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Cynthia Pickering is a retired electrical engineer with 35 years industry experience and technical leadership in software development, artificial intelligence, information technology architecture/engineering, and collaboration systems research.

In September 2015, she joined Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) to lead the Girls in STEM initiative and translate her passion for STEM into opportunities that will attract, inspire and retain more girls in STEM to make it the new norm. She has also architected SFAz's enhanced Community College STEM Pathways Guide that has received the national STEMx seal of approval for STEM tools. She integrated the STEM Pathways Guide with the KickStarter processes for improving competitive proposal writing of Community College Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Throughout her career, Ms. Pickering has written robotics software, diagnostic expert systems for space station, manufacturing equipment models, and architected complex IT systems for global collaboration that included engagement analytics. She holds a US Patent # 7904323, Multi-Team Immersive Integrated Collaboration Workspace awarded 3/8/2011. She also has twenty-five peer-reviewed publications.

She has recently enrolled in the Human Social Dimensions PhD program in Arizona State University's School for the Future of Innovation and Technology in Society (Fall 2020).

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Elaine L. Craft (Florence-Darlington Technical College, Florence, SC-retired) holds a baccalaureate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Mississippi and a MBA from the University of South Carolina with additional graduate studies in mathematics at Francis Marion University. Her experience includes working as an engineer in industry as well as teaching and administration at community college and state levels. She served as Director of the South Carolina Advanced Technological (SC ATE) Center of Excellence from 1994-2017, leading initiatives and grant-funded projects to develop educational leadership and increase the quantity, quality and diversity of highly skilled technicians to support the American economy. She is currently serving as Principal Investigator, Mentor-Connect: Leadership Development and Outreach for ATE-2 and -3; and, Principal Investigator, Collaborative Research-HSI ATE Hub-Diversifying the ATE Program with Hispanic Serving Institutions Using Culturally Inclusive Mentoring and ATE Resources. The SC ATE Center is widely known for innovative initiatives impacting advanced technological education as well as developing and broadly sharing successful educational models and practices in technician education, with a particular emphasis on faculty development, the first year of study for success in engineering and technology majors, and mentoring educators nationally. Craft is President of Elaine L. Craft Educational Consulting, L.L.C.

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Caroline VanIngen-Dunn is Director of the Science Foundation Arizona Center for STEM at Arizona State University, providing services for Maximizing the Educational and Economic Impact of STEM. VanIngen-Dunn is the inspiration behind the programs and resources designed to assist community colleges, particularly rural and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), through a rigorous process leading to improvements in their capacity building, infrastructure, and proposal development efforts that support students in their STEM education and career pathways pursuits.

VanIngen-Dunn as built her career on years of experience as engineer and project manager in human crashworthiness and safety design, development and testing, working for contractors in commuter rail, aerospace and defense industries.

VanIngen-Dunn has an MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a BSE degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa. She serves on the University of Iowa's College of Engineering Advisory Board, and the YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix Board of Directors whose mission it is to Eliminate Racism, and Empower Women.

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Project Manager and Co-PI for Mentor-Connect, an outreach initiative for the South Carolina Advanced Technological Education (SC ATE) Center of Excellence, which is funded by NSF and housed at Florence-Darlington Technical College in Florence, SC. I started as Project Manager for another FDTC NSF-funded project (the National Resource Center) in March 2016 and became Project Manager for Mentor-Connect In April 2018. Prior to my Project Manager positions, I was Program Coordinator for the FDTC Educational Foundation for six years. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Sociology from Clemson University.

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Mr. Roberts has extensive experience in all sectors of industry and education. He currently serves as the Managing Director for the South Carolina Advanced Technological Education Center at Florence-Darlington Technical College, Florence S.C. He manages day to day operations, grants writing and a large industry consortium, including an internship program for students in advanced technology programs. Prior to FDTC he served as Director of Job Placement and Career Services at the Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pa where he worked with industry and helped place students in internships, apprenticeships, and jobs across a multi-campus system serving 18,000 credit students. He has also served Vice President of Family/Children’s Services and Program Development for Lifesteps, Inc a large non-profit in the Western Pennsylvania area. He has experience in various executive level management/supervisory positions within non-profit organizations, private industry and education including Penn State University and as a User Analyst/Subject Matter Expert for Lockheed Martin IMS. He has held appointed and elected positions of Legislative Affairs Chair for the Pennsylvania Association of Educational Program Personnel, Chairman, Zoning Hearing Board in his municipality from 2003-2007, School Board Director in the South Butler County School District (Penna.) and held that position continually before completed his school board tenure in December 2015. Has been appointed and served on the Executive Board of the Penna. Midwestern Intermediate Unit #4 and held an appointed seat on the West Jefferson Hills, Pa Chamber of Commerce executive board.

Mr. Roberts holds a Bachelor’s degree in Police Administration from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Master’s degree in the Administration of Justice from Shippensburg University. He has completed 18 post graduate credits toward his doctorate degree from Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Pa.

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