Data Analyst

Justin is a Data Analyst at UW MESA and long-time King County resident. His educational background is in the social sciences, including an MA in Communication which he received from Ohio State University. Much of his prior experience has been with disadvantaged populations, including working as a Residential Youth Counselor for homeless teens, an Event Coordinator in his undergraduate school’s Multicultural Student Center, and as a volunteer in programs focusing on the Latino population. Apart from work, Justin is an avid hiker and gamer.

Program Manager, Grants & Contracts

Katrina came to Washington MESA from the University of Washington Housing Residential Life team, where her focus was budget and financial management, technology oversight, training coordination, and program operations for the large team working to enhance the experience of students living on the UW Seattle campus. Katrina is a lifelong Seattleite and studied Public Health, Environmental Health, and Geography at the University of Washington and earned her master’s degree in Public Administration at Seattle University. Katrina enjoys painting, kayaking, and spending quality time with her family.

Director for STEM Education

Dr. Rubadiri-Mujugira considers her key mission in life to help people reach their potential, particularly those underserved by circumstance and passionate about engineering and science.

Lindi joins Washington MESA following her role as the Director of the Washington State Academic Redshirt Program (also known as STARS) at the University of Washington located in the College of Engineering. Prior to this she was the Associate Director – STEM Liaison in the Center for Career Connections housed under the RISE (Research-Innovation-Service and Experiential) Learning institute at Bellevue College. She also served as an adjunct professor in the math department.

Lindi was an engineering consultant for 8 years in Southern Africa. One flagship project she was fortunate to be involved with was the infrastructure of the 2010 FIFA soccer world cup games – the first-ever, on African soil. This included the fire engineering designs for the airport extensions, soccer stadia design assessments, and underground high-speed train network (Gautrain) design.

She completed her B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Graduate school then led her to the UK where she completed an MPhil and Ph.D. at the University of Lancashire in the Department of Built Environment.

Lindi enjoys sports such as tennis and squash. She follows Formula 1 racing around the world and has been known to get up at 5 a.m. on Sundays to follow the circuit. She loves to travel and is a published poet. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Andrew and their two daughters, Lucy, and Lisa.

Executive Director for the Washington Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program.

With over two decades of experience in higher education, particularly in program design, implementation, and evaluation, Sezi’s journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to expanding education access for underserved and under-resourced communities. By focusing on STEM education and social justice, Sezi strives to create a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape. Sezi continues to advocate for educational opportunities for BIPOC students and remains dedicated to driving positive change and empowering individuals to reach their full potential.

Program Coordinator

Originally from Southeastern Kentucky, Makayla holds a BA in Philosophy, a BFA in Creative Writing, and a minor in Marketing from Converse College in South Carolina. After her VISTA service, she moved to New York to earn her MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. Her dedication to education has led her around the globe, including teaching in the Czech Republic, organizing community arts programs in Iceland, and teaching poetry and comic-making in Western Washington. She’s thrilled to be back at Washington MESA.

Dr. Corey Garza’s research integrates questions and techniques from the fields of marine and landscape ecology to study the marine environment across multiple scales of organization. His group utilizes autonomous technologies (e.g., drones), GIS modeling, and spatial statistics to investigate the relationship between habitat complexity and patterns of species distribution and abundance in marine communities. While the research team has primarily focused on the ecology of marine invertebrates, they have also explored the foraging ecology of shorebirds and the landscape genetics of black surfperch in Monterey Bay. More recently, Dr. Garza’s group has begun investigating spatial and temporal dynamics in kelp forest distribution and persistence, particularly in relation to climate change. The group is generally more focused on studying research topics where spatial dynamics play a central role, rather than focusing on a particular organism or system.

Engaging and training the next generation of scientists is a critical focus of Dr. Garza’s group. The lab is committed to reaching out to and providing opportunities for groups historically underrepresented in the sciences. This commitment is central to the lab’s activities, and all members of the group are encouraged to actively participate in efforts to broaden participation in the field.

STEM Workforce Development Team Lead

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Elizabeth Vela Stephens is the STEM Workforce Development Team Lead at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in the Office of STEM Education and is a senior STEM education professional. She leads signature efforts in developing a sustainable workforce, including professional development for educators and strategic initiatives in STEM education outreach. She serves as the Responsible Administrator of the Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities MESA Center program at PNNL that spans across 3 school districts and 6 schools leading a team of staff to engage 15 teachers and serve over 600 students. With over 16 years of engineering research experience, Elizabeth understands the challenges students may face, particularly from the Hispanic/Latinx community, and she is passionate about sharing her journey to help all students. She believes promoting equity and justice fosters transformative change, strengthens our communities, and diversifies the pool of students pursuing STEM careers.

Elizabeth holds a BS in metallurgical engineering from the University of Washington.

Heritage University

Alex studied Biology with a focus in Fish and Wildlife Management at Montana State University, Bozeman where he graduated magna cum laude in 2003. During his summers in Montana, Alex worked for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks on Westslope cutthroat trout recovery efforts. After graduating, he pursued his passion for teaching and climbing around the world for four years, living and working in 5 different countries on three continents. He returned to the USA in 2007 to work as an ice climbing and glacier guide in Alaska, before he began a M.S. program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. For his thesis research, he examined movement patterns, habitat use, and survival of Lahontan cutthroat trout in the Truckee River.

While in Reno, Alex was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Partners Fellow, enabling him to assist local high school AP Biology courses with their lab programs. After graduating with his M.S. in 2010, Alex worked for the USFWS in Reno and the Lake Tahoe area on native species conservation and restoration efforts and taught Wilderness Survival Courses at Truckee Meadows Community College before coming Cornell to pursue his PhD in the Natural Resources Department with dissertation research focusing on fisheries and aquatic ecology, water resource issues, statistical and spatial modelling and mapping using GIS, and stream biogeochemistry.

Alex spent the for 2014-2015 academic year as Fulbright Fellow in Ecuador conducting research on the flow-ecology and effects of water withdrawals on the aquatic fauna in Napo River Basin. Alex completed his PhD at Cornell University in May then spent this summer as an invited faculty instructor at the Central South University of Forestry and Technology in Changsha, China. He started at Heritage University as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science in Fall 2015.

Since arriving at Heritage, Dr. Alexiades has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles and serves as the Principal Investigator for the NSF i-NATURE https://www.heritage-inature.org/ and First Nations MESA programs to increase STEM opportunities for Native American students. He has a passion for social justice and creating pathways to higher education for underrepresented minorities.

Pacific Lutheran University

Dr. Ann Auman is Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and a Professor of Biology at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), and she has been a member of WA MESA’s advisory board since 2017. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Washington. In addition to over two decades of undergraduate teaching experience, Dr. Auman has also served in a variety of administrative roles at PLU, including the Director of the Natural Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program, the faculty advisor of the STEMinist Student Club, and the Site Director for PLU’s Gateway Program in Namibia. She has been a co-principal investigator of PLU’s STEM Scholars Program, which provides scholarship and curricular support to low-income STEM students at PLU, an initiative supported by an award from the National Science Foundation. In 2024, Dr. Auman was invited to teach a summer intensive course in biology at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China.

Additionally, Dr. Auman has also written a variety of high-quality, peer-reviewed biology educational materials for students and educators and has been a coauthor of Nester’s Microbiology: A Human Perspective (McGraw-Hill), beginning with the 2024 release. Through her leadership, Dr. Auman is committed to promoting equity and to building a holistic learning environment for faculty and students at PLU and in her local community.

Vice Chancellor of Student Success
Email Address

Dr. Bi is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Vice Chancellor for Student Success at WSU Everett. He earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on engineering education, aircraft and vehicle-related engineering design, and dynamic failure and fracture of structures and materials.

With over two decades of experience, Dr. Bi has taught more than 25 engineering courses at institutions ranging from community college to public and private universities in the United States. His teaching spans freshman to graduate levels and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the MME Outstanding Teaching Award, the VCEA Reid Miller Excellence in Teaching Award, and the President’s Distinguished Teaching Award at WSU.

As the founding faculty advisor for the WSU Everett Engineering Club, Dr. Bi has guided student teams to remarkable success in national and international competitions. These accomplishments include 2nd place in the international University Rover Challenge (and top among US universities), the NASA Student Launch’s Excellent Rocket Design and Construction Award, and 2nd place in the ASEE National Design and Manufacturing Competition, among others.

Dr. Bi played a pivotal role in establishing WSU Everett’s Mechanical Engineering program, the campus’s first academic program launched in 2012. His contributions include developing the curriculum, setting up state-of-the-art engineering labs, advising over 70 industry-sponsored capstone design projects with industry mentors, fostering interdisciplinary and multi-university project collaborations, and initiating the WSU-Boeing commercial aircraft design class. In recognition of his leadership, Dr. Bi received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

From 2020 to 2023, Dr. Bi served on the WSU Faculty Senate Steering Committee as the first senator representing the Everett campus. During his tenure, he successfully led the creation of the Everett Resident Faculty Organization.

In 2023, Dr. Bi was appointed Vice Chancellor for Student Success at WSU Everett. Under his leadership, the campus established Washington state’s first university-level MESA center. This center aims to increase participation and degree completion among underrepresented students in STEM fields and represents a groundbreaking collaboration with existing MESA programs at the college preparatory and community college levels across the state.

WSU Spokane

Edmonds Community College

Associate Dean of STEM & Business | Seattle Central College
Advisory Board Chair

Dr. Chelsia Berry is a visionary leader with a passion for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education. With over 15 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, Dr. Berry has consistently demonstrated her ability to create transformative change for underrepresented communities. Her extensive work in embedding DEI strategies into educational institutions and community initiatives has made her a powerful advocate for ensuring equitable access to STEM education across Washington State.

Dr. Berry’s dedication to equitable organizational growth is reflected in her strategic leadership roles, where she has effectively implemented programs that boosted underrepresented student participation in STEM by 25%. Her deep expertise in program management and organizational leadership has equipped her with the ability to guide organizations in creating transformative opportunities for students of color, women, and other marginalized groups in STEM disciplines. Her ability to build collaborative relationships between educational institutions, industry partners, and community organizations is invaluable for fostering the growth of STEM education across Washington.

Dr. Berry has held several high-impact roles, including Associate Dean and Interim Executive Vice President at Seattle Central College. In these roles, she has overseen the program expansion, facilitated cross-departmental collaborations, and driven initiatives that have significantly improved outcomes for students and employees. These experiences demonstrate her capacity to manage complex programs and drive organizational development, all while maintaining a steadfast commitment to equity.

Dr. Berry’s leadership extends to her work with community organizations, including serving on the boards of Perinatal Support Washington and the United Negro College Fund Pacific Northwest Leadership Council. Through these positions, she has raised over $1M in scholarships for underrepresented students and advocated for policy changes to improve mental health access and educational opportunities.

Dr. Berry brings a unique blend of strategic vision, operational expertise, and a deep personal commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her leadership will ensures that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to succeed, which fosters a future workforce that reflects the diverse talents of Washington’s communities.

Eastern Washington University

Dr. David Bowman is Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and at Eastern Washington University. He holds a B.S. and PhD. in Geology from the University of Southern. He was a member of the faculty of the Department of Geological Sciences at California State University, Fullerton from 2001-2016 and Interim Dean of CSUF’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics from 2014-2016 before taking over the College of STEM at Eastern Washington University in July 2016. Dr. Bowman’s research specialty is Earthquake Physics; he has authored numerous papers on earthquake seismology with students and colleagues from around the globe. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for MOBIUS Spokane and Washington MESA. He is the Co-Chair of the Spokane STEM Network and serves as an Honorary Commander for the 141 District.

WSU Vancouver

Felix Braffith, director of student equity and outreach, has a deep understanding of the challenges historically underserved students face while attending college. The oldest of 16 children from a family with deep military roots, he was raised in Lakewood and Tacoma, Wash. Both of these ethnically diverse and culturally rich communities are where he provided transformative experiences for students strived to become the first in their families to graduate from college. With a background of working with the military community and directing TRiO programs, Braffith brings to his position passion and commitment for ensuring that historically underserved student populations are provided the resources, support and affirmation needed to achieve their fullest potential at WSU Vancouver.

Highline College

Dr. Jamilyn Penn earned a Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Dr. Penn has extensive K-12 and higher education experience. Currently, Dr. Penn is the interim Vice President of Student Services with Highline College; Dr. Penn is one of Highline College’s four vice presidents that serve on Executive Cabinet. Prior to working at Highline College, Dr. Penn was the Director of Transfer Education at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) in Olympia, WA. Throughout her tenure in higher education, Dr. Penn has served as a Dean of Instruction at Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) in Lakewood, WA and Dean of Instruction at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) in Kirkland, WA. Dr. Penn worked at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Olympia, WA, where she served as a Title I, Part A and Learning Assistance Program Supervisor. In that capacity, Dr. Penn was responsible for allocating federal and state grant allocations across the K-12 sector and for providing technical assistance to school districts to ensure that the funding was spent responsibly and within compliance parameters. Dr. Penn taught K-12 middle school students in a special education content mastery model at Temple Middle School in Temple, TX. Dr. Penn and her family have lived nationally and internationally, as her spouse served in the United States Army for many years. She currently resides in Steilacoom, WA.

Heritage University

Dr. Sonoda’s research interests include hydrology, aquatic chemistry, riparian buffer relations to stream water quality and biota, groundwater surface water interactions, stream ecology, nutrient transport, coral reef ecology, chemical ecology, environmental economics and environmental justice. As an administrator, he served as a chair, Dean and Provost at Heritage University in last 15 years.

Vice President for Minority Affairs & Diversity, University Diversity Officer University of Washington
Email Address
Rickey Hall is the vice president for Minority Affairs & Diversity and university diversity officer at the University of Washington. Appointed in August of 2016, Hall oversees the university’s progress in diversity and works to ensure and facilitate an integrated vision and shared responsibility for diversity. He has oversight of the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) which administers programs that broaden college access, support student success and enhance diversity-related teaching and learning across campus. He also works collaboratively with and serves as a resource for the UW campuses, colleges and administrative units as they establish, coordinate and assess their contributions to institutional diversity goals.

Boeing

Tresha Lacaux is vice president and chief project engineer for the 777X program at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In this role, she oversees engineering technical integration, test and certification processes, while ensuring safety, product integrity, airplane configuration, and performance for the 777X family—Boeing’s newest addition to its market-leading widebody fleet.

Committed to inspiring the next generation of engineers, Tresha actively mentors students and serves on engineering advisory boards for Seattle University and Washington MESA. She provides industry insights to help shape the skills and experiences students need to excel.

SBCTC

Dr. Valerie Sundby serves as the Director of Transfer Education at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. She has worked in Washington higher education for more than 20 years. In her current role at the SBCTC, she provides policy leadership for academic and transfer education, as well as community and technical college bachelor degree programs. She has a passion for the open access community college system and the work that occurs in this space to transform the lives of students. Dr. Sundby holds a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology, and masters and doctorate degrees in Educational Leadership.

Assistant Superintendent for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in Washington State

This role encompasses federal and state oversight of Multilingual Education, Migrant Education, System and School Improvement, Foster Care, Homeless, and Institutional Education. As a K–12 educational leader, Veronica partners with communities, districts, and state educational leaders in Washington and across the United States to design, expand, and maximize services and funding for students and historically underserved youth. Her lifelong commitment to education includes seven years as an elementary teacher, seventeen years as an elementary principal, leadership roles as Director of English Language Learners, Migrant Education, and International Schools, division director for K–12 Education for the City of Seattle, and State Director for Migrant and Bilingual Education. Veronica has a deep understanding of what resources, policies, and supports are necessary for communities, districts, and state institutions. She seeks opportunities to infuse the values and benefits of language development and works across systems to implement needed changes that are often not prioritized for historically underserved students.

The commitment to advocacy and collaborative partnerships is evident in her current committee work, including the OSPI Diversity and Equity Committee Co-Chair, WA State Governor WorkFirst Poverty Reduction Taskforce, Washington Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care, Project Education Impact, Teacher Residency Workgroup, University of Washington Math/Engineering/Science/Achievement board member, and former roles as board President for OneAmerica, State Bilingual Education Advisory Board, and the ELL Road Map Group. In addition to her K–12 education experience, Veronica is a certified Urban Education Leader coach through Columbia University and a former ELL consultant for large urban school districts. Born and raised in Central Washington, Veronica takes great pride in her roots in the Yakima Valley and as the daughter of a migrant farmworker. Veronica lives in Seattle and has three grown children and one granddaughter. Veronica holds a Bachelor’s in American Ethnic Studies, a master’s in teaching from the University of Washington, and a master’s in educational policy from Columbia Teachers College and possesses Principal Credentials from the University of Washington.

Weyerhaeuser