Texas State NASA STEM EPDC Team and the NASA EPDC Specialists housed at different NASA Centers.
Dr. Araceli Martinez Ortiz
Principal Investigator, Lead
Dr. Araceli Ortiz is the director of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research and assistant professor in Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, and serves as Principal Investigator in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. Her research interests include studying the role of engineering as a curricular context for mathematics and science learning in K-20 and developing research-based active-learning instructional models and assessment instruments to enhance engineering students’ learning experiences and STEM Teacher professional development. She enjoys working with teachers, families, and students from diverse communities.
Dr. Ortiz holds degrees from Tufts University (Ph.D.), Michigan State University (MA), Kettering University (MS), and The University of Michigan (BS IOE).
Dr. Leslie Huling
Project Director
Dr. Leslie Huling is senior advisor of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research and serves as Project Director in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. Dr. Huling has directed a number of STEM-related educator professional development grants including the Mathematics for English Language Learners (MELL) project, the College and Career Readiness Initiative Mathematics Faculty Collaborative, and the Success Initiatives in Developmental Education –Mathematics (SIDE-M) grant. Her research interests include teacher induction and mentoring, teacher development, and school improvement.
Holds degrees from Texas Tech University (Ed.D.), University of North Texas (MS), and Angelo State University (BA).
Dr. John Beck
Finance & Operations Manager
Dr. John Beck is Distinguished Professor Emeritus, and serves as Finance & Operations Manager with the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. His research and writing interests include teacher education, instructional technology, and educational leadership.
Dr. Beck holds degrees from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (Ph.D./Ed.S./MAT), University of Washington – Seattle (B.S.), and Southwest Texas State (B.S.). He holds Texas educator credentials in High School Mathematics and Physics, Principal, and Superintendent.
Dr. Keith Duclos
Ed Specialist Field Based Coordinator
Dr. Keith Duclos, owns and operates Duclos Consulting & Management, LLC, established in 2007. His current role in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project is a consultant assisting with the interface between the project, NASA Headquarters, and the 10 NASA Centers located across the U.S. and helping to coordinate services provided by the education specialists working at each of the Centers. Dr. Duclos has a long history with NASA and the management of both technical and educational projects under NASA awards.
Dr. Duclos holds degrees from University of Hartford (Ed.D.) and Cornell University (MBA).
Michelle Berry
NASA MUREP Educator Institute Coordinator
Michelle Berry is the NASA MUREP Educator Institute Coordinator at Texas State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Education from Texas State University. Her experience includes organizing and supporting simlar grant funded STEM initiatives at Texas State University, the most recent of which was the state-wide Mathematics Faculty Collaborative for the Texas College and Career Readiness Initiative (CCRI). In the CCRI grant facilitator role, she coordinated STEM faculty teams from universities across the state that engaged in an ongoing, multi-event effort to revise their STEM teacher preparation programs and to integrate CCRI resources into their instructional programs. In this role she also coordinated numerous STEM-related professional development events, both in designing the curriculum for the event and in planning meeting and facility arrangements. Prior to these positions she was a Mentor Teacher in both the Teacher Recruitment Induction Program and Novice Teacher Induction Program at Texas State University. She also has 11 years of teaching experience in kindergarten, 3rdand 4th grades from San Marcos Consolidated ISD and Round Rock ISD.
Dr. Laura Cano Amaya
Program Coordinator
Dr. Laura Rodriguez Amaya serves as research faculty and grant coordinator of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research supporting NASA and NSF grant funded programs. She works with faculty in other Minority Serving Institutions to develop STEM education curriculum review tools and she is involved in various outreach efforts to support community STEM education. Her research interests include Central America, food security, and women in science with a focus on access and equity.
Holds degrees from Texas State University (Ph.D.), St. Mary’s University (MA), and Texas State University (BA).
Karen Fabac, CPM
Grant Specialist
Ms. Fabac has 27 years of state service, currently serving as a grant specialist with the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research supporting NASA grant funded programs. Prior to transferring to Texas State University in 2004, Ms. Fabac served as the continuing medical education (CME) program administrator with the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.
Ms. Fabac holds a Bachelor’s degree and Certified Public Manager® (CPM) designation both from Texas State University. She holds professional memberships with the American Academy of Certified Public Managers (AACPM), Texas Society of Certified Public Managers, and the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).
Edgar Gomez, CPM
System Support Analyst
Edgar Gomez, CPM, is responsible for supporting all IT system’s needs for LBJ the Institute for STEM Education and Research including its major grant-funded initiative known as the Texas State NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (NASA STEM EPDC) grant. As well as providing support for the NASA MEI program. Serves as technology liaison between vendors and the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research. Performs a variety of specialized tasks associated with training local and remote users.
Mr. Gomez is a Certified Public Manager and holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University.
Dr. Eleanor Close
Texas State University - MSI TEN Faculty
Dr. Eleanor Close is Assistant Professor of Physics, and serves as Texas State MSI TEN faculty in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. Her research interests include physics teacher preparation and professional development, physics (science) identity, situated learning through communities of practice, and embodied cognition.
Dr. Close holds degrees from Seattle Pacific University (Ed.D., Curriculum & Instruction), University of Washington (MS, Physics), East Carolina University (Teaching Certificate, Secondary Science), and Bryn Mawr College (AB, Physics).
Dr. M. Alejandra Sorto
Texas State University - MSI TEN Faculty
Dr. Sorto is an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Department, and serves as Texas State MSI TEN faculty in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. Her research focuses on the preparation of teachers in the area of Statistics, the impact of professional development, and comparative studies in Latin-America and Africa. In particular, she is interested in developing instruments to measure content knowledge for teaching, teaching quality and analyzing its effect on student achievement.
Dr. Sorto holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2004 in Mathematics Education
Dr. Vedaraman Sriraman
Texas State University - MSI TEN Faculty
Dr. Vedaraman Sriraman is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, and serves as Texas State MSI TEN faculty in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. His research interests are in engineering education, applied statistics and industrial ecology.
Dr. Sriraman received his doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering from Lamar University, master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology. He has received multiple awards for teaching excellence at Texas State.
Dr. Bahram Asiabanpour
Texas State University - MSI TEN Faculty
Dr. Bahram Asiabanpour is Associate Professor of Manufacturing Engineering in the Ingram School of Engineering and a Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE), is director of the Rapid Product and Process Development (RPD) Center, and serves as Texas State MSI TEN faculty in the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative project. His research interests include Additive Manufacturing, Product Development, Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, and STEM Education.
Dr. Asiabanpour holds degrees from University of Southern California (Ph.D.) and Sharif University of Technology (MS/BS).
Dr. Jennifer Jensen
Texas State University - MSI TEN Faculty
Dr. Jennifer Jensen is an Associate Professor in the Geography Department. Her teaching and research focuses on geospatial technologies including remote sensing, GPS and GIS to earth system science questions. She is an active collaborator with faculty in Biology, Agriculture, and Computer Science, as well as Co-PI for the Land Change Science initiative at Texas State. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science in 2009 from the University of Idaho. Jennifer is active with Girl Scouts, enjoys coaching youth soccer, and is obsessed with the Texas Water Safari.
Dr. Kathryn Lee
Texas State University - MSI TEN Faculty
Dr. Kathryn Lee has been teaching at Texas State University for 16 years. Prior to her work here as a teacher educator in the secondary education graduate program, she has extensive experience in public education and the mental health field. She has worked as a secondary school teacher; a clinical therapist in child, adolescent, & adult mental health; and as a school counselor at Lorenzo de Zavala Elementary and Rebound Alternative School in San Marcos. As a teacher educator, her emphasis in teaching and scholarship is preparing pre-service and in-service teacher professionals in their development of technological pedagogical content knowledge. She believes strongly in our responsibility as educators to design and facilitate authentic, pedagogically sound, culturally responsive, and engaging technology-enhanced learning experiences for our students.
Dr. Lee holds degrees from University of Texas (Ph.D.) and Texas State University (MEd/BBA).