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Dr. S. Catherine Silver Key hails from the Midwest, having been born and raised in St. Louis, MO. She received the Muriel E. Babcock Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Biological Sciences upon graduating magna cum laude with her B.S. in 1988 from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. She worked for one year as a research technician at Washington University in St. Louis on the Human Genome Project before moving to North Carolina to pursue her Ph.D. in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Upon completing her Ph.D. in 1997, she joined the Biochemistry Department at Duke University for a short post-doc. When twins came into her life, she transferred to Elon University to teach as an adjunct for 2.5 years. In 2001, she returned to UNC-CH as a post-doctoral fellow in the Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research and Education (S.P.I.R.E.) program, which gave her the opportunity to begin research on the developmental genetics of Drosophila melanogaster and teach at a variety of institutions, including NCA&T State University. In 2005, she joined the faculty at NCCU, where she continues her research on a gene important for DNA replication (former NIH/NIGMS-funded research). Recently, she has shifted her research focus to behavioral genetics: alcohol-induced behaviors and a male sterility phenotype.

Dr. Silver Key has taught Genetics at NCCU since 2005 and absolutely loves it! Telling mini-case study stories and engaging students in learning through many "active learning" methods will never grow old, in her opinion. Likewise, training students to be tomorrow's successful biological and biomedical researchers in her research lab is always an adventure! As an example of both learning in the classroom and conducting research in the lab, Dr. Silver Key is a member of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) (http://gep.wustl.edu/), which aims to teach students gene structure and provide a bioinformatics-based research experience. She’s recently obtained funding to infuse ‘making’ engineering design and fabrication into biology course through the National Science Foundation Historically Black College or University (HBCU) – UP NSF HBCU-TIP grant # 1912188 entitled Targeted Infusion Project: Engaging Undergraduates in STEM using Drosophila Behavioural Genetics (EUSTEM-DaBuGs TIP) awarded to S. Catherine Silver Key (P.I.) Taninia Bradley (co-P.I.) and Eric T. Saliim (co-P.I.).

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Aileen M. Reid, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Educational Research Methodology department and a Senior Fellow in the Office of Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Services (OAERS) at UNC Greensboro. Dr. Reid’s research applies culturally responsive frameworks to evaluation and measurement to shape educational research and policy, and to investigate inequities in outcomes among underrepresented and minoritized groups. She also investigates values-engaged teaching, learning, and mentorship in research and evaluation. Dr. Reid co-directs the STEM Program Evaluation Lab (SPEL) which provides training in research and evaluation for graduate and undergraduate students on STEM education projects. Dr. Reid is Co-Principal Investigator for three National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects and also leads the external evaluation and research teams for seven NSF-funded projects. Dr. Reid holds a B.A. in public policy studies from Duke University, M.P.A. from New York University, and M.S. and Ph.D.in educational research, measurement, and evaluation from UNC Greensboro.

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Eric Saliim is a Professor of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina Central University turned maker through his appointment to Program Manager of NCCU FAB Lab. He has served in this capacity since 2015 and has continued the mission of engaging a critical mass of underrepresented and underserved in computation and digital fabrication to shift the paradigm of consumer and user to creator and innovator.

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Tanina Bradley's is an instructor of engineering and physics courses. Her research focuses on topics such as science identity, active learning, and engineering education.

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