Friday Institute Leadership Team

Dr Hiller A. Spires

Executive Director and Associate Dean

Dr. Spires, who has been on the NC State faculty since 1986, serves as associate dean of NC State’s College of Education and executive director of the Friday Institute. She is also a Professor of Literacy and Technology in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences. She received her Ph.D. in literacy education with a cognate in English from the University of South Carolina. She served as the founding director of The William and…

Arnita T Adams

Director of Finance and Business

Arnita Adams joined the Friday Institute team in January 2014 and is responsible for the management, oversight and structure of the fiscal operations. She has a BBA in accounting from Campbell University and is a Certified Research Administrator. Arnita has been with NC State University since 2003. She has worked for the following departments: Crop Science, Statistics, and Materials Science and Engineering. Before coming to the Friday Institute, Arnita worked for the Office of Contracts…

Heather Puamohala Bronson

Senior Communications Manager

In her role as Senior Communications Manager, Heather builds nationwide awareness of the Friday Institute’s work, programming and initiatives among key stakeholders and the general public in order to establish the organization as the center for collaboration and innovation of education research, practice and policy. She previously led communications, marketing, and public and media relations efforts for the Chicago Literacy Alliance, a nonprofit association of literacy programs and organizations. Heather has worked as a marketer, editor and writer since…

Dr Dave Frye

Senior Director for Computer Science Initiatives

Dave Frye has spent the last 15 years helping to develop strategic, broad-scale initiatives and next-generation education systems that will prepare students for the rapidly changing world in which they will live. In his current role as Senior Director for Computer Science Initiatives, he works at the intersection of policy, research, and practice to expand opportunities and broaden participation in Computer Science (CS), both in North Carolina (NC) and nationally. Dave plays a leadership role…

Dr Gail Jones

Professor

Dr. Jones is a professor of science education. Her teaching focuses on science teacher preparation and research in teaching and learning science. Dr. Jones’ research focuses on learning science in a variety of sociocultural contexts. Her research examines how a number of subgroups learn, including gender, minorities and students with visual impairments. Recently Dr. Jones has conducted a series of studies that examine nanoscale science education. She directs the Innovations in STEM Education Research Group…

Dr Jose A Picart

Professor of Education and Executive Director, WPPS

Dr. Jose Picart serves as Professor of Education and Senior Faculty Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. In this capacity, he leads several programs that seek to facilitate increased and focused community outreach and engagement by faculty, students and staff at North Carolina State University. He also serves as the Executive Director of The Wake Promise. The Wake Promise is a cross-sector community collaborative with the mission to increase the number of low-income youth…

Dr Mark J Samberg

Assistant Director, Technology Operations and Development

Mark Samberg is the Assistant Director for Technology Operations and Development at the Friday Institute. In this role, he works with project teams at the Institute to identify, select, and implement technology solutions that support their work and the mission of the Friday Institute. Additionally, Mark conducts research and outreach in the areas of online and hybrid learning environments, K-12 IT infrastructure and K-12 IT policy, digital and open educational resources, and computer science/computational thinking…

Marjorie Santoro

Assistant Director

Marjorie Santoro has been on the Friday Institute team since 2008. As Assistant Director, Marj directly supports the Executive Director and is the primary point of contact on all matters pertaining to the Friday Institute. She also serves as Human Resources Director, leads the events management and administrative teams, and provides operational oversight for the facility. Marj has been with NC State since 2003. She is a Troy State University graduate with 20+ years of…

Dr Trip Stallings

Director of Policy Research

Dr LaTricia Walker Townsend

Director of Evaluation Programs

Dr. LaTricia Townsend is the Director of Evaluation Programs for the Evaluation Team at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University. Dr. Townsend’s work focuses on improving educational outcomes for students. Her primary research interests include program evaluation, STEM education in formal and informal spaces, and the digital divide. Dr. Townsend is also an associate teaching professor in the College of Education at North Carolina State University where she has taught…

Dr Eric N Wiebe

Professor

Dr. Wiebe is a professor in the Department of STEM Education at NC State University and Senior Research Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. Dr. Wiebe works on many different facets of STEM education, including the design and evaluation of innovative uses of computing technologies in STEM instructional settings, the use of multimedia tools for teaching and learning, and student engagement and persistence in STEM career pathways. Specific research programs include the use…

Mr Braska Williams Jr

Director, NC-MSEN Pre-College Program

Braska Williams serves as the coordinator for the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network Pre-College Program (NC-MSEN PCP). He has spent 13 years in K-12 working for Newport News Public Schools in Virginia where he served as a high school mathematics teacher, a teacher coach, the coordinator of a district wide STEM program for underserved populations, and director of two NSF funded projects. At NC State, his work involves working with underserved middle and…

Dr Mary Ann Wolf

Director of the Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative (PLLC)

Mary Ann Wolf, Ph.D., has 15 years of experience in education and education technology. Mary Ann has worked closely with federal, state and local education leaders; policy-makers; and organizations on connecting policy and practice for innovative education reform, digital learning and instructional practices. Mary Ann developed and co-facilitated the Digital Learning Transition MOOC for Educators through the Friday Institute at NC State University and the Alliance for Excellent Education. She is also the lead researcher…

Ray Zeisz

Director, Technology Infrastructure Lab

Ray Zeisz is the Director of the Technology Infrastructure Lab at the Friday Institute. In this role he leads a team that researches, analyzes, and builds tools that enable policymakers to make informed decisions about the use of technology in public sector applications. While most work is focused on K-20 education, the TIL team often works on cross cutting topics that impact the overall wellbeing of students, such as healthcare, access to broadband and economic…