Organizers
Institutional Support
- Lunar and Planetary Institute
Universities Space Research Association
Conveners
Padi Boyd
NASA Headquarters
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Padi has over 25 years of scientific, technical, and managerial experience at NASA, on a variety of astrophysics missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, Kepler, and TESS. She is an effective manager and leader of science teams and student and postdoctoral programs. Her research interests include detecting planets around other stars and studying supermassive black holes in active galaxies. Padi is media-trained; is a frequent expert commentator on live television, radio interviews, and national and international science festivals; and hosts the NASA’s Webby-Award-winning Curious Universe podcast. She is a highly engaged supervisor and team leader of approximately 50 scientists supporting various missions in development, operations, or concept phase. She also mentors early-career researchers, particularly women and those from minoritized communities. She has served on National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM’s) Astro2020 Decadal Survey and NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee. She is a recognized leader and advocate within NASA and the external community for implementing results-oriented efforts to create and sustain a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce.
Padi is a passionate ally and advocates for diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in its many forms within NASA and the broader community. She enthusiastically embraces this opportunity to focus on and co-create the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Bridge Program, envisioning a lasting positive impact while strengthening the bridges between all the interconnected partners that can propel such a program.
Dr. Nicolle Zellner
NASA Headquarters
Albion College
Dr. Nicolle Zellner is the Herbert and Grace Dow Endowed Professor of Science at Albion College in Albion, Michigan, where she teaches introductory and advanced astronomy and physics courses. She currently works as a NASA Program Scientist in NASA’s Planetary Science Division. Nicolle’s research interests focus on understanding the impact history of the Earth-Moon system and how those impacts affected the conditions for life on Earth. She studies lunar impact glasses to interpret the bombardment history of the Moon (and Earth), and a second project focuses on understanding how the chemistry of simple molecules is affected by impacts. She is active in public outreach and education activities — in 2021, she received the Carl Sagan Medal for excellence in public communication, awarded by the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). She served three terms on the AAS’ Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy, including three years as chair or co-chair. As a woman in science, she advocates for inclusive approaches and practices to increase diversity in the sciences.
SMD Bridge Program Assistants
Lalitha Balachandran
University of California – Santa Cruz
Lalitha Balachandran is entering her fourth year as a Ph.D. student in the Linguistics Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). As a psycholinguist, her research centers on the intersection between memory mechanisms, semantics/pragmatics, and prosody in real-time language comprehension. She is a co-founder and organizer of Equity in Linguistics at UCSC, a graduate-student-led working group focused on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the field of linguistics, with a particular focus on equitable pedagogical and mentorship practices. She is passionate about fostering supportive student learning experiences through community-building and integrating diverse perspectives.
Jeremias Nuñez
American University
Jeremias Nuñez is a second-year anthropology student at American University in Washington, D.C. At American University, Jeremias is involved in several roles, such as the Treasurer of Latinos En Acción, a student-led Latinx Activist Group, and is a member of the College of Arts and Science Dean’s Student Advisory Board. Currently, Jeremias is assisting in developing NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Bridge Program, a new initiative to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the NASA workforce and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) community. Jeremias is dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) work and hopes to continue down the path of creating opportunities for underserved communities. Specifically, he hopes to work in Medical Equity and research the impacts of Medical Racism.
Science Organizing Committee
Dr. Vemitra Alexander
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Dr. Vemitra Alexander, a native of Crawford, Mississippi, graduated with her Ph.D. in 2016 from Mississippi State University in Instructional Systems and Workforce Development. She is currently a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Specialist for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall Space Flight Center and Stennis Space Center in Alabama and Mississippi, respectively. As a STEM Education Specialist, she is responsible for delivering STEM engagement activities; providing professional development for K-20 educators, administrators, and students; and providing support for NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) to broaden Minority Serving Institutions’ (MSIs’) participation in NASA’s STEM initiatives. Dr. Alexander has been an active member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) since 2015. She currently serves as an executive board member for the Minorities in Engineering Division (MIND) and Pre-College Engineering Education (PCEE) divisions to help members within the organization build expertise and capacity in engineering education and practice. Her research interests includes STEM engagement, Underrepresented Minority (URM) students’ persistence and retention in STEM, and STEM education and outreach. Vemitra resides in Huntsville, Alabama. She loves traveling and is married to Dr. Jamel Alexander, a physicist and rocket scientist.
Clayton J. Clark II
North Carolina A&T
Clayton Clark graduated from Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, his M.E. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida, and later an M.A. in Biblical Studies. He has over 23 years of faculty experience at the University of Florida and Florida A&M University in the Florida A&M University-Florida State University (FAMU-FSU) College of Engineering. He is presently the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. In addition, he is a licensed Professional Engineer with research interests in water quality, water resources engineering, remediation of contaminated soil and water, environmental sustainability, hydrology, hazardous waste management, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Public Policy issues, and STEM education. Dr. Clark has been blessed to have the opportunity to author nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications, several books, and over 50 presentations to national and international audiences. Dr. Clark has served as an editor and reviewer for numerous technical journals and as a panel reviewer for the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Environmental Protection Agency numerous times each. Administratively, he has previously served as a Director for five Programs in Excellence in STEM at FAMU (PE-STEM) Programs, two Civil Engineering Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Programs, the Title III Minority Graduate Fellowship Program, the Title III Funded Blending STEM-Public Policy Program, and was the founding Associate Faculty Director for the FAMU Sustainability Institute. During his time as a faculty member, Dr. Clark has also served as a faculty advisor for Engineers without Borders, the National Society for Black Engineers at the University of Florida, and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. He and his wife of 22 years, Kimberline, have five children.
Ronald S. Gamble, Jr.
Ronald S. Gamble, Jr., Ph.D. is a Theoretical Astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researching the physics of relativistic jets from high-energy, active galactic nuclei and their connection to Supermassive Black Holes. He is currently a Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST-II) Visiting Assistant Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland-College Park, and a NASA Cosmic Origins Research Scientist. Dr. Gamble also has seven years of academic experience teaching and designing physics, mathematics, biomedical engineering, and computational science courses/curricula. His experiences span multiple industries, including higher education, space, and defense. As a former Postdoctoral Scholar of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics for the National Strategic Research Institute, Dr. Gamble worked within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Research & Development – Nuclear Technology Effects Division. He is the Vice President of Black in Astro and one of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) leads for the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA Goddard. He received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics (2017), M.S. in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics (2014), and B.S. in Physics (2012), all from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. While there, he held an Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGI) Fellowship, completing the first physics-related dissertation at North Carolina A&T State University titled On Gravitational Radiation: Nonlinear Wave Theory in a Viscoelastic Kerr-Lambda Spacetime. Dr. Gamble holds professional memberships in the American Astronomical Society, National Society of Black Physicists, and previously National Society of Hispanic Physicists (2009–2012), and the American Physical Society. He is frequently sought after for academic and career motivation and mentoring. Dr. Gamble is also an established oil/acrylic painter, graphic designer, and illustrator with 15 years of experience.
Dr. Noel Gardner
Dr. Noel Gardner is the Director of THEE Aristocrats Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Health Sciences program at Jackson State University. She helps students blossom in their chosen fields of STEM and/or Health Sciences. The program provides scholars with the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom and the workforce. The program focuses on mentoring, life skills for success, community service opportunities, networking opportunities, and educational experiences. Gardner taught chemistry courses in the Natural Science Division at Hinds Community College-Utica Campus in Utica, Mississippi, and served as the Natural Science Division Chair, Principal, and Co-Principal Investigator on multiple grants, such as the Mississippi NASA Space Grant and Implementation Project: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Undergraduate Program (STEM UP) Academy for six years. She is a two-time recipient of the NASA Faculty Fellowship award, where she assisted with the NASA Fingerprinting Program at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. She also served as an Instructional Assistant for the NASA Community College Aerospace Program. A computational chemist by trade, her research focused on modeling and analyzing the electrochemical properties and capabilities of bioimaging dyes. Her published works, however, pertain to the analysis of DNA tautomers to produce markers for genetic diseases. Gardner received her Bachelor of Science degree from Fort Valley State University and her Doctor of Philosophy degree (both in Chemistry) from Jackson State University. She participated in multiple programs funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) during her graduate studies while working with multiple professors at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, and Mississippi College in Clinton, MS.
Edward Gonzales - Co-chair
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
An avid music lover and sneakerhead, Edward Gonzales has built a life “walking the walk” from street-smart to business-savvy. Beginning at one of Los Angeles’ prestigious law firms, he then moved to “student-whisperer” at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the former Office of Education (now Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) engagement), working with underserved, underrepresented communities. Edward also supported the Office of Education and Public Outreach for the Science Mission Directorate focused on Planetary Science. As a NASA Headquarters detailee, he focused on training the staff at each NASA center on educational metrics and evaluation. After returning to JPL to support several Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) programs, he completed a one-year fellowship at NASA HQ in the Office of STEM Engagement. Now, as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility lead for Heliophysics, he brings his unique blend of experience to one of NASA’s most prestigious science areas. Edward has been honored with many NASA awards and recognition. He has made it his personal mission to ensure that the agency’s future workforce is more diverse and equitable than when he started his career there two decades ago. Edward lost his father as a young teen and experienced police profiling and gang violence, so he can relate to many students’ struggles as they embark on college and career journeys. He has been a keynote speaker at dozens of universities, community colleges, trade techs, and high schools nationwide and internationally. Edward has served as a panelist and moderator for various national STEM conferences and organizations, as well as other STEM-related events around the globe. Edward recognizes that not all the paths to NASA are linear, but he realizes the importance of creating a workforce pipeline that starts in school. His path has led him to his current project, “Permission to Dream,” in collaboration with Christopher Gardner (The Pursuit of Happiness) to present inspirational talks at 1,000 high schools across the United States. Edward is the consummate comeback kid – all setbacks set you up for a comeback.
Bri Hart - Co-chair
American Physical Society
Bri Hart (she/her) is a Diversity Program Manager for the American Physical Society. In this role, she organizes, develops, and improves programs that support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the physics community, including the National Mentoring Community (NMC) and Supporting Teachers to Encourage the Pursuit of Undergraduate Physics (STEP UP). Bri’s background includes managing programs to create space for historically marginalized groups within the higher education and non-profit sectors, including women and gender minority students, first-generation college students, and students who have been ethnically and racially minoritized. Bri is committed to utilizing an intersectional lens to center the voices and experiences of Black women in her work.
Dr. Carol Hood
Dr. Carol Hood earned her Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy in 2011 from the University of California, Irvine, and is a Professor of Physics and Director of the Murillo Family Observatory at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). She is heavily involved in increasing the participation and success of under-represented students in STEM, including but not limited to her involvement with CSU-based research and scholarship program Cal-Bridge, notably as Director of CSU Operations for CalBridge; faculty development in evidence-based pedagogies; educational outreach to the local community; and K–12 teacher preparation workshops on the Next Generation Science Standards. She is the Principal Investigator of the CSUSB-based Issues-X project designed to help improve student success through faculty investigation and implementation of evidence-based pedagogies. Dr. Hood's additional research interests involve studying the properties of galaxies and super-massive black holes via multi-wavelength observations to learn about their formation and growth over time.
Regina Jorgenson
Maria Mitchell Observatory
Regina Jorgenson is the Director of the Maria Mitchell Observatory (MMO) in Nantucket, Massachusetts. As an undergraduate student, Jorgenson’s formative experience as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) intern at the MMO helped inspire her to make a career out of her love for astronomy. Jorgenson received a B.S. in Physics from the University of Puget Sound and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, San Diego. She held research positions at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and the Institute for Astronomy in Hawai’i before becoming Director of the MMO in 2016.
A long-time advocate for supporting underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Jorgenson leads the MMO’s NSF REU program training undergraduates in research and a newly established, NSF-funded, post-baccalaureate bridge research program aimed at training and retaining underrepresented groups in STEM. As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Jorgenson spent a year traveling around the world and investigating the effects of culture on science through the eyes of women astronomers. Jorgenson encourages young people in STEM through the various MMO research, mentoring, and education programs, including the Maria Mitchell Women of Science Symposium, and by sharing her love of science with the public via a bi-weekly National Public (NPR) radio program and local newspaper column, Looking Skyward, on the latest news from the world of astronomy. She currently serves on the American Astronomical Society’s Committee of the Status of Women in Astronomy.
Carl A. Moore, Jr
Carl A. Moore, Jr. is an associate professor at the Florida A&M University – Florida State University College of Engineering. He earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Howard University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Before entering graduate school, Dr. Moore worked as a research engineer and manufacturing engineer for Eastman Kodak Company in the Copy Products and Single-Use Camera divisions. He also has professional research experience with Ford Motor Company's Interactive Conceptual Design and Applications lab. Dr. Moore was instrumental in developing cobots — a novel human-robot collaborative technology for applications requiring humans to work in physical contact with robots. His research interests include robot-based 3D printing, haptic interface design and control, and teleoperation. Through grants from NASA and NSF, Dr. Moore is preparing students for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields and developing success strategies for undergraduate and graduate STEM majors. Dr. Moore has published 22 papers in robotics, graduated 12 graduate students, and been awarded $11 million as Principal or Co-Principal investigator. In the classroom, Dr. Moore enjoys implementing nontraditional instructional methods, including flipped classroom learning. He and his wife have five children and live in Tallahassee, Florida.
Jesús Pando
DePaul University
Jesús Pando is the Chair of the Physics and Astrophysics Department at DePaul University. An astrophysicist by training, his research involves the characterization of large-scale structures in the universe. He has long been involved in equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), currently serving on the American Physical Society (APS) Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) program steering committee and the APS Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN) Bridge program advisory committee. He has served on and chaired the APS Committee on Minorities, served on the organizing committee and became the chair of the new APS Forum on Diversity and Inclusion, served on the panel on the State of the Profession for the National Academies 2020 Decadal survey, was for many years on the board of the National Society of Hispanic Physicists, and has been involved in many other task forces and committees to address the inequities for historically minoritized communities in STEM.
Dr. Alvin L. Smith
Dr. Alvin L. Smith is the Manager for Jet Propulsion Laboratory's JPL Planetary Protection Center of Excellence (PP-CoE) and the Backward Planetary Protection Lead for Mars Sample Return. In these roles, he provides scientific oversight to several research and development projects to meet stringent engineering requirements for planetary protection, program management for training programs, university faculty and student outreach, and interagency collaborations. His work within the PP-CoE has fostered several research collaborations with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by leading space-related workshops and research projects to expand the curriculum of these institutions and introducing new career opportunities in aerospace and astrobiology. Scientifically, his contributions have been instrumental in planning flight implementation for Mars 2020 (Perseverance rover), Europa Clipper, and the Mars Sample Return campaign, including Mars Sample Science, planning for the Mars Sample Receiving Facility, and Ground Recovery Activities. Alvin joined JPL after spending over 20 years as a researcher in high containment laboratories and as a consultant as a biodefense Subject Matter Expert (SME) and focusing on the development of medical countermeasures and biodetection capabilities for HIV, human smallpox, Ebola, and other potential biological weapons. Alvin's expertise in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats has been leveraged by numerous government agencies, including Congress, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and the intelligence community. Alvin holds a doctorate in Medical Microbiology from Howard University and a bachelor's degree in Biology from Talladega College. He is also a certified Project Management Professional.
Marianne Smith
Marianne Smith is an educator who has focused on creating opportunities for first-generation, low-income, and minoritized students at all levels of education, both public and private. Over the past decade, she served as the Director of the Institute for Completion at Citrus College (Glendora, CA), where she led multiple Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. In July 2022, she transitioned to the Oak Crest Institute of Science, serving as Senior Education Faculty, focusing on STEM mentoring, outreach, and program development. As an advocate of experiential learning, Marianne developed programs for Citrus STEM students that included short-term, off-campus modules incorporating mentoring, career exploration, networking, providing opportunities for students to complete small-scale research and design challenges, explore a range of STEM issues, and develop science communication skills. She started the summer research program at Citrus, where she was able to arrange research experiences for over 200 community college students. To ensure Citrus College students had support navigating the barriers of higher education, she began a STEM TRiO Student Support Services project with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Through the projects she has led, Marianne has had the opportunity to mentor over 700 community college students (85% URM). A majority have transferred to a STEM discipline, completed a B.S. degree, and advanced to STEM jobs or graduate programs. Marianne earned a B.A. from Prescott College, an M.A. from Chapman University, and a Ph.D. in Institutional Leadership and Policy from the University of California, Riverside.
