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Leadership Team

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Dipak Basu

Executive Director

Jhumki Basu Foundation's Executive Director, Dipak Basu, has spent much of his life employing technology in humanitarian missions worldwide.
In 2006, he set up Anudip Foundation, a nonprofit company dedicated to improving livelihoods of impoverished people through skill development in information technology.
In 2001 Dipak founded and served as Executive Director of NetHope, a technology alliance of the world’s largest aid agencies, applying innovative high-tech solutions to aid operations in the world’s impoverished, disaster-affected and war-torn regions.
From 1995 to 2006, Dipak held senior management positions in Product Management and Professional Services at Cisco Systems. Prior to Cisco, Dipak served as technology consultant to the Government of India.
Dipak has been a guest lecturer in Computer Science at IIT Delhi, and has won the Tech Laureate and NASSCOM Social Innovation awards for IT in Humanity, and the President's Award from Save the Children. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, a Cisco Leadership Fellow, and a Reuters Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University

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Radha Basu

Strategic Adviser

Radha Ramaswami Basu serves as Founder, Chairman & CEO of iMerit, a global Artifical Intelligence data services company. She has over 35 years’ experience in executive management and is widely recognized as a leading woman entrepreneur in technology companies and as a pioneer in the Indian software business.

Radha held the position of Chairman & CEO of Support.com, a NASDAQ-listed company, from 1999 to 2006. She led the company through initial and secondary public offerings in 2000 and 2003, and built it into a worldwide market leader in support automation software.

Prior to Support.com, Radha spent 20 years at Hewlett Packard with her most recent position being Senior General Manager of the Electronic Business Software Organization, which she grew to a global $1.5 billion business.

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Dan Babauta

Director of Program Design

School: Sunset Park High School
Grades Taught: 11
Subjects: Environmental Science
Cohort: 3

Dan first developed an interest in at-risk youth during a college Alternative Spring Break trip focused on reducing juvenile offender recidivism through web design education. He formally entered the classroom as a New York City Teaching Fellow in 2006 and continues to teach environmental science at Sunset Park High School. Dan strives to craft learning experiences that allow students to engage with their community as purposeful citizen scientists and technologists. For the last few years, he has worked with SUNY Albany to develop a science research program that will allow students to earn up to 12 science credits for college. Within his schools, Dan has served as a grade team, inquiry team, and science content lead, as well as a professional development advisor. Additionally, Dan has worked as a Math For America Master Teacher, BetterLesson Master Teacher, Common Core Fellow, Edtech Fellow, iZone Mentor with the Blended Learning Institute, Siemens STARS Research Fellow, Teach Earth Earthwatch Fellow, and certified facilitative leadership coach with teacher teams and pedagogical coaches at NYU Metro Center. Dan is currently representing Sci-Ed as a member of the 100kin10 Teacher Forum.Dan joined the Sci-Ed Innovators in 2012. Since then he has held multiple roles within the program. These have included: Master Fellow, Director of the Master Fellowship, Director of the New York City Fellowship, and Director of Program Design.

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School:  Sturgis Public Charter School, West Campus.
Grades Taught:  9 - 12
Subjects Taught: IB Biology
Cohort:  1

Kelly first developed an interest in teaching while volunteering for the Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa after graduating college. Upon her return to the United States she completed the NYC Teaching Fellows Program and started teaching at the School for Democracy and Leadership, which Dr. Jhumki Basu co-founded. She taught there for a number of years and in that time received a Masters in Educational Leadership and became the school Curriculum Coach under the guidance of the Superintendent. She also took on the roles of Team Leader, Science Department Chair and was a member of the Leadership Team. She was a member of the Restorative Justice Team and participated in the Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality program at NYU that focuses on providing schools with resources to foster culturally responsive teaching and youth development practices.  After SDL closed she taught at the Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders for one year where she was a member of the Leadership Team. In addition she has worked for the NYC Museum of Natural History to develop curriculum titled "Ecology Disrupted".  Through Fund for Teachers program she has traveled to Italy in 2012 to study Otzi, the Iceman and to Maine in 2016 to study the effects of climate change on the fishing industry.  Recently she moved to Cape Cod with her family. She teaches International Baccalaureate Biology at her current school and is a member of the advisory committee and is Lead Trainer of the Crisis Prevention Team. She was a participant of the first cohort of STEM Ed at its NYC location and since that time has held multiple roles within the program including Master Fellow and Strategic Partnership Coordinator. 

Kelly Houston

Director of STEM Ed Operations

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Kate Darling

Boston Director of Operations

School: Boston Collegiate Charter School, Dorchester
Cohort: 7

Kate began her career teaching Middle and High School Science in Orange, MA. She currently teaches College Preparatory and AP Biology at Boston Collegiate Charter School in Boston. In addition to teaching, Kate serves as the Science Department Co-Chair. As the Science Department Co-Chair, Kate designs and leads PD meetings for the Science Department centered around middle and high school alignment, performance assessments, and evidence based argumentation in the science classroom. Kate also serves as Robotics Coach and 11th Grade Level Leader at Boston Collegiate. Kate graduated with a BS in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She then completed the Bridges to the Future graduate secondary education  teaching program also at UMASS.

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Vanessa Jean-Baptiste

Boston Director of First-Year Fellows

School: Tech Boston Academy
Cohort: 7

Vanessa Jean-Baptiste resides in Boston, Massachusetts where she is currently teaching science at Tech Boston Academy. Vanessa earned a B.S. in Kinesiology and Public Health from the University of Massachusetts and a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University.  She has a passion for science, math, engineering, and technology and believes all students can be successful with engaging in early hands-on learning. Vanessa piloted a project-based learning curriculum and is devoted to creating lessons incorporating 21st Century Skills in the classroom. Her goal as a science educator is to create pathways to get more students in inner city schools excited and involved in STEM studies and careers.

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Boston Director of Program Design

School: MATCH Education, Sposato Graduate School of Education
Cohort: 7

Christine began her career in education teaching middle school math, science, technology, and economics in Phoenix, Arizona as a member of Teach for America.  She continued teaching in Boston, where she taught 7th grade science at Boston Collegiate Charter School.  Christine is currently the Director of Math and Science for the Sposato Graduate School of Education (SGSE) in Boston. In this role she coaches pre-service -veteran teachers and coaches in all secondary subjects, plans and executes the math and science methods classes for SGSE, and runs the middle school student-teaching/residency part of the program. Christine holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan (she was the 50th person on her mother’s side to graduate from Michigan) where she majored in Political Science, American Culture, and Communications.  She also holds a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in mathematics from Arizona State University.

Christine Schepeler

Pearl Ohm

Director of NYC Fellowship

Pooja Bhaskar

Master Fellow

School: The International High School for Health Sciences
Grades Taught: 9, 11
Subjects Taught: Living Environment, Global Health
Cohort: 6

Pooja has been teaching in New York City for 8 years and currently teaches 11th grade Biotechnology and Bioengineering at a school for recent immigrants. After graduating from Reed College with a degree in Religion, she worked in domestic violence intervention and coaching for adult students in higher education before moving across the country to pursue her career in public education through the New York City Teaching Fellows. Pooja's favorite thing about teaching is learning new things every year and laughing with students.

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Meg O'Reilly

Master Fellow

School:PS 452
Grades Taught: 3,4,5
Subjects Taught:Science, Math, STEM Enrichment
Cohort: 9

Meg was born and raised in New York City and attended public elementary and middle schools in Queens, notably Louis Pasteur Middle School 67, where she was first influenced by wonderful STEM educators and programs to be an active learner and observe, question, think, evaluate, create, and problem solve across situations and disciplines. After high school, Meg went on to study Music, U.S. History, and Elementary and Early Childhood Education at CUNY Queens College. Post-grad, she studied Literacy at Teachers College, Columbia University and earned her M.A. Literacy Specialist, Birth-6 degree. Currently, Meg is teaching 5th grade at PS 452 in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and is eager to take on a new role as a mathematics and science specialist for the team. In her first 6 years teaching all the elementary core subjects, she has come to really love the content areas of Social Studies, Math, and Science and brings that same passion to her classroom, grade team, and leadership committees of the school. She believes that the content areas have the most potential for inspiring and improving young students' academic involvement, investment, and performance, and she aims to continue to grow as an educator and to develop a holistic and democratic pedagogy for fellow elementary level colleagues and administrators to follow.

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School: Talent Unlimited High School
Grades Taught: 9
Subjects Taught: Biology
Cohort: 9

Josh started teaching in New York in 2005 as a New York City Teaching Fellow, where he began his journey of bringing chemistry, physics, and biology education to students in New York City. He has served as an NYU Astor International Fellow and as a Master Teacher with Math for America. Josh feels strongly about S.T.E.A.M. education as a powerful tool for empowering students, and received a grant from Exploring the Arts to support his video production units in his science classroom. At his school, he has served on the data team, been testing and SSD coordinator and department lead. After many years of teaching, Josh has a new goal of engaging all of his students in science, and he believes that democratic teaching practices will be an essential push to get his classroom there.

Master Fellow

Joshua Wickline

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Nicole Cohen

School: English High School
Grades Taught: 10, 11
Subjects Taught: Chemistry and AP Chemistry

Cohort: 1

Nicole graduated from Bucknell University with a BS in Cell Biology and Biochemistry then went on to earn a PhD in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology from Harvard University. After mentoring and tutoring high school students during her time in graduate school, Nicole switched gears and began her path toward becoming an educator through Teach for America. During this time, she also earned a Master’s degree from Boston University in Curriculum and Teaching, Science Education. Nicole began her career as an educator at the English High School in Boston, and six years later, she is thrilled to still be teaching Chemistry and AP Chemistry there.

Master Fellow

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Michaela Duggan

Master Fellow

School: Boston Collegiate Charter School
Grades Taught: 6
Subjects Taught: General Science

Cohort: 1

Michaela became a teacher after earning her B.A. in Biology from Amherst College and joining Teach For America Nashville. In Nashville, she taught 5th grade science at STEM Preparatory Academy and earned her M.Ed with a focus on curriculum and instruction from Lipscomb University. She currently teaches 6th grade science at Boston Collegiate Charter School where she is also the grade level leader. Michaela worked as a science learning team leader facilitating professional development for current Teach For America teachers for the last two years and spent four summers working as a coach and curriculum specialist for TFA. She is excited to enter her 7th year in a science classroom and begin the STEM Ed Fellowship!

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Tim Fitzgibbon

Master Fellow

School: Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion School
Grades Taught: 9,11
Subjects Taught: Physics and Chemistry
Cohort: 1

Tim has wanted to be a science teacher for most of his life. Every year in high school he wanted to teach that science; first earth then chem then physics. He graduated in 2000 from Rockland High School in Massachusetts and then studied physics and teaching at the University of Maine. He did his student teaching in Newton,Ma and then graduated with a MST in physics and moved to Hawai'i to teach for two years in an undeserved area of Oahu called Wai'anae. After moving back to the mainland, Tim got a job teaching physics at the Boston Public Schools and has taught there for the last 9 years. He has been a New Teacher Developer, and professional development facilitator as well as a member of his school's ILT. He is proud to be joining this cohort in his first year as a STEM Ed Fellow.

Meet the Team: Team Members
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School: Essex Street Academy
Grades Taught: 11, 12
Subjects Taught: PreCalculus, Calculus, Computer Science
Cohort: 7

Pearl decided to ditch her Lehigh University Industrial Engineering degree to become a teacher after serving in the Paterson, New Jersey public school system through the AmeriCorps Vista program. She moved to New York City when awarded the Math for America Newton Fellowship to earn her M.A. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Teachers College and work in underserved public high schools in the city. Pearl has exclusively taught at small, Consortium schools and focuses to emphasize constructivist, inquiry-based understanding in all her math classes. In her schools, she has served as mathematics department chair, mathematics department mentor, inquiry team member, professional development facilitator, and scheduling programmer. She is working toward completing the NYU Metro Center facilitative leadership certification program. Pearl spends a lot of time thinking about the institution of education and its barriers, increasing equity, and dismantling systems of oppressions. She is entering her thirteenth year in the classroom as a proud three-time renewal Math for America Master Teacher, and looking forward to continuing her work to promote student voice. Pearl joined Sci-Ed Innovators as part of Cohort 7 and is currently serving as the Director of the NYC Fellowship.

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