CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

Dr. Cofield designed her first computer program in Fortran and Cobalt at the University of Illinois where she received her B.A. degree. Since then, she has been involved with technology in a broad range of applications

Iris R. Wagstaff, Ph.D. is a STEM Program Director in the Education and Human Resources Department of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Most recently she served as 2015-2017 AAAS Science and

Joeletta Patrick is a native of Greensboro, N.C., where she attended North Carolina A&T State University and received a B.S. in electrical engineering. Upon graduation,

Jeff M. Poulin joined the arts education team at Americans for the Arts in 2013. He works to empower local, state and federal supporters of arts education to become effective advocates

Rashida Hodge is Vice President, IBM Watson Embed and Strategic Partnerships. Watson is one of IBM’s most significant innovations in IBM’s history and represents a new era of information technology.

As an educator, creative thought leader and producer, Jacqueline Cofield curates meaningful experiences for artists, educators, students, and arts patrons who seek intercultural experiences advancing their global awareness and arts engagements.

Alicia M. Morgan is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Science Engineering and New Mexico State University with a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering.

An educator for over fifteen years, Lisa Yokana is the STEAM coordinator at Scarsdale High School.
She has designed and teaches a STEAM course sequence for Scarsdale’s Design Lab,

Lawrence Wagner is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Spark Mindset.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Lawrence has over ten years of project management experience, along with a background in military, non-profits, high-tech business, and personal volunteerism.

During her NASA career, Darden authored over 57 technical papers and articles, primarily in the areas of sonic boom prediction, sonic boom minimization, and supersonic wing design.

Ytasha Womack was recently honored as DesignHub’s 40 Under 40 designers for social good and innovation.

Jay Veal is the CEO and Founder of INC Tutoring in addition to recent honoree in the May 2017 Class of Dallas Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40.

Jason Coleman is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Project SYNCERE, an educational not-for-profit organization whose mission is to prepare the minds and create pathways for underrepresented and disadvantaged students to pursue careers in the STEM fields.

A mentor, adviser, and community activist, Dr. Whitney Gaskins has dedicated her life to motivation and philanthropic endeavors.
Dr. Gaskins is an assistant professor in the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science, the only African-American female currently teaching in the faculty of the College of Engineering.

Brenda Devrouax is a retired Medical Technologist from the National Institutes of Health.
A native Alabamian, she is a graduate of Southern Normal High School of the Dutch Reformed Church in America, Brewton, Al.

Felroy Dsouza is an Entrepreneur, Mentor, Investor, Philanthropist and Advocate of environmental sustenance with a Bachelor’s of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management and Project Management.

Richena earned her Bachelors degree in photography from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She’s the owner of Lioness Photography and was the first recipient of the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater’s photography fellowship.

Ashanta Woodard is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and a proud product of the Detroit Public School system. She graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where she earned her Bachelors of Arts in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, with a minor in Community Action and Social Change through the School of Social Work.

Margery E. Goldberg has been a major player in the Washington arts community for more than three decades as an entrepreneur and gallery owner, curator, activist, arts commissioner, guest lecturer, and wood and furniture sculptor. As a gallery owner and entrepreneur, Goldberg founded Zenith Gallery (1978), long one of Washington’s foremost galleries, recognized for its striking mix of high-quality contemporary artworks in all media that stimulate and engage.

Cory Stevenson has worked as a Graphic Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau as part of the creative team charged with creating and implementing a creative strategy for the 3-states Chicago region, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Stevenson formerly worked for the Cook County Law Library, in the IT department, assisting the Systems Administrator with running the Law Library’s Local Area Network and with graphic design needs.

Dr. LeSure is a Program Director and Senior Researcher in the College of Engineering at Howard University. She manages various research projects focused on the academic perceptions and persistence of students in STEM, particularly those students who are traditionally under-represented in STEM careers.

Josanne Francis is an exceptionally talented pannist (steelpan musician) and arranger, who is evidently committed to demonstrating the profundity and versatility of the steelpan- an instrument that is too often misconstrued and/or seen as a novelty.

David Thorpe is a Software Engineer and Architect with 18 years of experience in the software development field. He has worked on a range of projects from embedded systems for devices to enterprise systems for large US federal clients like the USPS, the FAA and NASA.

Mr. Witten is an accomplished senior business strategist with over 20 years of experience in organizational development, arts education, strategic planning, entertainment marketing, and public speaking. He uses his legal expertise to negotiate deals and create solutions that improve operational efficiency.

Patrick Hunter is a STEAM Ambassador promoting the intersection of the arts and technology onstage as a live performance painter as well as classrooms and companies using Visual Thinking to help increase engagement while fostering creative problem solving.