Dr. Kim S. Nguyen is the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI of several National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) active awards. She was the founding director for operations and had served the Urban Center for the Advancement of STEM Education (UCASE) from 2006 through 2016. Dr. Nguyen also held the Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management position in the Purdue School of Science for 15 years. Her areas of expertise include student recruitment and retention, STEM educational outreach, partnership cultivation, research collaborationand project management.

Dr. Nguyen earned her doctor of education degree from Indiana University and has worked in higher education administration at community college, private university and public research institution since 1976. She is not only passionate about providing professional supports to math/science undergraduate students and STEM career changers who want to become math and science teachers in high need K-12 schools, but also mentoringthe underrepresented minority(URM)college students in STEM careers. Her understanding about challenges that hinder the advancement of URM students coupling with her leading roles in science educational outreach to the minority populations will enable her to implement the LSMRCE project and disseminate its outcomes broadly and effectively.