About the Speakers

William Hook

William Hook

Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences

William Hook is the principal at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. The school incorporates agricultural education with a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. The school recently received the highest school performance rating possible from the Chicago Public School district.
At the Forum, I can offer experience in agricultural education.
At the Forum, I am looking for student learning opportunities in STEM.

Jigar Jadav

Jigar Jadav

Mamaroneck Union Free School District

Jigar Jadav is a high school computer science teacher at Mamaroneck High School where he started the Computer Science program in 2012. This is his 11th year as a public school teacher. He has received several grants to start mobile app, 3D printing, and physical computing programs at his high school.
At the Forum, I can offer how to integrate physical computing in high school.
At the Forum, I am looking for effective STEM programs to engage diverse audiences.

Sylvia James

Sylvia James

National Science Foundation

Dr. Sylvia M. James is the Director of the Division of Human Resource Development at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior to coming to NSF, she was the Director of Education at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. She holds degrees from Loyola University, Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctorate in Science Education from Morgan State University, all located in Baltimore, Maryland.

Shawn Jordan

Shawn Jordan

Arizona State University

Shawn Jordan, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of engineering education at Arizona State University. He studies context in engineering design, the Maker and STEAM movements in education, and has an NSF Early CAREER Award entitled, “Engineering Design Across Navajo Culture, Community, and Society.”
At the Forum, I can offer a perspective on Making and design in context in K-12 and college education.
At the Forum, I am looking for strategies for measuring and increasing the impact of educational innovations.

Tom Kalil

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Thomas Kalil currently serves as Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Senior Advisor for Science, Technology and Innovation for the National Economic Council. Previously, Thomas served as the Deputy Assistant to President Clinton for Technology and Economic Policy, and the Deputy Director of the White House National Economic Council. His resume includes a long list of accomplishments, including Chair of the Global Health Working Group for the Clinton Global Initiative, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Science and Technology at UC Berkeley, Senior Fellow with the Center for American Progress, and he has served on three committees of the National Academy of Sciences, including the Committee to Facilitate Interdisciplinary Research.

Amy Kamarainen

Amy Kamarainen

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Amy Kamarainen is a senior research manager at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. With a background in ecosystems science, she uses her understanding of science and technology to design and evaluate STEM learning inside and outside of school. She was an Ecological Society of America (ESA) Ecology Education Scholar in 2011.
At the Forum, I can offer perspectives on emerging technologies for science learning.
At the Forum, I am looking for collaborators, connections, and inspiration.