Since its start in 2002, NGCP has worked to advance the agenda in gender equity by encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. Related to that effort, the organization hosts a series of research-to-practice webinars. This look at gender equity in STEM was held as part of NGCP's 2021 celebration of Women's History Month and International Women's Day.
The From Research to Practice: An Up-to-Date Look at Gender Equity in STEM webinar was hosted by NGCP on March 9, 2021. In this webinar recording, speakers present up-to-date research on gender equity in STEM and the impact on girls and women learning and working in STEM.
Brenda Britsch
Brenda Britsch, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Scientist with the National Girls Collaborative Project. She believes in the potential of research to transform practice and works to make research accessible to a broad audience of educators and other professionals invested in equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Brenda has served as Co-Principal Investigator for multiple NSF-funded projects focused on equity in STEM and is the co-author of the publication, SciGirls Strategies: How to Engage Girls in STEM.
Gabriela A. González
Deputy Director and Operations Manager of the Intel Foundation informing K12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Women & Girls STEM strategies
Ms. González engages and collaborates with multiple stakeholders across Intel as well as external partners in academia, government, industry and non-profit agencies to drive and influence meaningful STEM education outcomes. Throughout her career, Ms. González held several engineering roles at Intel, transferring the latest microprocessor technology from development to high-volume manufacturing and managing equipment capacity, labor and operational productivity. Ms. González began her professional career at Xerox Corporation where she held various manufacturing, engineering and management leadership positions.
In 2018, Ms. González was appointed as the chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education Panel. She is an active member of her professional, social, and cultural communities as a leader and role model, driving impact for underrepresented students and professionals in STEM around the globe.
Dr. Zahra Hazari
Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning and the STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University.
Zahra Hazari is a Professor in the Department of Teaching & Learning and the STEM Transformation Institute as well as an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Physics at Florida International University. She holds a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics, M.S. in Physics, and Ph.D. in Science Education (Curriculum, Teaching, & Learning). Her doctoral and postdoctoral work were at the University of Toronto and the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Dr. Hazari’s research focuses on reforming physics learning environments in an effort to disrupt inequitable systems and improve critical outcomes for underrepresented groups in physics, especially women. In particular, her work centers on physics identity and STEM identity development; identity frameworks have provided critical insight on disrupting inequitable and hegemonic systems to address historic issues of participation and persistence. This work has led to her being elected a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), earned her a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, and been featured in US News and World Report, Washington Monthly, Science Magazine, Scientific American, LiveScience, Science for the People, and APS News. She has served on several Editorial Boards, APS’s Committee for the Status of Women in Physics, and AAPT's Committee on Women in Physics.
Dr. LaShawnda Lindsay
Research Scientist and Black Girls Create Project Director
LaShawnda Lindsay, Ph.D., is a research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). Over the past decade, her research has created a platform that sheds light on the social determinants, racial injustices, and cultural biases that burden the progression and viability of Black girls and women. She has mentored Black girls, implemented sustainable programs and initiatives for Black girls, and most recently founded Black Girls Matter: A Social Media Campaign. Prior to joining WCW, Lindsay served as the interim chairperson and an associate professor of education at Paine College in Augusta, GA.
Lindsay also uses her passion and creativity to enhance the wellbeing of girls and women by designing and creating her own line of jewelry and accessories, Ananse Design Essentials, LLC. This entrepreneurial endeavor and decade of research on/about/for black girls has promoted the creation of a new initiative, Black Girls Create (BGR). BGR is an informal STEM learning program that integrates fashion design and engineering to increase Black girls’ interest and value in STEM education and careers.
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Girls Collaborative and Principal Investigator (PI) for the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP). The NGCP seeks to maximize access to shared resources for organizations interested in expanding girls’ participation in STEM. Peterson is also Co-PI for the ITEST Learning Resource Center, Citizen SciGirls, SciGirls CONNECT, and Build IT Scale Up projects. Funded by the NSF, these projects address gender, racial and socioeconomic underrepresentation in STEM fields. Peterson has over 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, university instructor, teacher educator, program administrator, and researcher.