2026 S-STEM Proposal Preparation Webinar Series

Dr. Ennist Whitehouse is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Flathead Valley Community College. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from State University of New York- Old Westbury and her PhD in Chemistry with a specialization in organic chemistry from Montana State University-Bozeman. Her doctoral research focused on the synthesis of N-acetyllactosamine functionalized dendrimers and the protein-carbohydrate interactions of Galectin-3 in breast, fibrosarcoma, and lung cancer cell lines. Additionally, her work explored multivalent systems using the functionalization of silica surfaces with tunable dendrons and beta-cyclodextrin. Dr. Ennist Whitehouse is dedicated to bridging the gap between her complex chemical research background and practical application for first- and second-year chemistry students by bringing her expertise into the classroom and providing meaningful, accessible undergraduate research experiences.

Beyond the classroom, she serves as the Principal Investigator of the United States National Science Foundation-supported Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Experience Program at FVCC (Aw. 2209722), which is centered on a cohort model focused on reducing STEM students’ financial stress, supporting their mental health, and fostering their STEM identity. This program utilizes a holistic approach to student success, empowering students for successful retention, graduation, and transition to four-year STEM degree-granting institutions. Dr. Ennist Whitehouse also serves the campus community as the Faculty Senate President. Her leadership is focused on bridging community and communication between faculty, leadership, and support staff across all areas of campus.

Dr. Will Tyson is a Professor of Sociology in the in the Department of Sociology & Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the University of South Florida (USF). His sociology of education research uncovers the connections between educational experiences, career pathways, and key life course transitions among students from various backgrounds. For over 20 years, Dr. Tyson has led various National Science Foundation (NSF) projects that challenge our understanding of interpersonal and structural influences on STEM education and career pathways out of high schools, community colleges, and four-year universities.

His sole-authored book, Teaching and Learning Employability Skills in Career and Technical Education: Industry, Educator, and Student Perspectives (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) is based on research from his first of three NSF Advanced Technological Education grants as a Principal Investigator, PathTech Tampa Bay (2011-15, DUE #1104214). Dr. Tyson is currently a Co-PI on two S-STEM grants: TURNPIKE (DUE #2030861) – A Track 3 grant led by USF and Polk State College to help low-income rural and nontraditional community college students transfer to USF Engineering and the Community College S-STEM Network (CCSN) (DUE #2224623) – An S-STEM Research Hub led by Rutgers to study decision-making processes among talented low-income undergraduate and graduate STEM students.

Dr. Yoel Rodríguez is a theoretical biophysicist and Professor of Physics and Chemistry in CUNY’s Hostos Community College. He is the Chair of the Natural Sciences Department, and Coordinator of the Joint Dual Engineering Degree Program with The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering of CUNY. He received his B.S. degree in Physical Chemistry from Havana University, and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Biophysics at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. He completed his postdoctoral training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY in Computational Biophysics. He has published several peer-reviewed research articles and presented at numerous conferences. His research is directed toward applying Computational Theoretical Biophysics approaches to a better understanding of fundamental molecular mechanisms in biological processes with implications in cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and cardiovascular diseases. He has received multiple grants from different agencies, including NSF and NIH and the prestigious Fulbright Scholar award. Dr. Rodríguez is also captivated by STEM pedagogical research and mentoring of undergraduate students. His mentees have earned multiple awards at STEM conferences, and several have continued to earn graduate degrees.

Dr. Nina M. Goodey is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. She is the PI of an HSI Institutional Transformation project that integrates weekly psychoeducational group counseling sessions into research and internship experiences to improve student mental health and learning outcomes. She serves as the Associate Director of the PSEG Institute of Sustainability Studies. Her brief talk today is titled Enhanced Mentorship through Psychoeducational Group Counseling in STEM Internship and Research Experiences.

Timothy Huber is a mathematics professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs for the College of Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 2007 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, followed by a postdoctoral position at Iowa State University. His research areas include analytic number theory, combinatorics, and special functions. He has an extensive history of student mentoring and research advisement. His recognitions for teaching excellence include the University of Texas Board of Regents Outstanding Teaching Award. Timothy champions student success and works to level the playing field for everyone by collaborating with colleagues on grants and initiatives that broadly increase access to educational opportunities, improve mentoring, and expand educational strategies that bring life to science and mathematics.

Bob Rose is faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry at North Carolina State University. Bob is a structural biologist. His lab focuses on a synthetic biology project, to alter carbon-fixing enzymes from thermophiles to function in plants and increase their rate of growth. Bob has been the PI on two NSF S-STEM grants to fund low-income students to earn a Masters degree in Biochemistry. His institution’s program is interdisciplinary – students join labs in different departments for their Masters research. The program has provided opportunities for low-income students to learn about research, obtain good jobs in the biotech industry or to continue in the PhD program. His second grant was funded in 2025 and is entitled: Expanding Participation and Promoting Excellence in Biotechnology Careers Through the Interdisciplinary Biochemistry Masters Program.