Meet Our Team: Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship

Minaz Fazal, Ph.D., principal investigator, assistant professor of teacher education at New York Tech. She will be responsible for the development and oversight of the project and the coordination and reporting of results. She brings expertise in blended learning, evaluation, assessment, and teacher preparation in multiple formats, as well as teacher training and professional development experience.

Spencer Turkel, Ph.D., co-principal investigator, professor of life sciences at New York Tech, will support the team, recruiting and advising Noyce Scholars. Turkel will also collaborate with teacher education faculty to design and develop professional development workshops.

Robert Feirsen, Ed.D., co-principal investigator, assistant professor and director of the school leadership and technology program at New York Tech, was the superintendent of the Garden City Union Free School District. He was the co-chair of the Superintendents-College Presidents Partnership (SCPP), a workgroup of the Long Island Regional Advisory Committee on Higher Education (LIRACHE), and he remains on the Steering Committee. The SCPP bridges the divide between universities and K-12 school districts on Long Island. Feirsen will serve as the liaison to establish and maintain regular communication with the partner high-need schools.

Michael Uttendorfer, Ed.D., co-principal investigator, Adjunct Associate Professor and former Dean of Education at New York Tech. Uttendorfer will be responsible for for the design, development and implementation of technology integration professional development sessions for the Noyce Scholars, and develop and maintain the online social community. A former Math teacher, Uttendorfer brings expertise and scholarship in educational technology, multimedia, and online learning.

Stephen Uzzo, Ph.D., chief scientist at NYSCI, has over 25 years of experience in STEM leadership in both formal and informal science institutions and in the development of programs and research relating to the public understanding of complex science. He has served on numerous advisory boards for educational institutions, as well as facilitating major technology initiatives to improve STEM literacy amongst K-12 public/private schools, higher education, and government. Uzzo will provide direction to NYSCI's program development process.

Michaela Labriole, director of strategic education initiatives at NYSCI, has a B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University and an M.S. in Environmental Science from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. In addition to managing NYSCI's online programs for educators, Labriole works on climate change education initiatives as well as programs that engage girls in STEM. Michaela will spearhead NYSCI's participation in the program."