NSF CAREER Bootcamp
Bootcamp Trainers & Cohorts
2025
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Sujatha Koduvayur Department: Research Solutions Institute About: Sujatha P. Koduvayur manages the research development activities of the Institute by supporting, coordinating and expanding multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary and multi-center collaborative programs that enhance WPI’s research portfolio. Prior to her current role at WPI, Sujatha led the research development activities of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Penn State College of Medicine. She is a New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame inductee with a wide range of research interests spanning basic science to designing drug targets and adapting electronic communication principles to address molecular biological problems. She has a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Maryland at College Park. Interesting fact: |
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Priscilla Vazquez Department: Research Solutions Institute About: A certified proposal management professional (APMP), Priscilla is a purpose-driven professional helping researchers develop compliant and responsive proposals by providing proposal and graphics development services based on academic and industry best practices. Using her S2S proposal graphics development method, she help principal investigators (PIs) visually translate their research into easily understandable graphics for the general audience. Previous to WPI, Priscilla was a Business Partners Service Specialist at ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School, and an Academic Administrator & Managing Editor at the University of Vermont. Her background is in graphic design, arts management, and project management, with degrees from Qunisgamond Community College and UMass Amherst. Interesting fact: Enjoys teaching design concepts @ Quinsigamond Community College and designing creatively and collaboratively with a diverse group of students. |
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Kristen Bronger Department: Office of Sponsor Programs About: Kristen Bronger joined the Office of Sponsored Programs in June 2022. Before joining the Pre-Award team, Kristen worked in the Robotics Engineering Department for three years. Prior to WPI, Kristen was a contracted engagement specialist for NOAA Fisheries. She has a BSc in marine and coastal policy and management from URI, and a Master of Environmental Management from Macquarie University (Australia). Interesting fact:I moonlight as an Uber driver for my kids because they have a plethora of activities and so that consists of my after work second job. |
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Amanda Wittman Department: Global and Integrative Studies About: Director of the Binienda Center for Civic Engagement at Worcester State University and a lecturer in the Department of Global and Integrative Studies at WPI. Previously, she served as the Associate Director for Research and Evaluation at the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement at Cornell University. She shares her expertise in community-based research and education evaluation as an external evaluator for NSF and NEH grants, and in her consultancy work with Grant Street Consultants. Her expertise is in qualitative evaluation, Ripple Effects mapping, and educational evaluation.
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Justine Pinskey Department: Investigator Career Advancement Program, Office of Health Equity, UMass Chan Medical School. About: Dr. Justine Pinskey has a background in cell and developmental biology with expertise in grant writing, professional development, and scientific communication. In her role as Sr. Scientific Writer for the Investigator Career Advancement Program (iCAP) at UMass Chan Medical School, Dr. Pinskey helps early-career faculty improve their scientific communication skills by providing individualized coaching, facilitating writing retreats, and completing substantive edits on grants, manuscripts, websites, presentations, figures, and other projects. Fun fact: Dr. Pinskey has an 8-month old Aussiedor puppy named Tikka who often sleeps under her desk during Zoom meetings. |
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Kathy Chen Department: STEM Education Center About: 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. |
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Leonard Polizotto Department: Provost Office. About: Recognized for his successful track record of business development for technology firms. A centerpiece of his work has been the study, application, and teaching of innovation best practices, including “Value Factor Analysis” for maximizing the value of new products. |
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Ellen Piccioli Department: Research solutions Institute. About: Ellen Grant Piccioli is directing the engagement and expansion of WPIs Manufacturing USA multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-center collaborative programs, and the development of new initiatives in the area of manufacturing innovation and other industry research areas of interest. Prior to WPI, Ellen consulted in the MIT Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) Program, and previously held leadership positions at Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and Digital Equipment Corporation. Ellen is a member of Cornell University’s ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Advisory Council, the Boston Museum of Science’s (MOS) Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Committee (previous co-chair), and previous member of the Board of Advisors at the MOS and the SpeakEasy Stage Company. Ellen received a B.S. with Distinction in ECE from Cornell University, and an M.S. in EE from the University of Michigan. |
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2025 Cohort |
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Giovanni Pittiglio |
Giovanni Pittiglio Department: Robotics engineering Area of Focus: Research medical robots mainly for cardiovascular intervention. Interesting Fact: Playing guitar, listening to jazz, and jazz music. |
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Guanrui Li Department: Electrical & Robotics Engineering Area of Focus: Drone Research Interesting Fact: I just got my first car, a Tesla. |
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Kevin Leahy Department: Robotics Engineering Area of Focus: Developing methods for robots to make decisions or select actions Interesting Fact: I'm a Runner |
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Shijie Zhou Department: Biomedical Engineering Area of Focus: Research is based on computational cardiology. On how can the physician be guided in identifying ventricular tachycardia. Interesting Fact: Climbed Mountain Fuji |
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Bashima Islam Department: Electrical Computing Engineer Area of Focus: machine learning for sensors and small embedded systems for mobile computing devices. Interesting Fact: I Have a 6-month-old baby |
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Elizabeth Stewart Department: Biomedical engineering Area of Focus: I'm studying bacterial biofilms for infection prevention and control, and it's really at the interface of material science and microbiology. Interesting Fact: I like to do triathlons and I have two young children.
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Fiona Yuan Department: Robotics Engineering Area of Focus: Socially assisted robotics and human-centered AI for dementia care. Interesting Fact: I am trying to be better at parking in Worcester, please be patient. |
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Zhangxian Yuan Department: Aerospace Engineering Area of Focus: Research is in the area of solar mechanics. Interesting Fact: I have a 4 ½-year-old daughter. |
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Hanmeng Zhan Department: Computer Science Area of Focus: Quantum computing and theoretical computer science Interesting Fact: I came here after spending ten years in Canada, so there are a lot of things to get used to. Just when I thought there would be very few Canadians here, I just ran into a neighbor who said she moved from Ottawa this year, so I think it's amazing. |
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Nitin Sanket Department: Robotics Engineering Area of Focus: Autonomy at small robot scales for aerial robots. Interesting Fact: Professional photographer and have been hierd by National Geoghaphic.
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Roee Shraga Department: Computer Science. Area of Focus: The interaction between humans and machine learning models to perform better at data integration and discovery. Interesting Fact: I have a family with two daugthers.
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Shane McInally Department: Biology and biotechnology. Area of focus: Trying to understand size control in cells, So how they know how big the parts are, how that leads to their different functions. Interesting Fact: I have a 1-year old |
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Constantinos Chamzas Department: Robotics Engineering Area of Focus: Robotics, AI and more specifically Im working on manipulation, planning algorithms, so we can enable us to long horizon task like cleaning up our houses or Making a meal. Interesting Fact: I like Hiking |
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John-Michael Davis Department: Integrative and Global studies, Area of focus: My research interest lately are based on climate resilience and emergency preparedness mainly in Puerto Rico. Im particularly interested in how grass roots community based organizations play a role as first responders adn the limitations of government emergency response. Interesting fact: I play basketball with faculty and students. |
2023
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2023 Trainers |
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Patricia Moore Shaffer Department: Office of Research & Analysis About: Prior to establishing the Shaffer Evaluation Group, Dr. Shaffer was the Evaluation Manager for NASA's Office of Education and Vice President of the Educational Policy Institute. She has led educational program evaluations ranging from national evaluation studies conducted for federal agencies including the Library of Congress and the President's Committee for the Arts and the Humanities to smaller-scale research and evaluation studies for state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and school districts. She served on STEM evaluation federal interagency working groups in K-12 education convened by the Obama White House administration and the Interagency Council on Evaluation Policy. Dr. Shaffer earned a Ph.D., Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership, at the College of William & Mary and M.A., Curriculum Studies, at the University of Toronto. |
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Leonard Polizotto Department: Executive in Residence About: Recognized for his successful track record of business development for technology firms. A centerpiece of his work has been the study, application, and teaching of innovation best practices, including “Value Factor Analysis” for maximizing the value of new products. |
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Priscilla Vazquez Department: Research Solutions Institute About: A certified proposal management professional (APMP), Priscilla is a purpose-driven professional helping researchers develop compliant and responsive proposals by providing proposal and graphics development services based on academic and industry best practices. Using her S2S proposal graphics development method, she help principal investigators (PIs) visually translate their research into easily understandable graphics for the general audience. Previous to WPI, Priscilla was a Business Partners Service Specialist at ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School, and an Academic Administrator & Managing Editor at the University of Vermont. Her background is in graphic design, arts management, and project management, with degrees from Qunisgamond Community College and UMass Amherst. Interesting fact: Enjoys teaching design concepts @ Quinsigamond Community College and designing creatively and collaboratively with a diverse group of students. |
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Kristen Bronger Department: Sponsor Programs About: Kristen Bronger joined the Office of Sponsored Programs in June 2022. Before joining the Pre-Award team, Kristen worked in the Robotics Engineering Department for three years. Prior to WPI, Kristen was a contracted engagement specialist for NOAA Fisheries. She has a BSc in marine and coastal policy and management from URI, and a Master of Environmental Management from Macquarie University (Australia). Interesting fact:I moonlight as an Uber driver for my kids because they have a plethora of activities and so that consists of my after work second job. |
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Kathy Chen Department: STEM Education Center About: 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. |
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Sujatha Koduvayur Department: Research Solutions Institute About: Sujatha P. Koduvayur manages the research development activities of the Institute by supporting, coordinating and expanding multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary and multi-center collaborative programs that enhance WPI’s research portfolio. Prior to her current role at WPI, Sujatha led the research development activities of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Penn State College of Medicine. She is a New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame inductee with a wide range of research interests spanning basic science to designing drug targets and adapting electronic communication principles to address molecular biological problems. She has a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Maryland at College Park. Interesting fact: |
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2023 Cohorts |
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Aswin Gnanaskandan Department: Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Stacy Shaw Department: Social Science & Policy Studies.
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Crystal Brown Department: Social Science & Policy Studies. |
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James Urban Department: Fire Protection Engineering |
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Bashima Islam Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering |
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Jagannath Jayachandran Department: Aerospace Engineering |
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Hermine Vedogbeton Department: Social Science & Policy Studies. |
2022
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2022 Trainers |
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Leonard Polizotto Department: Executive in Residence. About: Recognized for his successful track record of business development for technology firms. A centerpiece of his work has been the study, application, and teaching of innovation best practices, including “Value Factor Analysis” for maximizing the value of new products. |
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Curtis Carlson Department: Invovation Practices About: WPI trustee, Hall of Luminaries inductee, and executive-in-residence at WPI is a pioneer in the development and use of innovation best practices and an evangelist for innovation, education, and economic development. He is known for sharing best practices with government agencies, businesses and foundations around the world.
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Priscilla Vazquez Department: Research Solutions Institute About: A certified proposal management professional (APMP), Priscilla is a purpose-driven professional helping researchers develop compliant and responsive proposals by providing proposal and graphics development services based on academic and industry best practices. Using her S2S proposal graphics development method, she help principal investigators (PIs) visually translate their research into easily understandable graphics for the general audience. Previous to WPI, Priscilla was a Business Partners Service Specialist at ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School, and an Academic Administrator & Managing Editor at the University of Vermont. Her background is in graphic design, arts management, and project management, with degrees from Qunisgamond Community College and UMass Amherst. |
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Waren Burggren Department: Biological Science About: Dr. Warren Burggren is a University Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas. He has been writing winning grant proposals for more than 40 years as an academic and administrator. |
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Rick Nader Department: Global Proposal Solutions About: As Principal Consultant of Global Proposal Solutions, Rick has 30 years of experience developing teams and writing proposals to federal, private, and corporate foundations as well as international funding sources. |
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Kathy Chen Department: Mechanical Engineering About: 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. |
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2022 Cohorts |
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Shichao Liu Department: Civil, environmental and architectural engineering |
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Yunus Telliel Department: Humanities and Arts |
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Yihao Zheng Department: Mechanical Engineering |
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Ziming Zhang Department: Electrical & computer engineering |
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Loris Fichera Department: Robotics Engineering |
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Markus Nemitz Department: Robotics Engineering |
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Christina Bailey-Hytholt Department: Chemical Engineering |
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Catherine Whittington Department: Biomedical Engineering |
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Elizabeth Stewart Department: Chemical Engineering |
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Solomon Mensah Department: Biomedical Engineering |
