Dr. David Ferguson

Dr. David L. Ferguson is Distinguished Service Professor of Technology and Society and Applied Mathematics at Stony Brook University. He is Chair of the Department of Technology and Society in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Dr. Ferguson has been P.I. or Co-P.I. on numerous projects, including several NSF projects, aimed at improving undergraduate and graduate education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He is faculty contributor in the calculus reform movement. He co-directed the NSF-supported Algorithm Discovery Development Project and two NSF-funded Faculty Enhancement workshops on the teaching of introductory computer science courses. Under support from the Sloan Foundation, he developed a course in applications of mathematics for liberal arts students. He co-designed and co-taught a multidisciplinary course, jointly offered by Biological Sciences and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, on Computer Modeling of Biological Systems. He was Co-P.I. on a multi-campus project, funded by NSF, on Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications Throughout the Curriculum. He is coordinator for the Math and Computer Science cluster of Science Education for New Civic Engagement and Responsibility (SENCER), an NSF-funded National Dissemination grant. He was Co-P.I. on a project entitled "Real-time Multidimensional Assessment of Student Learning" funded by NSF's Program in the Assessment of Student Achievement in Undergraduate Education. Also, he was Co-P.I. on a project on Innovative Approaches to Human-Computer Interfaces, funded by the Combined Research and Curriculum Development Program of NSF. Professor Ferguson is Director of the NSF-funded SUNY LSAMP and SUNY AGEP programs. His research includes quantitative modeling, problem solving, educational technologies, and decision making. His awards include the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), the Archie Lacey Award of the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Engineering Educator Award of the Joint Committee on Engineering of Long Island.

Dr. Bonita Saunders

Dr. Bonita V. Saunders is a research mathematician at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD. She earned a BA degree in Mathematics from the College of William and Mary, MS in Mathematics from the University of Virginia and became the first African-American and first woman to receive a Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Old Dominion University. Currently, she is using her expertise in the fields of numerical grid generation, spline approximation, numerical software development, and scientific visualization to successfully manage the design and implementation of more than two hundred complex graphs and interactive 3D surface visualizations for the NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions Project, a high profile project involving the collaboration of over thirty internationally known mathematical scientists. Her work has led to several well received journal publications and talks throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Robert Shepard

Dr. Robert L. (Bob) Shepard is Founding Executive Director of Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc. (SEA), a nonprofit consortium formed in 1990 with a mission to increase participation of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) in the Federal research enterprise. He earned a B.S. degree from Saint Augustine’s College, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Howard University, all in chemistry. Dr. Shepard has conducted research at the Celanese Corporation, Naval Research Laboratory and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He serves on several advisory boards, a member of various societies and organizations, a past Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer and has received numerous awards and honors. In 2006, Dr. Shepard was named recipient of the Emerald Honors in Educational Leadership award by Science Spectrum magazine.”

Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou

Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou is Associate Dean of the College of Science, Engineering & Technology, and Director of the Environmental Science Ph.D. programs at Jackson State University. He earned his M.S. in Public Health and Sc.D in Environmental Toxicology from Tulane University Medical Center. Dr Tchounwou is an internationally recognized biomedical scientist, Presidential Distinguished Professor, author of 104 peer-reviewed publications and over 150 presentations at national and international conferences. He is Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Toxicology (John Wiley & Sons, New York) and of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI, Switzerland). Dr. Tchouwou is the recipient of the 2003 Millennium Award for Excellence in Research and the 2001 National Role Model Award. He is a Fellow of the American Biographical Institute, and is featured in the American Registry of Outstanding Professionals as well as Marquis Who’s Who in American Education, Medicine and Healthcare, Science and Engineering, the South and Southwest, America, the World, and the International Who’s Who of Professionals.

Dr. Roberta Troy

Dr. Roberta M. Troy currently serves as an Associate Professor of Biology at Tuskegee University. Prior to returning to the classroom fulltime, Dr. Troy was Head of the Biology Department. She earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology from Tuskegee University, and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Florida where she was a McKnight Fellow. Dr. Troy continued her training at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation where she was a postdoctoral fellow in Molecular Virology. Committed to the training of African American students, Dr. Troy assumed a position at Lincoln University where she provided biomedical research opportunities for undergraduate students and helped to develop a weekend biology program for eighth graders in the Philadelphia area. Dr. Troy is currently engaged in research focusing on chemotherapeutic effects of natural products on breast and cervical cancer cells in African American women. She is a recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and continues to serve as mentor and research advisor to many undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Warren Washington

Dr. Warren Washington is a Senior Scientist and head of the Climate Change Research Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. His involvement in research for more than forty years has made him a sought after individual for advice, testimony, and lecturing on global climate change. Dr. Washington has held Presidential Appointments under Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Bush Jr. Administrations. He has served on numerous committees and panels, among them the U.S. President's National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere, the National Science Board (NSB), as well as NSB Chair from 2002 to 2006. He has over 120 publications and written an autobiography entitled “Odyssey in Climate Modeling, Global Warming, and Advising Five Presidents”. Dr. Washington holds membership in the National Academy of Engineering, Presidency of the American Meteorological Society and American Philosophical Society. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of Pennsylvania State University and Oregon State University from which he received an honorary Ph.D. in 2006.