2023 Guest Writers

Dr. Coleman is the founder of Coleman Comprehensive Solutions, LLC, the creator of the STEM Skills online course platform, the persona behind the Academic Blue Blood brand, and the host of Beyond the Classroom with Dr. Trina Coleman on HBCUSmartTV and HBCUiRadio. Dr. Coleman is formally educated as a Ph.D. physicist, with a doctoral degree in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from Hampton University.

As a scholar and former academic administrator, Dr. Coleman crafted a diverse professional portfolio. From post-doctoral researcher and faculty member to executive director, assistant provost and CIO, her experience ranges across a broad spectrum. Her professional journey includes educating high school and postsecondary students in physics and astronomy, conducting unclassified research sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency, and spearheading enterprise initiatives as a member of the Howard and Hampton University administrations.

Presently, Dr. Coleman is back in the classroom as an adjunct professor to provide academic support in physics and other STEM courses at Virginia Union University and Bowie State University. She believes in devoting time and resources toward improving skills in math and the sciences while providing mentorship opportunities. This formula will ultimately equip students to become the new technological and scientific workforce. It is also her goal to help find solutions for closing the STEM race/gender gap.

Dr. Anderson is an Engineer, Educator, and Entrepreneur specializing in helping minority women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) who feel overshadowed, overwhelmed, and overlooked to speak up for themselves and speak out in order to advance themselves in their personal and professional lives. She is the CEO & Founder of Smart STEM, LLC. a successful DEI and STEM education and empowerment program where her experience in STEM and education is applied to assist organizations in the development of programs that will lead to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace for all. Dr. Anderson also uses her experiences as a woman of color and as a certified life coach to assist other minority women in getting control of their lives and in developing a personal action plan (PAP).

Her podcast, STEMming in Stilettos, is all about showcasing the stories of women of color in STEM. The production makes sure that the audience walks away with advice that can be used to advance their own careers. You can catch the podcast anywhere you listen to podcast or https://stemminginstilettos.buzzsprout.com.

Iris R. Wagstaff, PhD, is a chemist, educator, DEI thought leader and STEM policy advisor. She currently serves as a STEM Program Director at AAAS where she manages a portfolio of initiatives focused on broadening participation in STEM, advancing innovation at HBCUs, and supporting low-income STEM students. In this role, she is PI and C-PI on five NSF-funded grants totaling ~26$ Million Dollars. Prior to AAAS, she served as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the DOJ National Institute of Justice where she developed and led an agency-wide strategic diversity and inclusion initiative. She has over 20 years of experience at both the K-12 and higher education levels developing culturally relevant STEM curricula, coaching STEM teachers and faculty, and developing strategic partnerships between industry, academia, non-profits and government. She has a BS and MS in Chemistry, a PhD in science education research and policy, and has worked in all four sectors (industry, academia, government, non-profits).

Dr. Wagstaff is also a social scientist whose research focuses on quantitative analyses to examine factors that predict motivational constructs in STEM (science self-efficacy, science identity, STEM career intent) in k-12 students. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Wagstaff STEM Solutions – a DEI and education consulting company. She is a native of Goldsboro, NC where she still leads middle school STEM outreach programs with her high school chemistry teacher. She serves on several advisory boards that include the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science Framework Steering Panel, National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), American Chemical Society Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect, and the HBCU STEM Undergraduate Success Research Center. She has received several honors that include the NOBCChE Presidential Award for Mentoring, NOBCChE Award for Excellence in Chemical Teaching, HBCU Alumni of the Year Award for Education, and the Women of Color in STEM Education Award.

2022 Guest Writers

Maria Anna Van Driel
The Nexttruth