Andrea Brooke

Board Member (she/her)

Andrea is a Senior Program Manager focused on Employee Giving and Disaster Response with Microsoft Philanthropies team. In her role, she helps to equip people unreached or displaced by technology with computing and AI skills by building multi-stakeholder, international partnerships. She believes that gaining in-demand basic to advanced digital skills paired with work-based learning opportunities will lead to gainful employment and improved livelihoods, and by working in partnership, we can leverage our resources more effectively and increase our collective impact.

Andrea formerly developed the community development and event program managed at the Microsoft retail stores, which focused on providing education enrichment to schools, nonprofits, and community organization, as well as unique consumer experiences through product launches and consumer campaigns. Before joining Microsoft, Andrea worked in public and section 8 housing for the training and consulting company NMA.

Andrea is an active advocate for girls and women in technology, people with dyslexia, and young people early in career.

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Janet Cinfio

Board Member (she/her)

With years of high-tech industry experience, Janet is a transformational leader known for building global forward-thinking technology teams. Her expertise extends across technology and digital strategy, leading teams in the areas of architecture, cloud platforms, applications, infrastructure, operations, security/risk management, and technology sourcing. Prior to her tenure at Acxiom, Janet was VP, Digital Platform Infrastructure and Operations at Electronic Arts where she led the transition to a fully digital business delivering high-performing game platforms, e-commerce, and data analytics. Prior to joining EA, Janet was Chief Information Officer at Esprit de Corp., where she led the modernization of business processes and technologies across product development, manufacturing, multi-channel distribution, sales, and customer service.

A passionate and vocal advocate for inclusivity, Janet is a co-founder of the Acxiom WomenLEAD Business Resource Group (BRG), a founding member of Acxiom’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness Council, and proudly serves as Executive Sponsor for Acxiom’s Pan-Asia, LGBTQ+Acxiom  and SAFE (Sustainability Alliance For Environment) BRGs.

Janet is a champion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and volunteers. She contributes her leadership to many STEM-based organizations, including NGCP, Girlstart, and Girls of Promise as a board member, executive sponsor, strategic planning advisor, and steering committee member.

Janet serves as a board member of the National Technology Security Coalition (NTSC) which is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that serves as the preeminent advocacy voice for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) across the nation. NTSC unites both public and private sector stakeholders around policies that improve national cybersecurity standards and awareness.

Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D.

Board Member (she/her)

Siobahn is the first woman Computer Science Ph.D. graduate from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Siobahn received her BS in Computer Science from Winston-Salem State University, a master's degree in Information Science from North Carolina Central University, and in 2018 obtained her master's and a doctorate of philosophy degree in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
 
She is an Assistant Professor of Information Science/Systems in the School of Library and Information Science at North Carolina Central University, an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador, and a North Carolina Central University OeL Faculty Fellow.
 
Dr. Grady advocates for increasing the number of women and minorities in computer science. She believes that "The STEM workforce has both gender disparities and that of historically disenfranchised groups. As an ambassador, she affects change by examining girls' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors and helping them gain confidence in curating and developing a STEM identity." Technology is the way of the future, and Dr. Grady has a vision for minority girl's and women's futures. She realizes that vision by providing educational opportunities through community organizations, college courses, and research grants and publications.

Gabriela A. González, Ph.D. 

Chair (she/her)

Dr. Gabriela A. González is the Founder and CEO of CihuaTEC Connect, a firm focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education innovative strategies and practices.  Prior to this role, Dr. González was Intel Corporation’s Director of Intel’s STEM Education Research Office overseeing global STEM education research, policy, governance, initiatives, and thought leadership across the enterprise.  Dr. González engaged multiple stakeholders across Intel as well as external partners and collaborators in academia, government, industry, and non-profit agencies to drive and influence inclusive and equitable STEM education outcomes.

Dr. González is the former chair of the National Science Foundation Education Panel and serves on the Board of Directors for Project Lead the Way and the National Girls Collaborative, in addition to the Advisory Board for the University of Washington’s Electrical and Computing Engineering Department.  She holds a Ph.D. in Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology from Arizona State University, an M.S. in Engineering and Manufacturing Management from Clarkson University, and a B. S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington.

Anita Krishnamurthi, Ph.D.

Board Member (she/her)

Anita is a passionate advocate for equitable access to education and science with a deep commitment to young people. She has a PhD in Astrophysics from The Ohio State University and moved to a career focused on STEM education and informal learning, recognizing its intersection with social justice and social mobility.

Anita is the President of the Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS), a new initiative she is launching and leading while serving as a Senior Vice President for STEM & Youth Engagement at the Afterschool Alliance.  CYESS will bring together partners using afterschool and other out-of-school-time programs as spaces to more actively engage young people in tackling problems that impact their futures - solutions to which are often rooted in STEM.  The CYESS vision is to empower young people and ensure they have a seat at the table as we craft agendas and policies at the federal, state and local levels.

Prior to this role, Anita lived and worked in the UK for a few years. She most recently served as the Head of Education and Learning at the Wellcome Trust, a global health philanthropy based in London. She has previously worked in a range of organizations based in Washington, DC, that included non-profits, government, and academia. Her roles included serving as Vice President for STEM Policy at the Afterschool Alliance, Program Manager at NASA Headquarters, Lead for Education and Public Outreach in the Astrophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, and the John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow at the American Astronomical Society.  In addition to serving on this Board, Anita serves on the Board of Nobel Prize Outreach in Sweden.

Mary Murrin 

Board Member (she/her)

Mary W. Murrin is President and CEO of Rivers of Steel, a national heritage organization that is strengthening southwest Pennsylvania's economic and cultural fabric by recognizing the region's industrial past and sharing a vision for the future through tourism, education initiatives, grant programs, preservation efforts, and community engagement through the arts. Previously, Mary spent eleven years with Chevron in corporate affairs and social investment roles in Houston, TX and Pittsburgh, PA.

Mary graduated from Brown University and began her career in public affairs with Westinghouse Electric. She then led marketing and public relations for five Carnegie Mellon University start-ups developing software for web search, online education, and telecommunications. Mary is an active community volunteer and has served on the boards of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Quantum Theatre, the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA, Houston Community College Foundation, the advisory board of the Hermann Park Conservancy, and NGCP. Mary is a former elected member of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

Madeleine Ng

Board Member

Maddy is a senior in high school who has developed a passion for STEM through exploring the ways technology and design are combined to bring innovative ideas to life. She is the image and graphic design lead on Carnegie Mellon University’s FIRST robotics team, Girls of Steel, and enjoys mentoring at Girls of Steel’s FIRST Lego League among other outreach initiatives. She is an alum of Young Women in Bio’s Ambassador Program, where she designed its program flyers for all chapters across the United States and Canada. Young Women in Bio has also inspired her to start a biology club at her school to empower girls to explore STEM careers and become future leaders in STEM. As a Social Justice Documentary intern at Saturday Light Brigade Radio, she hosted interviews with professors and conducted research to gain insight for her three-part audio documentary focused on the impact of resource inequalities in STEM education.

Along with pursuing STEM, Maddy enjoys creating digital art as well as writing poetry. She has won five gold keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and placed top 10 in BLICK’s National Celebrating Art Contest. She continues to explore interdisciplinary majors like Human-Computer Interaction, Game Design, and Data Journalism where she can explore her interests at the intersection of both the humanities and STEM.

Shihadah Saleem 

Secretary (she/her)

Shihadah  Saleem is currently the Director of Youth Programs and Pathways at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens, NY. She works with a diverse and dedicated team of people to provide NYC high school and college students with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) focused workforce and youth development opportunities through NYSCI's Science Career Ladder, Explainer program and free teen events. Shihadah is a committed board member of the National Girls Collaborative Project and co-chair of the STEM PUSH Network's Steering Committee. 

Shihadah graduated from Townsend Harris High School, with an internship at New York Aquarium that continued to pique her interest in Marine Sciences. She also graduated with a B.A. from Alfred University, majoring in Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in natural sciences and geology. Additionally, she is a graduate of University of South Florida, College of Marine Science with her Master of Science Degree in Marine Geomorphology; a two-time recipient of the GK-12 OCEANS NSF Fellowship program and a graduate mentor for the Oceanography Camp for Girls. 

Fresh out of graduate school, Shihadah joined the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in 2007 as Museum educator and has worn many hats, as an informal educator, from providing tours and workshops for K-12 audiences to managing, developing, and facilitating teacher professional developments, hospital schools,  co-founding GOALS (Greater Opportunities Advancing Leadership and Science) for Girls, and teen/youth programs. For over 15 years, Shihadah continues to provide rich STEM and youth development programs and opportunities for students, professionals, and the community. She has worked and networked with various professionals and organizations such as Microsoft, Google, Columbia University, Rutgers University, Etre Girls, PepsiCo, BNY Mellon, Nanotronics, New Academy of the Sciences, Cooper Union, School of Engineering and more! Shihadah continues to be a fervent collaborator, networker and convener, always willing and ready to help make connections, show support, and push for sustainable and actionable changes in STEM education, industry, and non-profit sectors. 

Shihadah loves singing, dancing, hanging with family and friends, gaming on her XBOX (first-person shooters is her jam), and cool fashion and beauty!

Connect with Shay on LinkedIn

Michael D. Smith, D.Eng. 

Treasurer (he/him)

Michael D. Smith has over 30 years of experience in non-profit organizational operations and change management, governance, program development and implementation, strategic planning, meeting and event planning, and diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) advocacy, with a specialty in STEM fields. His evolved leadership style includes direct stakeholder engagement that spans pre-college through workforce, and nurtured client relationships with a foundation in collaborative networks. Through his passion for DEI, he has delivered and supported strategies that have elevated the DEI efforts within non-profits, academia, and industry in their support of underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, persons within and allies to the LGBTQIA+ community, and young girls and women.

Michael, known by many as “Dr. Mike,” is currently Executive Director at the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA). NAMEPA is the nation's leading community of change agents, cultivating diversity, access, equity, and inclusion in engineering. We are a network of university administrators, faculty, deans, pre-college educators and industry professionals all committed to implementation of programs, policies, and institutional changes to broaden participation in STEM.

Prior to NAMEPA, he was the Operations Specialist with The PEER Group, a consulting company that specializes in evaluation, organizational leadership and development, and research with a focus on equity and inclusion. He also served as the former Deputy Executive Director of The National GEM Consortium (GEM), where he was responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operational, financial, programmatic, event planning, external communications, strategic partnerships, and board support services management of the organization, including management of the GEM Fellowship Program.

Prior to GEM, Dr. Mike served as Interim Deputy Executive Director and Director of Programs for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), responsible for the strategic development, evaluation, and implementation coordination of all student and technical professional programs at the chapter, regional, and national levels. He has previous industry experience with DuPont Specialty Chemicals, Phillips 66 Natural Gas Company, and Amoco Production, along with academe experience at Texas A&M University. Michael serves on numerous non-profit boards of directors of STEM-based organizations including the National Engineers Week Foundation (DiscoverE), National Girls Collaborative Project, aSTEAM Village, and The Carpentries.

Michael holds a BS and MS in chemical engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology (UM-Rolla) and a doctorate in chemical engineering/engineering management from Texas A&M University. Dr. Mike is proud to be a Lifetime member of NSBE, SHPE, AISES (Sequoyah Fellow), and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Alexandra (Sandra) Yang

Board Member

Sandra is a high school senior from Carmel, Indiana. Since discovering her passion for computer science through her middle school robotics team, she has become fluent in languages like Python, C++, and Java, nationally ranked in several computing and cybersecurity competitions, and conducted original scientific research with labs such as the Harvard Visual Attention Lab, the Biocomplexity Institute at the University of Virginia, and the AI Health Lab at the University of Texas at Austin.

From serving as president of her school's Computer Science Honor Society, an organization with 70+ members, to conducting free STEM workshops for rural, low-income girls in Indiana, Sandra is committed to channeling her ambition, compassion, and leadership into making a meaningful difference. As the NGCP's Youth Advisory Board co-chair, she tirelessly advocates for gender equity in STEM, and she's excited to continue pursuing that mission with the Board of Directors!

Karen A. Peterson

Ex Officio (she/her)

Karen A. Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Girls Collaborative. She has over 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, university instructor, teacher educator, program administrator, and researcher. Currently, Peterson is the Principal Investigator for the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP). Designed by Peterson, the NGCP seeks to maximize access to shared resources for public and private sector organizations interested in expanding girls’ participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The overarching goal of NGCP is to use the leverage of a network or collaboration of individual girl-serving STEM programs to create the tipping point for gender equity in STEM. Currently, 33 Collaboratives, serving 41 states, facilitate collaboration between 36,400 organizations who serve 20.15 million girls and 9.5 million boys.

Peterson is also Co-Principal Investigator for Leap into Science: Cultivating a National Network for Informal Science and Literacy, STEM Integration into Digital Forensics Science Learning, SciGirls Code: A National Connected Learning Model to Integrate STEM Learning with Middle School Girls, and Code: SciGirls! Media to Engage Girls in Computing Pathways. All of these projects are funded by the National Science Foundation and address gender, racial, and socioeconomic underrepresentation in STEM fields. Many of them access NGCP’s national network and dissemination tools to distribute, scale-up, and/or replicate project outcomes. These projects have leveraged Karen’s expertise in STEM equity project development, effective national scale-up strategies, dissemination, and capacity building.>

Peterson serves on local and national boards that develop and administer programs designed to increase underrepresented students’ interests in STEM. She has served on the Board of Directors for True Child, an independent think tank that translates research and knowledge on the impact of gender stereotypes into a range of effective interventions, policies, and other resources for the organizations and policy makers. Peterson has published in The Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering and CBE Life Sciences Education, a journal published by the American Society for Cell Biology. She co-authored evaluation reports and promising practices reports in informal information technology education for girls for the National Center for Women & Information Technology. In 2013, Peterson was profiled in STEMConnector’s™ 100 Women Leaders in STEM publication. A graduate of the University of Washington, Bothell campus, her master’s thesis focused on gendered attitudes towards computer use in education.

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn