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 is responsible for the management and oversight of the fiscal operations. She serves as the chief financial advisor to the executive director and works closely with all directors, principal investigators and coordinators on all fiscal matters. Specific responsibilities include the supervision of the Friday Institute business office staff; preparation of all financial reports and statements, budget reports, sponsor reports, spending plans, effort projections and budget revisions; account setups, project closeouts, the fiscal year closeout,…

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…

Emmy L Coleman

Senior Research Scholar

Emmy is a Senior Research Scholar and Design Strategist with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. With 25+ years of experience as an educator, administrator and coach, Emmy is dedicated in supporting leaders and educators in designing and building successful and innovative teaching and learning programs. She is currently lead of district and school-based professional learning supports across North Carolina.

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 Hollylynne S. Lee

Professor, Mathematics Education

Hollylynne’s work focused on statistics education began with developing the Probability Explorer software and conducting research on learners’ ability to reason about probabilistic phenomena through a simulation approach. Her current work focuses on preparing teachers of statistics to use innovative approaches and powerful technology tools to engage learners in building statistical understandings, particularly through the design and implementation of online professional learning environments. Her work has led to numerous books, research publications, and awards. In…

Dr Jose A Picart

Deputy Director, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

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

Director of Technology Programs

Mark Samberg is the Director for Technology Programs at the Friday Institute and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the College of Education. 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…

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 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…

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…