Communities and Pathways: Cultivating Science Educator Identity for Undergraduates through an Inclusive Physics Learning Assistant Program and STEM Teacher Certification Alignment (NSF grant DUE-1240036). H. Close, PI; E. Close, D. Donnelly, Co-PIs; $350K (01/2013-12/2014).Build and support a thriving community of undergraduate students who identify as science educators by: expanding Learning Assistant (LA) program in the physics department; aligning STEM degrees with teacher certifications; collaborating with colleagues at San Antonio College and Austin Community College (two-year colleges, source of transfer students for Texas State University) to support development of LA programs at those institutions. Study formation of physics identity through participation in a community of practice.

Worked with other LAs to assist physics faculty in implementing interactive instructional methods; helped facilitate small group discussions among physics students while assessing student understanding and asking guiding questions. Participated in weekly content and pedagogy preparation sessions with faculty and other LAs. Staffed the Physics Help Center, tutoring students and encouraging group work.

Led students in doing small group Tutorials and physics lab experiments, held weekly office hours, and administered all grades.

● Led cross-functional collaboration with technical and marketing teams to ensure alignment of marketing messaging with the project scope.● Consistently met close to 100% of goal deadlines by effectively allocating budgets and ensuring proper resourcing of teams from technical, marketing, and executive departments.● Communicated progress updates and identified roadblocks to stakeholders, providing recommendations to overcome challenges and ensure on-time and on-budget project delivery.● Planned and executed strategic marketing initiatives, leveraging referral networks to drive business growth for a small tech startup.● Developed engaging technical and non-technical marketing presentations, promotions, campaigns, and articles to enhance brand visibility and attract new customers.● Established company-wide strategy, defining overall business goals, budgets, and funds allocations to drive long-term success.● Collaborated closely with business and IT teams, aligning project goals with the broader business strategy and ensuring adherence to timelines.● Spearheaded the successful deployment of websites, social media pages, digital media kits, and mobile applications, leveraging technology to enhance the company’s online presence and customer engagement.

Administrative & Professional Consulting for Small Businesses