Dr. James Holly, Jr. is a Detroiter, educator, and researcher focused on counteracting anti-Black racism in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. He currently participates in the training of STEM educators that want to build up the strengths of urban Black students. He has a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University and master’s degree from Michigan State University, both in Mechanical Engineering, which inspired his pursuit of a doctorate in Engineering Education from Purdue University. His desires to transform the way engineering is presented to Black youth, so that it is empowering and helps them address the everyday multidimensional problems they experience in their communities. His research explores how to teach the STEM disciplines with a justice mindset, the process of helping aspiring science and mathematics teachers learn engineering, and how the personal stories of Black people with STEM degrees can inform equitable STEM education. LinkedIn | Twitter

Dr. Avneet Hira is an educator, researcher, maker, and aerospace engineer. She is an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Boston College. She received her PhD in Engineering Education and MS in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University, and BE in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College. Her scholarship is motivated by the fundamental question of how engineering and technology can support people in living well in an increasingly engineered world. Her research focuses on affordances of technology, humanistic design, and engineering epistemology to promote purpose and connection in engineering education. In her work, she partners with students and educators (middle school to undergraduate), youth and their families, community organizations, artisans, makers, designers, and technologists. Currently, she is part of a team setting up the Human-Centered Engineering program at Boston College. Twitter