Gavin Newsom | Lieutenant Governor of California

Gavin Newsom was elected as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of the State of California on November 2, 2010. His top priorities are economic development and job creation, improving access to higher education, and maintaining California’s environmental leadership. Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor, he served two-terms as Mayor of San Francisco. Under his leadership, the economy grew and jobs were created. The City became a center for biotech and clean tech. He initiated a plan to bring universal health care to all of the City’s uninsured residents. And Newsom aggressively pursued local solutions to global climate change. In the final days of his second term as Mayor, Newsom led a historic drive to host the 2013 America’s Cup, one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, which is expected to generate roughly 8,000 jobs and $1.2 billion for the local and state economy.

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Warren Baker | Chair, California STEM Learning Network

Warren J. Baker served as President of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for over 30 years. Under his leadership, Cal Poly has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top public, regional universities in the West for over a decade. The College of Engineering has been named among the top public undergraduate programs in the country. The College of Agriculture is the fourth largest undergraduate agriculture program in the nation. Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design was ranked as one of the best undergraduate architecture programs in the United States at producing "graduates most prepared for real-world practice" by Design Intelligence journal. The college has produced one of every five architects in the State and one of every 20 in the country.

Dr. Baker co-chaired the planning effort, and has worked to ensure that the spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence so abundant at Cal Poly is reflected in the work of CSLNet.

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Linda Katehi | Chancellor, UC Davis

Linda P.B. Katehi became the sixth chancellor of the University of California, Davis, on August 17, 2009. As chief executive officer, she oversees all aspects of the university’s teaching, research and public service mission.

Chancellor Katehi (kah-TAY-hee) also holds UC Davis faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering and in women and gender studies. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, she chaired until 2010 the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science and is chair of the Secretary of Commerce’s committee for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. She is a fellow and board member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of many other national boards and committees.

In April 2011, Chancellor Katehi was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the world's most prestigious honorary societies.

Previously, Chancellor Katehi served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University; and associate dean for academic affairs and graduate education in the College of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan.

Since her early years as a faculty member, Chancellor Katehi has focused on expanding research opportunities for undergraduates and improving the education and professional experience of graduate students, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups. She has mentored more than 70 postdoctoral fellows, doctoral and master’s students in electrical and computer engineering. Twenty-two of the 45 doctoral students who graduated under her supervision have become faculty members in research universities in the United States and abroad.

Her work in electronic circuit design has led to numerous national and international awards both as a technical leader and educator, 19 U.S. patents, and an additional five U.S. patent applications. She is the author or co-author of 10 book chapters and about 650 refereed publications in journals and symposia proceedings. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1977, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from UCLA in 1981 and 1984, respectively.

Source: University of California, http://chancellor.ucdavis.edu/about/index.html

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Mike Kirst | President, State Board of Education

Emeritus Professor of Education and Business Administration at Stanford University. He is a faculty affiliate with the Department of Political Science, and has a courtesy appointment with the Graduate School of Business. Professor Kirst was a member of the California State Board of Education (1975-1982) and its president from 1977 to 1981. Dr. Kirst received his bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College, his M.P.A. in government and economics from Harvard University, and his Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard.

Before joining the Stanford University faculty, Dr. Kirst held several positions with the federal government, including Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Manpower, Employment and Poverty, and Director of Program Planning and Evaluation for the Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education in the U.S. Office of Education (now the U.S. Department of Education). He was a Budget Examiner in the Federal Office of Budget and Management, and Associate Director of the White House Fellows. He was a program analyst for the Title I ESEA Program at its inception in 1965.

Dr. Kirst is active in several professional organizations. He was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences. He has been a member of the National Academy of Education since 1979. He was Vice-President of the American Educational Research Association and a commissioner of the Education Commission of the States. Kirst co-founded Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE).

A prolific writer, Dr. Kirst has authored ten books, including The Political Dynamics of American Education (2005). As a policy generalist, Professor Kirst has published articles on school finance politics, curriculum politics, intergovernmental relations, as well as education reform policies.

He is a member of the management and research staff of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, a federally funded center. His recent book, From High School to College (2004), concerns improving student preparation for success in postsecondary education.

While Kirst's early work focused primarily on k-12 policy and politics, much of his recent work has focused on college preparation and college success at broad access postsecondary institutions that are open enrollment, or accept all qualified applicants. The disconnections between k-12 and postsecondary education cause much of the low college completion rates. Kirst's research demonstrates that only k-12 and postsecondary education working together to improve preparation and college readiness will increase college completion.

Source: Stanford University, http://www.stanford.edu/~mwk/index.html

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Chris Roe | CEO, California STEM Learning Network

Christopher Roe is the chief executive office of the California STEM Learning Network (CSLNet), a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the state’s capacity to provide high-quality learning opportunities for all of its students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the critical fields that fuel California’s dynamic economy. Roe is in charge of overseeing the creation of strategic relationships and collaborating with regional, state and national partners to establish a network that will rapidly scale innovative STEM teaching and learning across K-14 education.

Prior to joining CSLNet, Roe served as the Deputy Director for the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), a membership organization comprised of corporate CEOs and senior executives, college and university presidents, and foundation leaders working together to advance innovative solutions to the nation's most significant education challenges. In this role, Roe worked closely with BHEF’s members, policymakers, and educators to develop and advance innovative policy and programmatic solutions to our nation’s most pressing education challenges.

While at BHEF Roe provided leadership for its STEM initiative, which has as its goal doubling the number of STEM graduates nationally. Roe helped elevate the national dialogue on and support for STEM education, and worked with members of Congress, governors and the business community to increase support for STEM teaching and learning. In addition, he helped launch the STEM Research and Modeling Network in partnership with Raytheon Company and The Ohio State University’s Battelle Center, an open innovation network devoted to developing cutting edge tools to advance STEM education.

Roe previously was managing director of the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research and the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, based at Stanford University. Roe is also co-founder of Pacific Educational Group, based in San Francisco, CA, and the Foundation for a College Education (FCE) located in East Palo Alto, CA, an award-winning non-profit organization that assists students of color and their families in attaining a college education.

Roe has also served as a Senior Program Officer for the Academy for Educational Development, in Washington, DC, and as a member of the FCE Board of Directors and Advisory Board. Roe has authored or contributed to a number of reports on issues of state and federal higher education policy, including BHEF: “An American Imperative: Transforming the Recruitment, Retention, and Renewal of Our Nation’s Mathematics and Science Teaching Workforce” by the Business-Higher Education Forum and the chapter “New Models of Leadership and Collaboration to Improve Science Education: The Role of Business” in Science Education Leadership by NSTA Press.

Roe received his master’s in public policy from the University of California-Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, and his bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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Bob Tinker| Founder, Concord Consortium

Bob Tinker has, for thirty years, pioneered innovative approaches to education that exploit the power of technology. He invented the idea of using probes, including the ultrasonic motion detector, for use in education. He was the first to use networking to permit students to collaborate on dispersed science investigations. Fifteen years ago he started the nonprofit Concord Consortium to concentrate on innovative applications of technology in education. The Consortium specializes in online learning, the use of sophisticated simulations in science, probeware and handhelds, and applications of these technologies to pressing educational issues. A decade ago, it developed the first Web-based teacher enhancement program where the need for moderators and online moderator training was first developed. He led the team that originated the Virtual High School and created the teacher professional development model that it uses. He has led the development of computational models that are widely used in education, including the award-winning Molecular Workbench. A common thread of technology, innovation, social need, and potential impact runs through all his work. Bob earned his PhD in experimental low temperature physics from MIT and has taught college physics for ten years.

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Tom Torlakson | Superintendent of Public Instruction

Assembly member Tom Torlakson is a second-generation teacher who has applied his experience as a science teacher and high school coach to fight for our kids and reform the way public education works in California.

Tom’s journey has led him from the classrooms of Contra Costa County’s Mount Diablo Unified School District (where he remains a teacher-on-leave), to the Antioch City Council, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, and the California State Senate and State Assembly.

Improving our state’s public education system has been the top priority for Tom as a member of the Legislature. Tom has acted to improve student nutrition and physical education, give schools the funding support they need to ensure academic achievement, and fought to reduce the dropout rate. He has also worked diligently to protect education funding.

In 1998 Tom authored legislation that has led to the development of the largest system of after school programs in the nation. In 2006, he authored the bill that led to a 300 percent expansion in these programs—so they now reach 4,000 schools around the state. Tom authored the Quality Education Improvement Act in 2006, which dedicates nearly $3 billion to our lowest performing schools. Tom also played a key role negotiating and authoring the $9 billion Proposition 1A bond measure in 1998—which has led to public votes supporting over $35 billion to build new schools and improve existing school buildings.

Tom championed legislation to increase funding for textbooks, computers, and other instructional materials; bills to enhance campus safety, close the digital divide, eliminate the achievement gap, improve student health, and reduce the horrible drop-out rate. Tom has also authored legislation to improve the safety of our children and students—including landmark legislation to regulate amusement park rides, improve reporting of sexual assaults and other crimes against children, combat hazing, and make our schools safer for students and teachers.

As the chair and founder of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness, Tom has been a leader on banning junk food from our schools, providing healthier school meals, and promoting student health and fitness.

Tom is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction so he can fight for our kids. He wants to ensure parents can send their children to a safe, quality school in their own neighborhood. He will seek to expand career and technical education for high school students, protect college-prep courses and arts and music programs, and make sure the management of local school districts measures up to the highest standards of excellence.

Born in San Francisco, Tom served as a fireman in the United States Merchant Marine, earning the Vietnam Service Medal. He earned a B.A. in History, a Life Secondary Teaching Credential, and an M.A. in Education from the University of California, Berkeley.

Source: Tom Torlakson http://www.tomtorlakson.com/story

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Dennis M. Bartels | Executive Director, Exploratorium

A science education and policy expert, he was appointed to the Education Working Group for the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in 2009, and in 2010 he was one of two educators named to the Oceans Research and Resources Advisory Panel (ORRAP), which provides independent advice and guidance to the more than 20 federal agencies of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. Dr. Bartels has testified before United States congressional committees including the full House Science Committee. He was elected an AAAS Fellow (on Education), and he’s also a Fellow of the International Society for Design and Development in Education (ISDDE) and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). In addition, he speaks internationally on science and mathematics education. Dennis holds a PhD in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford University

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Milton Chen | Senior Fellow, The George Lucas Educational Foundation

Have worked at The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) for 12 years as executive director, became senior fellow in early 2010. Background includes director of research, Sesame Workshop; asst. professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education; education director, KQED-San Francisco (PBS).

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Lupita Cortez Alcalá | Branch Deputy, California Department of Education

Lupita Cortez Alcalá is the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and Learning Support for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. In this capacity, Ms. Alcalá represents the Superintendent in the program areas of teacher support, support for English learners and migrant students, curriculum and instructional resources, early childhood programs, STEM, high school initiatives and career technical education. Ms. Alcalá has over a decade of experience in Government Affairs for K–12 and Higher Education. Ms. Alcala was formerly the Deputy Superintendent of Government Affairs and Charter Development and was responsible for the administration of all departmental activities relating to state and federal legislation and funding as well as providing guidance and support for the development and oversight of high quality charter schools. Prior to joining the CDE, Governor Davis appointed her as his deputy legislative secretary. In that capacity, she advised the Governor on all Kindergarten through grade 12 and higher education legislation and served as a liaison to the education community. A graduate of Harvard University’s School of Education. Ms. Alcalá earned a Master’s degree in Planning Administration and Social Policy. Ms. Alcalá earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Spanish Literature.

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John Fensterwald | Journalist

John Fensterwald, Silicon Valley Education Foundation’s (SVEF) Journalist in Residence, was an editorial writer for the San Jose Mercury News for a dozen years, writing extensively about public schools, education policy, and California's monumental effort to reform its K-12 system. He has been in and out of classrooms and school board meetings for 30-plus years as a newspaper reporter, editorial writer and parent. His writes the blog, Educated Guess, and edits TOP-Ed.org, SVEF’s website on California education policy.

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Louis Freedberg | Executive Director, EdSource

Louis Freedberg joined EdSource as executive director in July 2011. He has analyzed and reported on California education issues for more than two decades. Among other positions, he was a co-founder of California Watch and was on the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle. He is currently looking at new strategies for closing the achievement gap, the impact of the current economic crisis on school performance, and developing new ways to engage Californians in the education crisis facing the state.

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Matt Lonner | Manager, Global Partnerships & Programs

Matt Lonner is Chevron’s Manager of Global Partnerships and Programs, leading the company’s global social investment strategy, including development of Chevron’s major programs around the world. He also serves as President of Chevron’s foundations.

In 2010, Chevron’s social investments exceeded $180 million, with primary focus in health, education and economic development. Among his accomplishments, Matt has spearheaded Chevron’s global health efforts in the area of HIV/AIDS and Maternal & Child Health – including a major partnership with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – and led Chevron’s California Partnership, a significant investment to support science, technology, engineering and math education.

In addition, Matt has directed Chevron through a number of disaster relief efforts in Myanmar, China, Gulf Coast, Haiti and elsewhere, and oversees the company’s employee community involvement programs.

Matt has been a featured speaker on the subject of corporate philanthropy and is a recognized as an expert in the area of public-private partnerships and social investment & development. Formerly a practicing attorney, Matt is a graduate of San Francisco State University and earned a law degree from the University Of San Francisco School Of Law.

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Muhammed Chaudhry | President & CEO, Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF)

Muhammed Chaudhry serves as President & CEO for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF). His goal is to help prepare every student in Silicon Valley for completion of post-secondary education. Under his leadership, SVEF has become the leading education foundation serving Silicon Valley to support students, teachers and the community. The foundation achieves this through forging strong relationships with industry and the education community to develop traditional and non-traditional programs to support education. SVEF's latest initiative is STEM - a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math initiative targeted to significantly increase the number of students completing algebra 1 and 2 as gateway subjects to academic success. 

Prior to SVEF, Muhammed held management positions in brand marketing with The Clorox Company and Dazzle Multimedia. He serves as Vice President of MKA USA, which is a youth development organization. He is a Board Member of the California Consortium of Education Foundation, Partners In School Innovation, the Hispanic Foundation Silicon Valley, and an active member of San Jose Rotary Club. His personal interests include golf, long distance running, and volunteering with various philanthropic causes. 

Muhammed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University and is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Leadership Program. He resides in San Jose with his wife, Rabia, who is chief of staff for Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese and their twins.

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Tony Derose | Senior Scientist and Lead of Research Group, Pixar Animation Studios

Tony DeRose is currently a Senior Scientist and lead of the Research Group at Pixar Animation Studios. He received a BS in Physics in from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. From 1986 to 1995 Dr. DeRose was a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. In 1998, he was a major contributor to the Oscar (c) winning short film "Geri's game," and in 2006 he received a Scientific and Technical Academy Award (c) for his work on the mathematics of surfaces. For the past several years he has become passionate about finding ways that Disney and Pixar can help to inspire the next generation of mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. One such initiative is the Young Makers Program.

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Roberta Gotfried | Director of Engineering Learning and University Relations, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems

Ms. Roberta Gotfried is the Director of Engineering Learning and University Relations at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. Previously, she was Director of Technology Strategy and Integration and an Engineering Fellow specializing in information and cyber security. Roberta initiated some of the early research initiatives in this field at Raytheon. Over the last 2 decades, she has led research to improve security in the evolving net-centric battlespace, working with US Department of Defense, NATO, and the UK Ministry of Defence. Currently, she is responsible for the professional education and university relations that keeps Raytheon engineers abreast of emerging technologies and methods while developing strategy for Raytheon for addressing information assurance needs for customers and the warfighter.

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Susan Hackwood | Executive Director, California Council on Science and Technology

Susan Hackwood is currently Executive Director of the California Council on Science and Technology, and Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Riverside. CCST is a not-for-profit corporation comprised of 150 science and technology leaders sponsored by the key academic and federal research institutions in the California, which advises the state on all aspects of science and technology including stem cell research, intellectual property, climate change, energy, information technology, biotechnology and education.

Dr. Hackwood received a Ph.D. in Solid State Ionics in 1979 from DeMontfort University, UK, at age 23. Before joining academia, she was Department Head of Device Robotics Technology Research at AT&T Bell Labs, where amongst other things, she invented and named the electrowetting effect, now used in many micro devices and continuing to be researched and utilized in an increasing number of applications. In 1984 she joined the University of California, Santa Barbara as Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and was founder and Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Robotic Systems in Microelectronics (CRSM).

In 1990, Dr. Hackwood became the founding Dean of the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, and the first woman dean of a major research university in the U.S.

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Onda Johnson | Education Administrator, After School Division, California Department of Education

Onda Johnson is the Education Administrator of the After School Division in the California Department of Education (CDE). The Division issues and monitors state and federal after school grant awards to local educational agencies, community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, private schools, and city and county governments. These programs are created through partnerships between schools and local community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment and safe constructive alternatives for students in the out-of school time. After school programs provide an opportunity to merge school reform strategies with community resources to support local efforts to improve assistance to students and to broaden the base of support for education in safe, constructive environments. Ms. Johnson has nearly a decade of experience in education administration, and for a number of years worked as an auditor for the Department of Finance. Ms. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento, majoring in Criminal Justice, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from National University.

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Homin Kwark | Founder and CEO, Imagiscience

Homin Kwark is a 16-year-old Junior at Northwood High School in Irvine, California. He is the founder and CEO of Imagiscience, a non-profit science educational organization that aims to inspire interest in science – not by imparting a body of knowledge, but rather by exposing the students to the world of science through events, challenges, programs, and competitions. Imagiscience is one of the first student-led coalitions that have been formed by the very high school students to make a difference in the science education today. Since its launch in August 2011, local chapters have been established by other high school student leaders from Orange to Alameda County. Within a day of its Facebook campaign, Imagiscience garnered more than 100 Facebook “Likes.” Now, its Facebook page serves as an active discussion board for fun, science-related topics for high school students. Before establishing Imagiscience, Homin worked as an independent consultant for HealthTap, an interactive health start-up company that is recognized by Forbes, TIME, and O’Reilly. Homin is the Financial Manager and founding member of Forte Initiative, an educational organization that is partnered with Envision Schools to promote equal opportunities in education. He is the President of Northwood High School’s Future Business Leaders of America and the Team Captain of Discovery Science Center. International philanthropic work has been one of his passions. During his medical internship in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Homin launched a medical outreach program at “Gerel” State Orphanage Center and Street Children’s Detention Center. He also served as the Artistic Director of Filial Piety Senior Care Center. In addition, he was invited to perform Korean traditional performance Samulnori at Disneyland, Bower’s Museum, and Hollywood Bowl. During his free time, he enjoys playing the trumpet and the piano. Homin was selected to perform with the Stanford Symphony 2011 Summer Orchestra in Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford University. He was the 1st trumpet in California Band Directors Association All-State Concert Band, and currently is the 1st trumpet in Northwood’s Wind Symphony and Marching Band, and the recipient of Charter Oak Award and Instrumental Music Director’s Award.

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Harold G. Levine | Dean of the School of Education and Professor of Education at the University of California, Davis

Trained as an anthropologist, Levine began his career as a professor in the UCLA Department of Education, later becoming department chair and interim dean. Levine’s research and publications focus on a wide range of organizations and cultural practices using qualitative, observational methods. His current interests are in the area of education policy and its applications.

In August, 2001, Levine became the Founding Dean of the School of Education at UC Davis. As Dean, he has overseen substantial growth in personnel and programs. This growth has better enabled the new School to carry out its mandates to work collaboratively with practitioners in public education, to translate theory and research into effective practice, and to bring the best of thought and research in multiple disciplines to help address the most intractable problems in today’s public schools and classrooms. Levine also served in a part-time capacity as the Associate Provost for Education Initiatives at the University of California Office of the President.

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Dr. Rick Miller | Superintendent, Riverside Unified School District

Dr. Miller has been an educator for over 40 years. He has served as a school district superintendent for the past 22 years in two different states, as well as serving as an adjunct instructor at the university level in both states. Dr. Miller has taught at the elementary and secondary levels and has been an elementary and high school principal.

The focus of his 35+ year career as a school administrator has been on school reform and improved student achievement in diverse settings. He has also co-founded a collaborative assistance program for teachers and administrtors and concentrated his organizational efforts on building more collaborative structures within our school organizations. Additionally, Rick was a co-founder of the Mountain West Superintendents Roundtable, a regional superintendent think tank.

He currently serves on a number of state and national advisory boards including: K-12 Blackboard Advisory, California K-12 High Speed Network, California School Board Association – Legal Alliance Advisory, Science and Technology Education Partnership Advisory, and SmartRiverside Advisory.

Dr. Miller holds four academic degrees including a Ph.D. in Education; Ed.Sp. (Education Specialist) in Educational Administration; M.Ed. (Masters in Education) in Educational Administration and Higher Education; and a B.A. in Chemistry. Dr. Miller has authored a number of professional articles and has presented at state and national conferences. Dr. Miller is Riverside Unified School District’s tenth Superintendent since 1871.

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Ron Ottinger | Executive Director, Noyce Foundation

As the Executive Director of the Noyce Foundation, Ron Ottinger oversees all program areas and operations of the Foundation. For fourteen years, Ron was the National Associate Director of the non-profit AVID Center, which disseminates AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), the nationally acclaimed college preparation program for low-income students. He co-launched the non-profit AVID Center and provided key leadership in helping the program grow from its base in San Diego to 40 states and 15 countries, reaching nearly 200,000 students in close to 3,000 middle and high schools. Ron served on the San Diego City Schools’ Board of Education from 1992 to 2004 and was the district’s longest serving board president. In 1993, he authored the “Classrooms First Policy,” which reallocated local funds to reduce class size from over 30 to 25 students in grades 1 and 2. This became the model for the state’s class size reduction program for grades K-3 adopted in 1996. He also led the school board's hiring of Superintendent Alan Bersin, a former United States Attorney from San Diego and one of the first non-educator superintendents, in 1998 to focus on teaching and learning in the classroom - a focus which resulted in San Diego rivaling Boston for the highest student achievement improvement in a large urban school district. During his tenure with the school district, Ron’s school board leadership resulted in a pioneering student achievement accountability system, voter passage of a $1.5 billion bond measure to build new schools and repair all aging school buildings, and a citywide “6-6” after-school program in conjunction with the City of San Diego. Ron joined the Noyce Foundation in Palo Alto, California in 2006.

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Jon Pearce | Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering, San Jose State

Jon Pearce received his Ph.D. in Mathematical Logic from UC Berkeley in 1980. After two years of postdoctoral work at CU Boulder, he became an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University, where he taught Mathematics and Computer Science. He has extensive experience teaching internationally (including five Fulbright awards.) He has published a book on Scheme programming, and have extensive industry experience working as a consultant and a software developer. Mr. Pearce is currently a professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at San Jose State, where he also is the chair of the Computer Science Department.

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Andee Press-Dawson | Executive Director, California Afterschool Network

Andee has been with the CRESS Center of the School of Education for the past four years. She has a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis on community organization. She has extensive experience in the after school world having served as the director of Sacramento START for the City of Sacramento for six years. She was the founder of Kids on Kampus, a children’s enrichment program, which operated for more than 20 years at CSUS and through out northern California. She also started the Visionarium Children’s Museum. Andee and her husband Terry have two children, David and Fawn, and together run their weekend business, A Step Above DJ and Party Services.

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Linda G. Roberts | U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology

Dr. Linda G. Roberts led the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology from its inception in September 1993 to January 2001, and served as the Secretary of Education’s Senior Adviser on Technology. Before joining the Clinton Administration, Roberts directed 3 groundbreaking reports on technology and learning at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). Roberts is a Trustee of the Sesame Workshop and the Education Development Center and was a board director of Wireless Generation from its inception to the sale of the company to NewsCorp. She was on the Steering Committee for the NAEP Tech Literacy assessment, and served as Senior Adviser to the SRI International Team developing a new National Ed Tech Plan for the Obama Administration. Most recently she joined the PCAST STEM Education Working Group and is a Visiting Scholar at AAAS. Roberts is a former elementary teacher and reading specialist, as well as University Professor and Academic Dean.

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Julia Roche | Senior High School Student

Julia Roche is a senior high school student and an active participant in a San Diego Science Alliance program called BE WiSE (Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering). Through BE WiSE, she has participated in multiple science related workshops and academies. Of these, her favorite was the Oncofertility Saturday Academy. This eight-week summer program allowed her to study oncofertility, the preservation of cancer treatment patients’ fertility, through weekly labs at places such as the UCSD Moores Cancer Center and an in vitro fertilization clinic. Through this academy, she created a scientific poster that was displayed at the 2010 and 2011 Oncofertility Consortium in Chicago. Julia also pursued and participated in two separate internships due to her connections through BE WiSE and her high school. The first was a four-week long internship at the UCSD Scripps Institute of Oceanography where she researched special proteins in sea urchins. The second was an eight-week long internship at Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) where she worked in the robotics lab. She plans on graduating from high school and majoring in engineering at a four-year university.

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Leslie Rodden | Director of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Alliance for Education with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

Leslie Rodden is the Director of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Alliance for Education with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS). She has over twenty years combined experience in education as a teacher at the secondary level and as a program specialist/coordinator/director in career education at the district and county schools level. Leslie works with educators, parents, students, business, labor, and community leaders to support student achievement and career preparation. She provides technical support to schools in order to prepare students for postsecondary options and the 21st Century workplace. She works with business and community partners to build comprehensive career education systems, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; develops instructional strategies that infuse academic rigor and relevance into the classroom; and provides partnerships for work-based learning experiences for both students and teachers. Prior to the Alliance for Education, Leslie served as Project Specialist for Career Technical Education at San Bernardino City Unified School District and coordinated the Horizons School-to-Career Partnership at SBCSS from 1998/99 – 2002/03.

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Steve Schneider | Senior Program Director of STEM, WestEd.

Dr. Schneider has been the Principal Investigator of numerous initiatives that include: the US Department of Education’s (IES) National Center for Cognition and Math Instruction, the NSF Center for Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning; the NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Framework and the NAEP Science Framework and Test Specification projects; the What Works Clearinghouse Science Curriculum submissions, multiple IES randomized control studies of STEM interventions; the evaluation of California’s Statewide Mathematics Implementation Study and the California Accountability Study; and the development of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Science Teacher Assessment. He has over 35 years of STEM education experience, including K-12 pre-service teacher education, high school science teaching in biology, physics and oceanography, and professional development. He has published numerous articles on STEM education, professional development, and teacher preparation. Dr. Schneider serves on numerous advisory boards and review panels for IES, NIH, and NSF. He received his doctorate from Stanford University in the Design and Evaluation of Educational Programs with an emphasis in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education, a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and holds a California science teaching credential.

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Gerald R. Solomon | Executive Director, Samueli Foundation

Gerald R. Solomon has served as the Samueli Foundation’s Executive Director since April, 2008. Prior to the Samueli Foundation, Mr. Solomon served as CEO of Public Health Foundation Enterprises (PHFE) for seven (7) years, where he transformed the organization from an LA-centric provider of funding and services into national prominence, operating in 31 states with 1,600 employees and annual revenues exceeding $120 Million.

Since his tenure at Samueli, he has achieved many significant goals, including development of long range collaborative community initiatives to: address systemic safety net needs in the Santa Ana region, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education deficiencies within the K – 16 continuum, and the need to broaden the healthcare dialogue to focus on a true health and wellness approach through integrative medicine practices.

Mr. Solomon currently serves on several Boards and Committees, including: UCLA’s School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council; UCI’s School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council; UCI’s Dept of Education Chair’s Advisory Committee, Orange County’s STEM Funder’s Network; Orange County Roundtable of Funders, and actively supports and works with Grantmakers in Health and Grantmakers For Education on local, regional and national issues.

Previous work has included service on the Board of Directors of: the NACCHO-CDC national accreditation committee developing standards for public health departments; Chair of CMPHL – the California Medical and Public Health Leadership Group; the Executive Steering Committee for the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors; and Treasurer of Alliance for Nonprofit Management headquartered in Washington DC. Mr. Solomon’s career has also included a distinguished 18 year career as a civil trial attorney and Judge Pro Tem.

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Hilary K. Srere | Education Division, Apple, Inc.

Hilary K. Srere received her doctorate in cell and developmental biology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver where she studied the molecular mechanisms of hibernation in ground squirrels. After a post-doc studying the effects of pre-natal nicotine exposure on sleep and circadian rhythms in the Sleep Research Center and the Department of Biology at Stanford University she joined the private sector working for Bio-Rad Laboratories’ Life Sciences Group where she became a leading authority on real-time PCR technologies. In the fall of 2008, she joined Apple, Inc. in the Education Division. At Apple she has been working closely with health sciences faculty, IT and administrators as well as K-12 STEM educators to understand how to better integrate technology into their curricula and their everyday workflow.

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Sue Stickel | Deputy Superintendent, Sacramento County Office of Education

Ms. Stickel currently serves the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) as Deputy Superintendent. She has also served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Intervention within the county office. In addition, Ms Stickel previously served as Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for the California Department of Education.

Ms. Stickel is a recognized expert in instruction, curriculum development and professional development. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum/ Professional Development for the Elk Grove Unified School District and Instructor of Education Administration and Mathematics Education for California State University. In 2010 she served as the Project Director for the California Academic Standards Commission as they considered the Common Core Standards.

Ms. Stickel holds a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from California State University, Sacramento.

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Nancy Taylor | Science and Environmental Education, San Diego County Office of Education

Nancy Taylor, is one of California’s leaders in K-12 science education. She leads K-12 Science and Environmental Education at the San Diego County Office of Education where nearly 500,000 students attend school in 45 public school districts. She is the Co-Founder of the San Diego Science Alliance a non-profit 501(c3) organization where she serves as Executive Director. She has served as a Co-Principal Investigator for several NSF-funded initiatives (ITEST, GK-12) serving multi-district K-12 science classes and currently serves on the leadership team for a California Math Science Partnership. Ms. Taylor developed the San Diego Science Alliance (SDSA), with many partners. SDCOE/SDSA’s large network of professional educators, education researchers and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals actively collaborate to improve science education for K-University in San Diego County’s 700 public schools. Taylor manages a dynamic network of community collaborators; K-12 schools, San Diego’s innovators in research, industry and higher education, dedicated to providing STEM resources in class and out-of-school. Recognized by the California School Board Association for her work developing science programs that demonstrate gains in student achievement and STEM awareness, specifically for women in science through the Science Alliance’s BE WiSE program.

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Kami Thordarson | Sixth Grade Teacher at Santa Rita Elementary

Kami Thordarson is a sixth grade teacher at Santa Rita Elementary in the Los Altos School District. She has taught in the classroom in both Colorado and California for the last 14 years. As one of the pilot teachers working with Khan Academy, she has spent time with her team developing a blended learning model for teaching math that includes the use of this online delivery system of educational content along with other quality instructional tools, best practices, and opportunities for classroom interaction. She envisions a 21st-century math classroom in which teachers are empowered to differentiate instruction, students take ownership of their math education, and classrooms are transformed into collaborative, problem-solving communities.

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Van Ton-Quinlivan | Director of Workforce Development, PG&E

Van Ton-Quinlivan has spent more than 15 years in a variety of corporate leadership roles, most recently as director of workforce development at Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). While at PG&E, Ton-Quinlivan created PowerPathway, a nationally recognized best practice model program in workforce development. Launched in 2008, the PowerPathway program linked industry, the public workforce development system, the California Community Colleges and organized labor to help military veterans and underserved populations transition into energy-sector jobs.

In 2010, Ton-Quinlivan was selected as one of 10 industry leaders to inform the Education and Training Subcommittee of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board on the workforce needs of industry. She was one of five corporate leaders invited to attend the first-ever White House Community College Summit. Earlier this year, Ton-Quinlivan spoke at the inaugural US-Canada-European Commission Trilateral Roundtable on the topic of the Employment Dimension of the Transition to a Green Economy and participated in the inaugural Clinton Global Initiative-America meeting in June.

Ton-Quinlivan has served on the Task Force on Future Energy Jobs for the National Commission on Energy Policy and co-chairs the California Energy & Utility Workforce Consortium, which she founded. She served on the executive committee of the Center for Energy Workforce Development, a national organization formed by the trade associations of the nation’s electric, gas, and nuclear sectors, to jointly address workforce trends. Ton-Quinlivan has presented on numerous state and national conference panels and has testified in front of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the California Assembly Committee on Higher Education.

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Jim Vanides | Program Manager, Hewlett-Packard

Jim Vanides is a member of the HP Global Social Investment team (corporate philanthropy), responsible for worldwide education philanthropy strategy and the creation of the HP Innovations in Education initiative, a $20M investment reaching schools, colleges, and universities in 28 countries. He is also the senior Program Manager for education technology grants for school systems and higher education institutions in the US. He is the author of the blog, “Teaching, Learning, and Technology in Higher Education” and is a contributing author on the K12 education blog, Guide to Digital Learning Environments.

Jim also teaches an online course for Montana State University on the Science of Sound, a masters-level, conceptual physics course for teachers in grades 5 through 8. Jim’s past work at HP has included engineering design, engineering management, and program management in R&D, Manufacturing, and Business Development. He holds a BS in Engineering and a MA in Education, both from Stanford University.

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