About Us
Data & Network Science in K-20 Education aims to bring data, network, complexity and systems science literacy to a sustainable “K-20” STEM+Art education pipeline of innovators in research and education. Our efforts are aimed at accelerating the integration of science education and interdisciplinary science research. Since 1989, we have been dedicated to enhancing K-12 and undergraduate science education by adapting research-based models and visualization tools, developing new curricula, hosting professional development workshops and summer internships for K-12 teachers and students, and involving undergraduate and graduate university students in K-12 classrooms.
Kim Howard
Associate Professor, Wheelock College of Education
Kim’s research interests include the examination of the career development process of diverse, low-income youth.
Cecilia Nardi
Director, Government Policy, Government & Community Affairs
Cecilia focuses on fostering and sustaining relationships between Boston University and community and government partners.
Chong Myung Park
Research Assistant Professor, Wheelock College of Education
Chong’s research focuses on the examination of career development in K-12 and post-secondary settings, especially the programs and services for high need, high opportunity youth populations.
Scott Solberg
Professor, Wheelock College of Education
Scott’s research focuses on career development for youth including how to promote optimal youth development and college and career readiness through the use of individualized learning plans and resiliency-based curriculum.
Paul Trunfio
Sr. Research Scientist, Physics Department, College of Arts & Sciences
Paul has developed and led education hands-on, curriculum and outreach efforts on a broad range of research topics including fractals, molecular dynamics computer modeling, neuroscience computer modeling, and complex systems and networks.
Current STEM Fellows (2022-present)
- Michalina Jadick, Boston University, Class of 2022
- Mable Lin, Boston University, Class of 2022
- Ariana Margolis, Boston University, Class of 2023
- Isabel Powell, Boston University, Class of 2023
- Jackson Rozells, Boston University, Class of 2022
Network Science for All STEM Fellows (2021-2022)
- Helena Hoxha, Boston University, Neuroscience BS, 2021
- Michalina Jadick, Boston University, Neurobiology Major, Class of 2022
- Yumi Kim, Boston University, Neuroscience BS, 2021
- Mable Lin, Boston University, Neuroscience Major, Class of 2022
Network Science for All STEM Fellows (Summer 2021)
- Christopher Hennighausen, Boston University, Physics Major, Class of 2022
- Michalina Jadick, Boston University, Neurobiology Major, Class of 2022
- Khloe Katende, Boston University, Physics Major, Class of 2022
- Mable Lin, Boston University, Neuroscience Major, Class of 2022
- Guillem Cucurull Llovera, Boston University, Physics Major, Class of 2022
- Nathania Marc, Boston University, Physics Major, Class of 2022
- Mykola Shumovskyi, Boston University, Physics Graduate Student
Network Science for All Advisors & Collaborators (2020-present)
Network Science for All: Positioning High Need Youth for Success in Pursuing STEM Pathways is a $1.5M 4-year project funded by the National Science Foundation as a collaborative partnership between Boston University (DRL 1949526) and Sociedad Latina (DRL 1949484). The project investigates the role that a middle school network science curriculum plays as both an input and outcome of science learning. The project focuses on development of skills to investigate real-world problems that have meaningful consequences for humankind across social, technical and scientific domains.
Sociedad Latina collaborative partners include: Alexandra Oliver-Davila (Executive Director), Victoria Garcia (Community Engagement Specialist), Juan Maldonado (Program Director) and Angelica Rodriguez (STEAM Team Program Coordinator).
NetSci4All Advisory Board Members:
- Henio Aragao Rego^, IFMA, Brazil & Boston University
- Amit Bansil^, Boston University
- Azer Bestavros*, Boston University; Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences
- Lidia Braunstein^, National University Mar del Plata, Argentina & Boston University
- Beverly Brown*, Boston University; Director of Development and Industry, School of Public Health
- Sergey Buldyrev^, Yeshiva University & Boston University
- David Chard*, Boston University; Dean, Wheelock College of Education
- Chrysthanos Dellarocas*, Boston University – digital learning and innovation
- Ben Forman#, Research Director of MassINC and Executive Director of Gateway Cities Innovation Institute
- Shlomo Havlin^, Bar Ilan University, Israel & Boston University
- Amy Loyd#, Senior Director at Jobs for the Future and Pathways to Prosperity Network
- Eve Manz#, Associate Professor, Science Education, Boston University
- Eva Mitchell#, Deputy Chief of Schools, Boston Mayor’s Office
- Allison Scheff-Little#, Executive Director of STEM, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and Massachusetts STEM Nexus
- Chris Smith#, President and CEO, Boston After School & Beyond
- Jake Sullivan*, Boston University; Director, Government and community relations
- Gloria Waters*, Boston University; VP and Associate Provost for Research
* denotes internal advisory board at Boston University (in addition to the core project team) charged with collectively creating and articulating the broader vision of a more smart-and-connected approach to STEM education and outreach at Boston University, situating this project within that vision, and nurturing the partnerships in this project.
# denotes external advisory board
^ denotes STEM advisory board with expertise and long-standing collaborations on research projects and STEM education efforts utilizing “big data” and network science.
NetSci High Program Team (2011-2018)
NetSci High immerses high school students and teachers in the burgeoning field of network science, a core pathway to making sense of many kinds of Big Data, a partnership between Complex Systems Collaborative (CSC) Science Education Group at Boston University, New York Hall of Science and Binghamton University at SUNY’s Collective Dynamics of Complex Systems Research Group.
At Boston University, Paul Trunfio leads the program.
At New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), our collaborators on network science are Steve Uzzo and Catherine Cramer. Since 1986, NYSCI has served over seven million children, parents and teachers. NYSCI’s mission is to convey the excitement and understanding of science and technology to children, families, teachers and others by galvanizing their curiosity and offering them creative, participatory ways to learn. NYSCI features the largest collection of hands-on science exhibits in New York City. Visitors of all ages can explore over 450 interactive exhibits, including Connections, an exhibit on networks.
At Binghamton University (SUNY), Hiroki Sayama is a principal collaborator and leads the Collective Dynamics of Complex Systems (CoCo) Research Group. Together, Uzzo and Sayama co-founded a pilot version of the NetSci High Program.
Advisors & Visiting Workshop Instructors
- Albert-László Barabási, Northeastern University – foundations of network science
- Katy Börner, Indiana University – networks and visualization
- Brooke Foucault-Welles, Northeastern University – social capital especially among young people
- Cesar Hidalgo, MIT – economic development, systems biology, and social systems
- Brian Keegan, Northeastern University – political influence in networks
- David Lazer, Harvard University – computational social science, political networks
- Sune Lehmann, Technical University of Denmark – social networks and citation networks
- Isabelle Meirelles, OACD Toronto – information design and communication
- Alex “Sandy” Pentland, MIT – computational social science
- Mason Porter, University of Oxford – applied mathematics and education
- Erzsébet Ravasz-Regan, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – biological networks
- Marshall Van Alstyne, Boston University – financial networks
- Alessandro Vespignani, Northeastern University –disease spread
- Uri Wilensky, Northwestern University – learning sciences and complex systems
- Robin Wilkins, UNC-Greensboro – networks in neuroscience
Student Research Team Mentors
- Amit Bansil, Boston University – 2012-2014
- Erzsébet Ravasz-Regan, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – 2012-2015
- Lori Sheetz, US Military Academy at West Point – 2012-present
- Kristie Shirreffs, Binghamton University – 2012-2014
- Paul Trunfio, Boston University – 2012-present
- Huaye (Tina) Li, Stevens Institute of Technology – 2013-2014
- Sakellarios Zairis, Columbia University – 2013-2015
- Hollie Hans, Stevens Institute of Technology – 2014
- Jeffrey Schmidt, Binghamton University – 2014-2015
For more information, please contact Paul Trunfio at trunfio@bu.edu
