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5.11.23 – Dr. Keli Christopher
May 11, 2023 @ 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm

Dr. Keli Christopher – Founding CEO, STEM Greenhouse
Founder and Executive Director of STEM Greenhouse, a nonprofit organization that fervently believes if you plant the seed in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and nurture the resulting curiosity, CHILDREN WILL FLOURISH!!
My interest in math and science began with my excellent education in Grand Rapids Public Schools. I received a full scholarship to the HBCU, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and continued to the University of Illinois where I received a master’s and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering. I am only the third Black woman to ever receive a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering in the world. I was often the only woman or person of color in a sea of white male faces in all my classes. This led to feelings of disconnectedness, loneliness, and alienation. Because of these experiences, I promised that one day, I would try to personally make it easier for students of color to succeed in STEM education, pursue STEM careers, and feel supported in a way that had been absent for me.
This is what I know to be true.
– Relationships are as important as curriculum in urban K-12 education.
– One person can change generations by influencing the life of a child.