. Her website: https://www.drehmorgan.com

Melanie N. Latson
Melanie N. Latson enters each space as a “good troublemaker” striving for social change through youth activism. While her roots are planted in Atlanta, her passion began in the rich city of Richmond, California. Although rich in culture, love, and community, the city’s lack of resources is what ignited her fire to make a difference both in and outside the classroom. Melanie earned her B.A from the University of West Georgia, M.Ed from Northeastern University, and she is currently earning her Ed.D. in Education Policy and Leadership at American University. Her passion for social justice sparked courage to boldly disrupt inequitable systems which led to her transition out of the classroom to now lead as the Founder of the social justice collective, March On, Kid!

Dr. Dia L. Jones
Dr. Dia L. Jones, for 20 years has been a transformative leader in education as an English teacher and as an Assistant Principal. Dia earned her B.A. from the University of Central Oklahoma, an M.Ed. from Temple University, and an Ed.D. in Education Policy and Leadership from American University. Her qualitative dissertation examined the social and emotional support adolescent Black girls need to remain motivated to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Dia introduced hundreds of students to STEM opportunities throughout the country. Her objective is to increase the number of underrepresented students in STEM locally in Philadelphia as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Robotics Coalition.

Diamond Hightower
Diamond Hightower has been an educator for 6 years. She graduated from the University of Houston with a B.S. in Human Nutrition and Foods in 2017. She began teaching in St. Petersburg, Florida as an environmental science teacher in alternative education. While she enjoyed the sunshine and white sand beaches, she moved back home to Houston during the summer of 2022. She currently teaches biology at Elsik Ninth Grade Center in Alief ISD. She is passionate about building positive relationships with students. Sharpening their inquiry and critical thinking skills is the best part of her job. When she is not in the classroom, she loves cooking vegan dishes and traveling throughout Europe and Southeast Asia.

Azizi Penn
Azizi Penn is a software engineer, lecturer, and graduate student. She has a 25+ year career as a software engineer. She works as a part-time lecturer at CSUS, where she works with CSUS undergrads to do service learning STEAM outreach to a local pre-college school. Azizi is a Ph.D. student at Purdue, studying engineering education. She is interested in integrating art and physical computing to engage pre-college students in engineering design projects and undergraduate students in service learning opportunities that allow them to practice professional skills.

Tracie Yorke
Tracie Yorke (she/her/ella) is a seasoned consultant, technologist, and educator with two decades
of experience in emerging technologies, equity, education, and nonprofit management. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Master’s from Carnegie Mellon. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Point Park University, her research focuses on community engagement in immersive technologies, embodied learning, and somatic abolitionism. Alongside her doctoral studies, she teaches grants management and fundraising at Point Park. An advocate for inclusive educational models, STEAM education, and immersive learning, Tracie also consults nationally with nonprofits and serves as a Scientific Literacy Graduate Research Fellow at the HBCU STEM-US Research Center, a partnership of Morehouse, Spelman Colleges, and Virginia State University.

Kazmira A. Pineda
Kazmira A. Pineda is an Assistant Principal of STEM at Mastery Charter Schools in Philadelphia,
PA. She began her journey in education teaching in Brooklyn, NY, then transitioned to the AP of School Culture and Science in CT (her home state!). She then became an Instructional Coach coaching math, ELA, and science. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern CT State University, an M.Ed. in Education Policy and Leadership from American University, and is currently completing her Ed.D also in Education Policy and Leadership at American University. She is passionate about education equity and uplifting, inspiring, and improving the lives of vulnerable and underserved student populations. When not at work or school, you can find her cheering on the Arsenal Football Team and jamming out to live music.

Karla Bradford-Humphrey
Karla Bradford-Humphrey but she goes by KBradford because “at glance or on paper, one would not know my gender identity and since we still live in a culture of gender income gap disparities, I’d like to be judged on my merits first”. She obtained all her degrees from Georgia State University, starting with an Associate's degree in Psychology. She is a doctoral student with the CHED department in the Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in language and literacy EdD program at GSU. She is a GSU ISP mentor to newly certified and provisionally certified educators. She is currently an education HS MOID teacher. Having accumulated eight years of experience, she has taught K-12 students and graduate-level courses. KBradford loves teaching, learning and sits nestled in as a lifelong learner. Her research aligns with the disproportionality in special education programs specifically the overrepresentation and over-identification of Black male students with dis/abilities in SE programs and the underrepresentation of Black male teachers that serve them.

Romonda Jefferson
Romonda Jefferson, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She has dedicated thirty years of her career to educating middle and high school students in Georgia, serving as a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal. Though most of her years were spent teaching English/Language Arts, her years teaching History resulted in students engaging in cultural studies while building literacy skills. Ms. Jefferson is a social constructivist who believes students learn best when engaged in collaborative social justice projects. She believes that “students who can read and write the world through literacy” can publish work that has the potential to change the perception and the quality of life for those who are in marginalized groups. Romonda’s research interests are Black male educators and the culturally sustaining pedagogies they use in K-12 settings.

Damaris C. Dunn
Damaris C. Dunn was born and raised in Queens, New York. She earned a bachelor's degree in history from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2012. Following graduation, she taught social studies at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, New York, while attending Teachers College at Columbia University at night. Damaris has a master's degree in history and education, and she is a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia's Mary Frances College of Education. Her research focuses on three interconnected strands: (1) Black Joy as a politics of refusal inside and outside of K-12 schools; (2) the impact of anti-Blackness on national, state, and local education policies and contexts; and (3) historical and contemporary Black women teachers labor and knowledge making practices.

Dr. Dianna Tejada
Dr. Dianna Tejada (she/they) is a grassroots community organizer turned school-based educator committed to an abolitionist pedagogy that uses education as a tool to liberate, not incarcerate. Their work has spanned from higher education to charter, district, and carceral settings. Their doctoral research focused on teacher wellness, more specifically what it takes for teachers with compounding marginalizations to be well while surviving as teachers.

Morgan Burton
Morgan Burton is a high school math teacher at the Washington Unified School of Sacramento. She has been teaching for 10 years, in hopes of inspiring and motivating students from various ethnic, socio-emotional, and financial backgrounds. She started her teaching journey with the aim of being a mentor and model for female black educators and representing several minority backgrounds in a challenging area of study. She finds it a privilege and an honor to support her students and learn from them every day. Her experiences have taught her that learning never stops for anyone, and she is committed to improving herself as an educator to meet the needs of her students better.

J. Nozipho Moyo
J. Nozipho Moyo is from Zimbabwe and is of Kalanga heritage. She speaks tjiKalanga, isiNdebele,English, French and Spanish. She is a Ph.D. student in the Teaching and Language program with a concentration in Language and Literacy at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She is also a Graduate Research Assistant. Her areas of interest are instruction in indigenous languages, preservation of indigenous languages, the connection between language and identity, and international education. Nozipho has experience teaching ESOL and Spanish at the high school level. She enjoys traveling and reading books, mainly by African female authors.

Jennifer A. Jenkins
Jennifer A. Jenkins is an educator by trade and a philomath at heart. She currently works as both a high school Counselor and an Adjunct Professor in Bakersfield, CA, with a focus in the areas of Black student achievement and STEM. Having studied Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling and Trauma Counseling, Jennifer works to ensure the equity in education for Black students and other marginalized youth within the inner city. Having worked in education on both the East and West Coast, it is Jennifer’s mission to ensure that all Black children can excel to their highest potential while also unlocking talents they never knew existed. She is truly investing in knowledge.

Sajdah Nyassi
Sajdah Nyassi is a graduate student in the College of Education at California State University,
Sacramento, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2021. She is passionate about her work in student services where she provides support to college students who are underrepresented in higher education. She is also the owner of a unique childcare facility that serves children from birth to age five using an African-centered curriculum. Sajdah is the recipient of multiple fellowships, including Sacramento State’s Pathways Fellows Program and the College of Education Student Research Fellows Program. Her research interests include exploring educators’ attitudes about race and the influences on Black students’ social-emotional well-being, specifically, identity development. Overall, Sajdah is committed to racial equity and social justice in education.

Micaela Y. Harris
Micaela Y. Harris is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Mathematics and Science Education specialization at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. She received her B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Mathematics from Spelman College, her post-baccalaureate certificate in Mathematics from Smith College, and her MAT in Mathematics Education from Tufts University. Prior to her doctoral studies, Micaela leveraged her interdisciplinary background to teach secondary mathematics in Boston and Houston. At Peabody, Micaela centers her research on the intersectional experiences of Black women secondary mathematics teachers. The overarching research question that she explores in her dissertation is: How do life history stories of Black women secondary mathematics teachers (BWSMTs) offer insights into issues relating to preparation, recruitment, and retention?

Shandra Drayton
Shandra Drayton is a full-time graduate student and former teacher. She is a proud wife of a high school principal and an even more proud mother of three children. After teaching high school English for 17 years, she faced a tough decision and left the classroom.She decided to shift her focus towards clinical counseling. Currently, she is completing her graduate degree in Psychology at The Citadel. After passing her clinical licensing exam, she intends to work closely with teachers to support their mental health and promote retention within the education field. Her interests include reading, journaling, and riding the Peloton.

Sheena Carbaugh
Sheena Carbaugh worked at an all-girls high school for 7 years. She teaches science.

Khristina Pullings
Khristina Pullings, hailing from Washington, DC, is an accomplished educator and passionate
advocate for educational equity. She earned her undergraduate degree from Norfolk State University and holds a master's degree from American University. She is pursuing a doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership at American University. Her academic journey is dedicated to addressing systemic barriers in education, particularly in early literacy intervention and special education. Her research interests address systemic education barriers, including fostering literacy skills for K-5 students and Black women educators. Khristina brings a wealth of practical experience and academic insight to her presentations, drawing from her educational background and commitment to empowering students and educators. As a dedicated doctoral candidate, she continues contributing to the discourse on effective policies and leadership strategies to enhance educational outcomes for all students.

Karin L. Mason
Karin L. Mason has received an Ed.D., in Curriculum and Instruction from Georgia State University, an Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership/Brain-Based Teaching and Learning, from Nova Southeastern University, an M.S., in Project Management at Keller Graduate School of Management, and a B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Arkansas. She has 16 years of experience as a science educator,teaching chemistry, physical science, physics, and 8th-grade science at both middle and high school levels. Additionally, she possesses 12 years of industry experience working in pharmaceutical product development and food/beverage quality assurance/control.

Events

The Black Gaze Symposium 2024