STEM Equity Conference

Luke Rhine joins the Biden-Harris Administration after most recently serving as the Associate Secretary of Workforce Support for the Delaware Department of Education. His work has supported the K-12, higher education, and the workforce systems to establish policy, scale effective practices, and develop solutions that connect youth and adults with good jobs that provide a living wage. Previously, Luke was a Program Specialist in CTE and STEM with the Maryland State Department of Education. In addition, he also gained experience working as a high school CTE teacher and middle school teacher. Luke has received several state and national awards for educational leadership, was a Fulbright scholar, and has served as an advisor to President Biden’s education transition team and as a contributor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s education transition team. Luke earned his bachelor’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania and his Master of Science Degree in Education from Stockton University.

Daniel Suchenski is the Executive Director of the Delaware STEM Council. In this role, he is responsible for oversight and management of all day-to-day functions and services of the STEM Council and serves as the primary liaison to the Governor’s Office, Department of Education, Institutes of Higher Education and businesses to further the mission of the organization. He is passionate about creating systems level improvements in the quality of STEM experiences for all of Delaware’s youth.

Tonyea Mead is a 38-year veteran of education. She currently serves as the Education Associate for Science. During her career, she has served as an elementary, middle, high school teacher, building administrator, district science specialist, and science methods professor.  She has won several state and national awards including a Fulbright Teacher Award, Teacher of the Year for her building, Environmental Teacher of the Year, Presidential Award for Excellence in Science- State Finalist, U.S. Dept. of Education Star Teacher recipient, and the Ross Armbrecht Outstanding STEM Advocacy award.  

Dr. Milton Muldrow is the Director of Natural Sciences at Wilmington University. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from St. Francis University, was awarded a NSF Graduate STEM Fellowship, and earned his Master’s Degree in Biology. Milton then worked with the Federal Government at the National Science Foundation, then went on to earn a PhD in Environmental Science & Public Policy from George Mason University. Among his many accomplishments, he is noted for successfully launching Environmental Science and Biology degrees as Chair of Wilmington University. Milton also recently released a best-selling audiobook on synthetic biology and runs a business and blog named Phantom Ecology.

Andrea Gardner is a twenty-three-year veteran of education. She has held various positions in special education, K-8 technology integration specialist, and has provided numerous professional development for school educators and districts. She is passionate about the integration and appropriate use of information and communications technology tools in classroom instruction and providing resources that meet the needs of her students. As the Statewide and Strategic Partnership Manager with Discovery Education, Andrea works to support middle school and high school educators and students with the tools and resources to stay connected to STEM/CTE instruction in any learning environment.

Alexa Dembek is the Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer for DuPont. A 31-year veteran, she has championed the company’s entrepreneurial mindset to spur growth while fostering close collaboration with customers. She is passionate about elevating the role of sustainability and how DuPont can help customers achieve their own sustainability ambitions with our solutions. Both in her work and personal endeavors, Alexa is a passionate champion of talent development and mentorship for the next generation of innovators. Through her involvement in education initiatives, she creates opportunity through diverse, cross-generational collaboration.

Dr. Jon Wickhert is the state Director of Career and Technical Education and STEM Initiatives at the Delaware Department of Education. He is responsible for leading and aligning federal and state education and workforce policy and programs to high-growth industry sectors and developing supports for youth and adults with barriers to continuing education and employment. Jon is committed to ensuring each Delawarean has access to a high-quality education that centers identity, is efficient and affordable. Jon is a former high school social studies teacher, instructional advisor, and Chief of Interpretation for Delaware State Parks.

Prof. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri is the first holder of the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Bassam Idea at UW-Madison. He promotes excellence in STEM education at all levels, known for his development and use of demonstrations in the teaching of chemistry in both the classrooms and the community. It’s essential for the well-being of society that all citizens develop science literacy. This enlightens and enables people to make informed choices, to be skeptical, and to reject shams, quackery, unproven conjecture, and to avoid being bamboozled into making foolish decisions where matters of science and technology are concerned. We all must work for the common good.

Freeman Hrabowski III is an American educator, advocate, mathematician and President Emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Credited with transforming UMBC into an institution noted for research and innovation, UMBC was ranked the #1 Up and Coming University for six consecutive years (2009-2014) by the U.S. News & World Report. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with a special emphasis on minority participation and performance in STEM education. Hrabowski chaired the National Academies committee that produced the report Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. In 2011, Hrabowski received the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award, one of the highest honors given to an educator.

Bruce Alberts, a prominent biochemist with a strong commitment to improving science and mathematics education, was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Obama. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Science, and holds the Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education at UCSF, and servied two six-year terms as the president of the National Academy of Sciences. During his tenure at the NAS, Alberts was instrumental in developing the landmark National Science Education standards. He has served as the co-chair of the InterAcademy Council, an organization in Amsterdam governed by the presidents of 15 national academies of sciences and established to provide scientific advice to the world.

Dr. Tina Mitchell has over 25 years of experience across K-12 as a secondary mathematics teacher and school administrator. Dr. Mitchell’s research centers around equity in K-12 mathematics classrooms and STEM teacher professional development. In 2006 she transitioned to higher education, becoming the math teacher educator at Wesley College in Dover, DE. There, she served as the Program Director for the Master of Arts in Teaching program and the Department Chair. In 2021, Dr. Mitchell transitioned to Delaware State University. At DSU, Dr. Mitchell continues to teach math methods courses; she also serves as the Program Coordinator for the MAT/ARTC programs.

Gary Senn has been at the University of South Carolina Aiken for 30 years. He is currently the Director of the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center, a tenured professor, and holds the Westinghouse Endowed Professorship in Instructional Technology. He has been the Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, or Key Personnel for grant projects with total funding in excess of $9 million. He has published 89 articles related to science, technology and education. He has delivered 229 presentations, been quoted or mentioned in 242 newspaper articles, and made over 100 television appearances.

Vere Archibald is the DuPont Experimental Station Site Leader responsible for leading and managing site operations. The Experimental Station is owned and operated by DuPont, founded in 1903, it is DuPont’s largest continuously running research and development facility with a population of approximately 2000 people. Vere has been with DuPont for 21 years, focusing on various R&D platforms from digital inks to raw materials for the semiconductor industry. Vere’s career has led him to develop and build the technology and innovation ecosystem of the site for the future. He is focused on cultivating and maintaining strong business partnerships and fostering an environment that embraces DuPont’s core values.