麻豆传媒

Inspired by IMSA鈥檚 mission statement and its congruence with his personal passion and commitment to end poverty, Dr. Torres believes that, 鈥渢his can only be accomplished if we have excellent, equitable education and learning systems for academically talented students and for all students, and I realized that I could accomplish my mission in life through partnership with those at IMSA who continue to be fully committed to igniting and nurturing creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition鈥� (2014).

Dr. Jos茅 M. Torres was named President of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in 2014. He is a recipient of the Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award (2014) from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), an award honoring leadership in educational equity and excellence to those demonstrating an extraordinary 鈥渃ommitment to the advancement and mentorship of women and minorities in positions of leadership and/or demonstrate a commitment to address social justice issues among children, youth and adults in schools.鈥�

At the invitation of the Governor of Illinois, Dr. Torres serves on the advisory committee for the Governor鈥檚 Technology Advisory Group; and the Governor鈥檚 Cabinet on Children and Youth. He also serves on the Cost of Segregation Education Advisory Group; and on the board of directors of the Illinois Association for Gifted Children, the Governor鈥檚 P-20 Council and Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois. 

He is the former School Superintendent of Elgin School District U-46 where he implemented a five-year accountability plan that established new benchmarks supporting the District's 40,000 students' efforts to achieve academic success. He served on the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Federal Equity and Excellence Commission (2011-2013) and provided recommendations for closing the achievement gap of English language learners. He is a past regional superintendent for the Chicago Public Schools and has worked in school districts in San Jose, CA; Anne Arundel, Baltimore; Rockville, MD; Washington, D.C.; and the U.S. Department of Defense Schools. 

Dr. Torres holds the degrees from the University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland): Bachelor Degree in General Studies (1983), Master of Education (1985), and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy, Planning and Administration (1999). His hometown is San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Dr. Deborah Luckett, Associate Executive Director of ASSET, Inc., has spent her career working with educators and students alike to empower meaningful growth, inclusiveness, and resiliency. Dr. Luckett has been in a leadership role at ASSET Inc. since 2007. She is a former classroom teacher whose honors include Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Milken Family Foundation National Educator, and the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) National Honor Roll Teacher. Dr. Luckett is a graduate of Westminster College (B.A.) and The Citadel (M.Ed. in Interdisciplinary STEM). Her doctoral work at Duquesne University focused on advocating for marginalized learners. Her dissertation title is Hidden Amongst People: Experiences of Black White Biracial Individuals with Microaggressions, Horizontal Hostilities and Identity Denial in Educational Settings. Dr. Luckett has experience teaching in urban and rural educational settings of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Her contributions to ASSET include the Coaching and Resources for Educators (CaRES) and Partnerships for Advancing Learning in STEM (PALS) programs as well as professional learning for pre-service and in service educators.  

Professor Alan Champneys is based in the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol. He is an expert in problem-solving, using mathematical models to understand dynamics such as swing of suspension bridges, how pumps and generators can become unstable, the impact of sudden stresses on human organs, how sports balls bounce, and why objects become distorted. He has formed part of an online community of maths modellers who formed the UK's Virtual Centre for Knowledge Exchange in the Mathematical Sciences working with industry and government in brainstorming problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Professor Champneys is a passionate public communicator and regular contributor of popular STEM think pieces. Recent topics covered include: the importance of maths in society, the use and abuse of mathematical models, the history of science and maths, the use of data in healthcare, swarming, maths and poetry, and the mathematical principles for reopening workplaces post-lockdown.

Education
1988 - BSc Mathematics, University of Birmingham 
1991 - D.Phil Mathematics, University of Oxford

Affiliations
Member of the Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications, Member of the Scientific Steering Board of Smith Institute for Industrial Mathematics, Member of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

Biologist Lauren Ponisio earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS and BS from Stanford University. A National Geographic Society Early Career Award winner and honored as a Global Food Initiative 30 Under 30 in Food Systems, Ponisio earned a Moore/Sloan Data Science Postdoctoral Fellowship and National Institute for Food and Agriculture Fellowship. Ponisio joined the University of Oregon Department of Biology in 2020. She is also part of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution. Ponisio studies bees and their roles as pollinators, both in managed and natural-plant communities. She鈥檚 currently leading a pilot study that could change how forestlands in the Northwest are managed, particularly post-harvest and post-fire, to the benefit of wild bees. Her research has examined ways to persuade California almond growers to adopt more bee-friendly agricultural practices; discovered how native bee species may be best equipped to survive intensive agricultural practices and climate change; and analyzed how forest fires can help maintain pollinator biodiversity.

In addition to her research in biological sciences, her mission is to promote human diversity in the sciences.