Board of Advisors

The Board of Advisors serves as a stable long-term guiding body for The Illinois Center For Family and Community Engaged STEAMM (FACES) and all of the efforts that fall under its scope. The Board is well aligned with the mission and vision of the Center with representation from both campus and community, representing the diverse communities and identities that we serve. Board members bring expertise in family and community engagement, student engagement, research, curriculum, and workforce development. We hold as an explicit goal to overcome historic campus/community divides whenever possible, and we aim to propagate and incubate the efforts of our stakeholders in pursuit of success and equity.

Board Members

• Brandi Barnes, Research Scientist, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, UIUC
• Ashita Bawankule, Graduate Student, College of Education, Research Assistant, Worldwide Youth in Science & Engineering and Connected Spaces programs, UIUC
• Sarai Coba-Rodriguez, Assistant Professor, Human Development & Learning Program, University of Illinois Chicago
• Ricardo Diaz, Director, New American Welcome Center, YMCA of the University of Illinois, member of the Cena y Ciencias Leadership Team
• Yael Gertner, Teaching Assistant Professor, Siebel School of Computer and Data Science, UIUC
• Mark Pelmore, Outreach Coordinator, Harm Hope Healing (H3)
• LaTina Taylor, Program Coordinator, Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering, CPS STEM Coordinator - Langston Hughes Elementary, NASA Education Specialist
• Dionne Webster, Director of Family Engagement and Student Supports, Urbana School District 116