The People Behind STEMACT

John Bourdeaux

President & CEO, AdvanceCT

John Bourdeaux is an experienced leader with a track record of success in marketing and development, strategic planning, professional fundraising, and market research. Prior to joining AdvanceCT, he served as the Vice President of Advancement for the Connecticut Science Center, an organization dedicated to scientific exploration, teacher development, and educational transformation. At AdvanceCT, John's focus is on operations, member development, and strategic initiatives.

Lisa Bowden

Assistant Executive Director, EdAdvance

Lisa A. Bowden is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in administration, curriculum development, and instruction. She currently serves as Assistant Executive Director at EdAdvance, a Regional Educational Service Center located in Litchfield, CT. Throughout her career, Lisa has championed STEM education and the incorporation of experiential learning across all school curricula. She holds advanced certifications in educational leadership from Central Connecticut State University, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a B.S. in Mandarin Chinese from Georgetown University.

Christine Broadbridge

Director, CT State Colleges and Universities Center for Quantum & Nanotechnology

Dr. Christine Broadbridge is Professor of Physics and Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering from Brown University, where her research focused on materials science, physics, and nanotechnology.

Nisreen Cain

Technology Advisor & Investor, Couragesmith LLC

Nisreen Cain is a computer science educator and technology investor with over 25 years of experience connecting industry to education. She currently teaches computer science at Southern Connecticut State University and advises and invests in startups building at the edge of AI, data, and infrastructure.

Miah LaPierre Dreger

Dean of STEM, Springfield Technical Community College

Dr. Miah LaPierre Dreger is an experienced higher education leader and advocate for STEM access, innovation, and workforce development. With more than 27 years of teaching and administrative experience across Connecticut's colleges and universities, she has advanced programs and initiatives that expand educational opportunities, strengthen student pathways, and build stronger connections between education and industry.

Kathleen Schofield

Executive Director, Northeast Florida Regional STEM² Hub

Dr. Kathleen Schofield is the Executive Director of the Northeast Florida Regional STEM² Hub. In this capacity, she works to assure access and opportunity for computer science and STEM learning across the northeast Florida region. Working as a liaison between the corporate community and the school systems, she brings the pulse of the needs for a 21st century workforce as she collaborates with educational systems across the region, bringing access to experiences with cutting edge technologies, such as robotics, coding, drones, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to over 75,000 students.