Dr. Richard Aló is the Executive Director of the Center for Computational Sciences and Advanced Distributed Simulation and Executive Director for Grants and Contracts in the College of Sciences and Technology at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD). Dr. Aló has held these positions since 1995. For 24 years, he has also taught in the University of Houston’s Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and for 13 years he served as Chair of the department. Prior to joining the department, Dr. Aló held other academic positions in the United States as well as in India, Mexico, and Italy. He has served on several advisory and executive boards that seek to improve education in Mathematics and Computer Science, with a particular focus on increasing diversity in those fields, and he has published over 130 research papers. Recent areas of investigation include Automatic Decision Making (Artificial Intelligence), Object Recognition (Facial Expression and Gesture Analysis), and Fuzzy Logic. His primary research and educational interests are computational science applications, grid computing and cyber infrastructure tools, automated reasoning and decision making. Earlier interests included computability/complexity, numerical and functional analysis. Dr. Aló earned a B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Engineering from Gannon College in 1959, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Mathematics, with a minor in Computer Science, from the Pennsylvania State University in 1965.
Cindy Andersen is a Business/Computer Teacher and the Ford PAS Director at Advanced Technology Academy in Dearborn, MI. Ms. Andersen has taught high school for 20 years, and she has been teaching the Ford Pas Program for 2 years. She lives in Canton, Michigan with her husband who is a retired accountant from Ford Motor Company and her dog Elsie, and she has three grown sons. Ms. Andersen holds a B.S. in Accounting and an M.S. in Business Education, and she has completed the Management Certificate (AMA).
Kamilah Banks joined Texas Southern University (TSU) in 2004, and she has served TSU in various capacities such as staff member and adjunct professor in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business. Currently, Ms. Banks is drawing upon her formal education, practical knowledge, and work experience to teach TSU business, management, and marketing students. Prior to joining TSU, she worked for three years as an Account Executive at a distinguished advertising agency in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Banks earned a B.S. in Marketing at Tuskegee University, an M.S. in Management from Faulkner University, and an MBA from the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University.
Chad Barbour is a three year veteran with Ford PAS and will become the director of the program at Douglas Byrd High School next year. Mr. Barbour is a lifetime resident of Fayetteville, NC and feels called to give back to the community in which he grew up. He is thrilled to be attending his third conference to share with fellow teachers his experiences with Ford PAS and how the Business Education Advisory Council (BEAC) benefits his program.
Mary Elmquist retired from Ford Motor Company Lima Engine Plant in 2003 after 39 years. Currently, Ms. Elmquist does consulting work with several companies and volunteers extensively. At the time of her retirement, she was Co-Manager of the UAW/Ford/Rhoades State Training Center in Lima and was responsible for the training and development of all employees at Lima. The training center in Lima was the first built in the United States with union, company, state, and higher education affiliation. Ms. Elmquist graduated from Tiffin University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and received her Master’s Degree in Workforce Education and Life Long Learning from Ohio State University.
Dr. Carol Folbre currently manages Ford PAS at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Dr. Folbre provides an expertise in professional development with demonstrated success, curriculum and large-scale testing assessment enrichment, proposal and grant writing, and teaching and staff innovation. She has taught English for over nine years in the public and private sectors of San Antonio and has published articles, received grants to develop curricula, and given various presentations nationwide on education-related topics. Before joining UTSA, Dr. Folbre worked for Karta Technologies as a political liaison, creating solid contacts with four Texas congressmen and securing new business for Karta in regard to federal defense contracts. She has also worked for Educational Testing Service (ETS) and at Harcourt Educational Measurement as an Assessment Specialist for English Language Arts and proposal manager, developing large-scale testing assessments for California-based EXIT exams, as well as assessments for more than 12 states nationwide. Dr. Folbre received her Ph.D. in English literature, an M.A. in English, and has her Texas Certification in Elementary and Secondary Education.
Luis Genao is Senior Director for the Education Division at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). In this capacity, Mr. Genao leads NCLR’s Early College High School Demonstration Project (ECP). As ECP Director, he is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the ongoing development of a $7.2 million small school development project. Mr. Genao is also responsible for acquiring over $3 million in additional resources for the project and for aligning ECP with other NCLR school development efforts, such as Ford PAS. Prior to serving as ECP Director, Mr. Genao was the Charter School Development Initiative (CSDI) Director of Curriculum and Instruction at NCLR’s Center for Community Educational Excellence (C2E2). Before he joined NCLR, Mr. Genao worked as a Program Officer at New Visions for Public Schools in New York City. There, he focused on improving teaching and learning for two Community School Districts and ten New Vision Schools.
Tiffany Grant is a native of San Antonio, Texas, where she serves as the Business Development Manager at Firstmark Credit Union. In 2005, Ms. Grant joined the Ford PAS Business Education Advisory Council (BEAC) and was elected to serve as Chair of the council. Ms. Grant is active in her community and is very passionate about improving the lives of area children. She currently volunteers on the Northside Independent School District Superintendent’s Leadership Committee, the Academic Advisory Council for San Antonio’s Academy of Creative Education (ACE), and serves on several Campus Improvement Committees within the Judson Independent School District and the North East Independent School District. She is also very active in her church and in several local business organizations. Ms. Grant has a Bachelors Degree in Journalism from Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
Barry Hawthorne is the Chief Executive Officer of the Advanced Technology Academy (ATA) and owner of its Charter Public School Management Company. ATA has developed the “Platinum Model” of Ford PAS and recently received national accreditation through the North Central Association. Mr. Hawthorne recently expanded his program to grades K–12 where he has enrolled over 900 students. His school is currently aligning Ford PAS with the ACT Work Keys and Michigan Virtual High School. Mr. Hawthorne has an extensive record of public service and management experience. He served as Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Labor, Acting Director of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, and Executive Director of the Wayne County Employment and Training Department in the nation’s fifth largest county. Mr. Hawthorne is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University. He is currently Vice President of the Dearborn Optimist Club.
Carla Kohls has taught math for 21 years at Bath High School and has taught Ford PAS for 2 years, including courses 1, 2, and 3. Ms. Kohls has a BS in Education from The Ohio State University and an MS in Education from Indiana University.
Teresa Lewis is a Project Director with Communities In Schools (CIS) of Detroit, Inc. CIS is a national partner to the Detroit Public School system. Ms. Lewis is the Project Director at Southeastern High School of Technology with Principal Brenda Gatlin. CIS provides needed support to students by connecting them with resources, caring adults, and partners to address their unmet needs. Additionally, CIS establishes one-on-one relationships during the day and after school for to help ensure students’ academic success. Ms. Lewis serves as liaison for the Southeastern Parent Organization and liaison to the counseling staff for student scholarships and grants for matriculation into higher education. The many resources and services that Ms. Lewis manages link schools with the community and programs like Ford PAS. As result, teachers are free to teach and students have a better opportunity to focus on learning.
David McNeel is Executive Director for the Center for Information Technology Education (CITE), a regional center of excellence in Tennessee focused on improving the IT workforce pipeline, both quantitatively and qualitatively, through education reform and community involvement. CITE is a consortium of secondary and post-secondary institutions, businesses and governmental organizations from the region, located at Nashville State Community College and established in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. This appointment marks Mr. McNeel’s return to the educational arena after over 20 years of work in IT planning, development, and management, both domestically and around the world. Prior to this work, he taught Mathematics at the post-secondary level. Mr. McNeel holds an M.S. and an A.B.D. designation in Applied Mathematics from Vanderbilt University.
Sandy Mittelsteadt is the Education Liaison for the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Prior to joining ACTE, Ms. Mittelsteadt was the Executive Director of the National Career Academy Coalition and co-authored the Career Academy Toolkit book. Before moving to Washington, DC, Ms. Mittelsteadt was the School-to-Career Coordinator for Kern County in Bakersfield, California and the Assistant State Supervisor of Health Occupations Education in Oklahoma. Through the years, Ms. Mittelsteadt has taught at virtually every level—from preschoolers in Saudi Arabia to high-risk youth in Missouri. Currently, Ms. Mittelsteadt works toward expanding collaborative efforts to create and support emerging academies in communication, construction, health, agribusiness, engineering and manufacturing, and public administration. Ms. Mittelsteadt is known nationally for her expertise in all aspects of career academy development. In addition, she is a noted workshop presenter in areas such as brain-based learning, integrated curriculum, project-based learning, assessment (rubric and portfolio), content reading, and technical writing. Ms. Mittelsteadt holds a master’s degree in reading.
Monica A. Pfarr has spent three years in the education field as the Director of a National Science Foundation funded national center of excellence. The National Center for Manufacturing Education (NCME) at Sinclair Community College (OH) serves as a resource to higher education institutions in the area of manufacturing technology education as well as novel approaches to teaching technology education in general. Prior to joining Sinclair Community College, Ms. Pfarr spent 12 years with General Motors Corporation in positions of increasing responsibility including production supervisor, manufacturing engineer, industrial and reliability engineer, production superintendent, and training manager for new programs.
Angela H. Polk currently serves as Director of Ford PAS at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM). Ms. Polk’s key role in Ford PAS is to oversee the management and implementation of the curriculum in 6 high schools with a supportive 30-member Business Education Advisory Council (BEAC). Ms. Polk has 17 years of pre-college programming experience. She has provided professional contributions of administration, program development, and advisory board service to pre-college programs across the nation. She is a member of the American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE) and the National Association of Minority Engineering Program Administrators (NAMEPA). Ms. Polk’s educational and community outreach service will be further utilized in her current pursuit of a Master’s degree in Community Development at UDM.
Karen Powell teaches science at Romulus Community Schools’ alternative building, Community High School. Ms. Powell takes a lead role in the Ford PAS program’s implementation at the school. An active member in the Romulus Education Association, she serves as building representative and board member and acts as a North Central Association school improvement co-coordinator. During her time at Community High School, she has also been involved with the student leadership committee—which won a 2005 Educational Excellence Award by Michigan Association of School Boards—and the student advisory committee. Ms. Powell graduated with her B.A. from Eastern Michigan University, and she is currently working towards her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at Madonna University.
Tim Price has been an integral member of the Business Education Advisory Council (BEAC) at Douglas Byrd High School since 2001, when his father discovered the Ford PAS program and wanted to help. Mr. Price represents Lafayette Ford in Fayetteville, NC where he serves as parts and service director. Lafayette Ford has been owned by the Price family since 1997, and has been family owned and operated since 1949. As a business partner, Mr. Price arranges learning experiences that help students make connections to higher learning and the world of work. With his assistance, students have visited Nascar Technical Institute, the Ford HVC distribution center, and the Norfolk assembly plant. Mr. Price is 37 years old, married with 2 children, and a lifetime time resident of Fayetteville.
Dr. Richard D. Roberts is a Senior Research Scientist in the Center for New Constructs in Educational Testing Service’s Research & Development Division, Princeton, NJ. His area of specialization is individual differences and psychological assessment, and he has published nearly 100 articles in peer-review journals and invited book chapters on topics as wide ranging as processing speed, personality, sensory processing, cognitive abilities, human factors, and circadian rhythms. Published books include Learning and Individual Differences: Content, Trait, and Process Determinants (American Psychological Association), Emotional Intelligence: Science and Myth (MIT Press), An International Handbook of Emotional Intelligence (Hogrefe & Huber), and Intelligence: Enhancement and New Constructs (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).
Dikea Simmons began teaching at the Southeastern High School of Technology in the Detroit Public School District in August of 2000. Ms. Simmons was introduced to Ford PAS in 2003 at the 1st Networking Conference in Dearborn, Michigan. In 2004, she began teaching the Ford PAS curriculum, and she has since taught modules 1 through 4 and 8. In 2005, she was a presenter at the 3rd Annual Ford PAS National Networking Conference. Ms. Simmons attended Eastern Michigan University where she earned a Bachelor’s of Business Education and became certified in both business and mathematics.
Dawn Striker is a math and science teacher at Smith Academy in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Ms. Striker has been teaching for ten years and enjoys drawing upon connections between math and science at all levels of teaching. This year, she piloted Module 12 Energy for the Future in her senior level physics class. Ms. Striker earned a B.S. in physics from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1988, and an M.Ed. in education from the University of Massachusetts in 1993.
Stephen Wheeler graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan in the summer of 1993 with a degree in business administration. After one very long year working as a customer service manager and part-time high school volleyball coach, he realized that he got much more satisfaction from working with kids than from working with irate customers and quit his job to go back to school. In December of 2000, Mr. Wheeler finished his degrees in English and Mathematics at Eastern Michigan University and moved to central Florida to teach for a year. Having found that teaching is, indeed, his passion, he enrolled in the Master’s in Teaching program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill to complete his certification requirements. After graduating from UNC, Mr. Wheeler took his first full position at Romulus Community High School for the 2005 school year.
Cheryl Carrier joined Ford Motor Company in May of 1978 and currently works with the Ford Motor Company Fund as program director for the Ford PAS program. In this capacity, Ms. Carrier manages all aspects of Ford PAS, which includes program development, dissemination, regional and national partnerships, and customer assistance. Prior to working with the Ford Fund, Ms. Carrier held various positions at Ford in engineering, finance, and investor relations. Her most recent assignment prior to managing Ford PAS was working for William Clay Ford, Jr., now Chairman and CEO of the Ford Motor Company. Ms. Carrier assisted Mr. Ford from 1989 through 1997, as he held various management positions and was a member of the Ford Motor Company Board of Directors.
Jen Clarke is a research associate at EDC, where she develops student and teacher materials for the Ford PAS program, including three short videos that have been integrated into the curriculum. She also develops case materials for use in college courses to explore the issues raised in the debate over the death penalty. Before coming to EDC, Ms. Clarke developed curriculum for and trained, coached, and evaluated instructors of experiential civics education programs at the Close Up Foundation. Ms. Clarke received a B.A. in history from Dartmouth College and an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Eliza P. Fabillar is a senior research associate at EDC. Ms. Fabillar is currently working with a team to develop a professional development program for the Ford PAS curriculum. She also develops partnerships nationwide between high schools, universities, and businesses for the Ford PAS program. Previously, Ms. Fabillar was education co-director at the Center for Media and Learning/American Social History Project of the City University of New York (CUNY). For the past decade, she has been instrumental in designing and leading education reform initiatives, curriculum development projects, teacher professional development programs, and school-university-community partnerships. Her work has focused on interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, multicultural education and the teaching of social studies, humanities, and English language arts in secondary schools. She has also taught adult education for a labor organization and undergraduate and graduate education courses for CUNY. Ms. Fabillar has an M.A. in cultural anthropology from Columbia University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in education.
Donna Gilley has taught many different business courses during her 16-year tenure as a teacher in Nashville, Tennessee. Ms. Gilley was one of the first teachers of the Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences (pre-Ford PAS) and has worked with EDC in many capacities, ranging from piloting modules to training new teachers. She has won many awards, including the Crystal Apple Educator Award 2000 for her work with career academies, the National High School Association Tennessee Educator of the Year 1997, the Golden Apple/Golden Arches Award 1997, and the 1994 Tennessee Junior Achievement Teacher of the Year award. Ms. Gilley received a B.A. in business from Belmont University and an M.B.A. from the Jack C. Massey School of Business at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Rebecca P. Gondek is associate project director for the Ford PAS program and the LULAC Ford PAS Science Corps project. Ms. Gondek works with teachers and higher education and community-based organization partners to write, promote, and provide professional development for the programs. She creates instructional materials to help middle and high school students explore ideas, analyze problems, and find solutions to the kinds of real-life challenges they will face in college and in their careers; informs and communicates with teachers and schools offering Ford PAS; and collaborates with a team of directors to plan outreach and assistance to partner organizations, colleges, and universities. Prior to joining EDC, Ms. Gondek worked as a science and math teacher in the Boston Public Schools. Her teaching experience focused on urban students facing multiple barriers, including immigrant Hmong, Latino, and Chinese students, and students with special needs in middle and high schools and in community colleges. Ms. Gondek is a doctoral student at Boston College, specializing in curriculum, policy, and school reform.
Vivian Guilfoy is senior vice president of EDC and director of EDC’s Education, Employment, and Community Programs. Ms. Guilfoy brings more than 30 years of experience in designing, managing, evaluating, and disseminating model programs in workforce development, education reform, and community development. Her special interest is facilitating partnerships and strengthening systems that help all learners achieve to high standards, especially those who face multiple obstacles in school or work. Among other responsibilities, Ms. Guilfoy is a senior project director of the Ford PAS program. Ms. Guilfoy received a B.S. in social sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in educational research from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ilene Kantrov is currently a senior project director of the Ford PAS program. Dr. Kantrov contributes more than 20 years of experience in developing curricula, software, and resources that promote understanding of the issues involved in curriculum and school reform to the Ford PAS initiative. She has served as the director of EDC’s Center for Educational Resources and Outreach since 1998 and has worked at EDC since 1981. At the Center, she oversees a staff of curriculum, technology, training, and research experts whose mission is to improve the quality of resources and information available to students, teachers, parents, and the public. Dr. Kantrov has also overseen the development of a four-volume series of guides to standards-based middle-grades curricula for teachers and administrators. She is coeditor of Casebook on School Reform, coauthor of A Guide to Facilitating Cases in Education, and coauthor of Choosing a Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculum. Dr. Kantrov holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Tufts University.
Cora Landy joined EDC in 2002 to work as a research associate and technical specialist for the Ford PAS program. Ms. Landy delivers technical assistance to program sites, organizes Ford PAS conferences, conducts teacher training workshops, manages national and regional partnerships between high schools, universities, and business partners and is currently working on developing a Ford PAS Professional Development Institute for teachers. She also served as the architect of the Ford PAS Web site and wrote portions of the Ford PAS curriculum. Prior to joining EDC, Ms. Landy taught geography and worked in corporate training. She earned a B.A. in geography and sociology and an M.A. in geographical analysis, specializing in local and regional development, from St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Ireland.
Teresa Lara-Meloy joined Ford PAS as a Research and Development Associate in November 2005 to lead the development of online strategies to support the professional development of Ford PAS teachers and coordinators. With over 10 years’ experience participating and developing online resources and educational opportunities, Ms. Lara-Meloy is helping Ford PAS build an online community of practice. Before working at Ford PAS, she spent two years at the America Connects Consortium (EDC) organizing an integrated approach to a technical assistance program for U.S. Department of Education technology center grantees. Ms. Lara-Meloy is interested in the changing intersections of culture, technology, education, human rights, and math with particular focus on supporting the professional development of adults in these fields.
Lorena Martínez-Díaz has worked on various curriculum development and teacher training projects at EDC,including El Odio Se Cura, the Spanish version of Healing the Hate: A National Bias Crime Prevention Curriculum for Middle Schools. Ms. Martínez-Díaz currently works on the Ford PAS program as a research associate, providing technical assistance to program sites and overseeing the translation of the Ford PAS curriculum to Spanish. Prior to her return to EDC in 2004, she worked for Boston Excels, the award-winning school reform initiative of The Home for Little Wanderers providing services to at-risk youth and their families. Ms. Martínez-Díaz holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from Simmons College and an M.A. in elementary education from Lesley University.
Emily McLeod is one of the writers of the Ford PAS curriculum. Ms. McLeod’s background includes the study of childhood psychological development, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary education, and she is also interested in environmental issues and arts education. Prior to working on Ford PAS, she was part of a project that promoted best practices in information technology training for high school students. She also worked in a nonprofit agency serving at-risk youth. Ms. McLeod is currently pursuing a graduate degree in San Francisco.
Millie Mitchell is the Administrative Manager for the Ford PAS program. Ms. Mitchell joined Ford Motor Company Fund in June 2004. She works directly with Ford PAS managers, advancing their efforts to coordinate program development, build relationships with current and potential clients, manage supplier relationships, and organize meetings and conferences. Prior to joining Ford PAS, Ms. Mitchell was a paraprofessional working with middle school students in the Livonia Public Schools. Before turning to the field of education, she held sales and marketing positions at several newspapers. Ms. Mitchell holds a B.A. in business administration from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Janet Padilla joined Ford Motor Company Fund in April 2003 and currently works as the manager for the Ford PAS program. In this capacity, she is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of Ford PAS, including maintaining relationships with all national, regional and local partners, and overseeing the technical assistance activity of the project and other agencies that support the program. Prior to working on Ford PAS, Ms. Padilla worked with Ford Motor Company Fund as a contributions analyst. Ms. Padilla earned a B.A. in economics and political science and an M.A. in public policy from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Megan Parry is a research associate at EDC and works on the Ford PAS program. In this capacity, Ms. Parry develops and facilitates relationships between high schools, universities, and business partners regarding the implementation of Ford PAS and conducts training for teachers on several of the Ford PAS modules. Before coming to EDC, she participated in research and evaluation projects at the state (Texas) and national levels focusing on issues of teacher professional development, high school reform, and school-community collaboration. Ms. Parry began her career in education as a high school social science teacher and staff member of several middle school after-school programs. Ms. Parry holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Rochester and an M.A. from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas–Austin.
Paul J. Poledink is the Ford PAS program development manager for Ford Motor Company Fund. An alumnus of both the University of Detroit and Wayne State University in engineering, liberal arts, and education, Mr. Poledink began his career as an educator, administrator, and training consultant with teaching and administrative positions within the private and public school systems at DeLaSalle Collegiate High School, Wayne-Westland Community Schools, and Macomb Community College. He followed these positions with a stay at the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, where he was responsible for employee training and organizational development. Mr. Poledink joined the Ford Motor Company in 1999 with the assignment of enhancing the existing Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences (FAMS) program which has led to the inception of Ford PAS.
Mike Schmidt has worked on education and workforce development issues in both the public and private sectors. Mr. Schmidt joined Ford Motor Company in July of 1996, and he currently serves as the Director of Education and Community Development for the Ford Motor Company Fund. In this capacity, he oversees Ford’s major national partnerships with public K-12 education—including the Henry Ford Academy and the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS)—as well as the company’s relationships with colleges and universities. Before coming to the Ford Fund, Mr. Schmidt worked on a number of educational initiatives for the company, including managing the design and launch of the Henry Ford Academy, serving as the chair of the National Employer Leadership Council, and working as a member of the joint UAW/Ford team that designed the UAW/Ford Family Service and Learning Center initiative.
Before joining Ford, Mike worked on national education and workforce development issues as a Senior Policy Analyst in President Clinton’s Domestic Policy Council in Washington, DC from 1993 to 1996. In this capacity, he participated in the creation and implementation of a number of initiatives, including Goals 2000, School to Work, and the Technology Learning Challenge program. He also worked on federal training and development policy for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and served as a staff member for the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) at the U.S. Department of Labor. Mr. Schmidt earned a B.A. from The University of Michigan and a Masters of Public Management from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs.
Anne Shure currently serves as a manager and curriculum developer for the Ford PAS program. Ms. Shure has worked as a curriculum developer and researcher at EDC for 15 years. At EDC, she has authored and edited primary and secondary school curriculum and worked on integrating technology into the classroom. Drawing on her extensive experience as a coach of teacher teams, notably those that focus on looking at student work, Ms. Shure wrote “Pathways to Planning: Improving Student Achievement in Inclusive Classrooms,” which appeared in the Fall 1999 issue of Teaching Exceptional Children. Before coming to EDC, she was a special education and classroom teacher and a textbook editor. Ms. Shure received a B.A. in child study from Tufts University and an M.A. in special education from San Francisco State University.
Sandra E. Ulsh is president of Ford Motor Company Fund, a separate philanthropic organization funded largely by Ford Motor Company profits. Ford Fund’s primary focus is education, and it also supports organizations and innovative programs that promote automotive safety education and assist communities with a variety of needs. In 2005, Ford Fund dedicated nearly $80 million to educational, auto-related safety education and American legacy initiatives. Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. Ulsh was director, Public Policy, Governmental Affairs. Ulsh joined Ford as an economic analyst in 1978. She held numerous positions in Finance, including vehicle pricing manager, vehicle program finance manager, manager of business analysis and business plans for Truck Operations, and manager of Investor Relations. Ms. Ulsh joined Ford’s Governmental Affairs organization in 1996 as a strategic issues associate in the Corporate Economics and Strategies Issues office and later became a legislative manager on Healthcare and Financial Service matters in Washington, D.C.
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Ford PAS Science Corps Project
EDC has developed a curriculum to introduce the Ford PAS experience to middle school students who participate in the LULAC Ford PAS Science Corps program. The Science Corps program offers hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences that engage participants, preparing and encouraging them to pursue science, engineering, and technology in high school and beyond.
