Meet the Team

Kathy Chen joined The STEM Education Center at WPI after 15+ years as a professor in Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University, San Luis Obispo where she served as Department Chair and lead many K-12 and community STEM outreach activities. In her current role to support PreK-12 STEM educators, she works to broaden the participation of students in STEM (especially those from underrepresented and excluded groups) by advancing equity in education through holistic and innovative approaches. She also currently leads the Central MA STEM Network. ...

Amy Blessington is the Operations Coordinator at the WPI STEM Education Center, where she brings 19 years of experience in educational publishing, project management, and event coordination. 

Beyond her professional life, Amy is passionate about making a positive impact. She volunteers with organizations like the Girl Scouts and Veteran’s Inc., demonstrating her commitment to leadership, community development, and building a brighter future for all.

Jamie Burden is excited to join the WPI STEM Education Center as of Winter 2023. She brings 15+ years of experience working as a licensed high school educator in an urban setting. In addition to teaching, she has worked as a teacher leader completing evaluations in the Worcester Public Schools by leading a department of 10+ educators. Jamie brings experience working with Educational Leadership as she continues to work towards her High School Administrator license. She has trained dozens of student teachers as a Mentor Teacher, Teacher Leader, and Focused Instructional Coach. ...

Jillian DiBonaventura joined the STEM Education Center at WPI as Director of Teacher Preparation in 2022. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, with a diverse background in both classroom teaching and teacher education. ...

Mia Dubosarsky is the Director of Professional Development. In this role, she oversees the development and facilitation of STEM-focused professional development workshops for PK-12 teachers and administrators across the country and internationally. ...

Noemi Robertson joined the STEM Education Center as the Instructor/Director of Community Partnerships & Education Access in October 2022.  ...

Prior to joining the STEM Education Center full time in 2018, Donna was a classroom teacher with 15 years of teaching experience. She holds National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Science and is a NASA Network of Educator Astronaut Teacher.  She has won several awards for teaching and curriculum development including the Blackstone Valley Educational Consortium Promising Practices in Education Award.  She was named Florida Wildlife Federation Conservation Educator of the Year, the Florida Association of Science Teachers Most Outstanding Science Teacher and the ...