Project Co-PI

Dr. Nathalia Holtzman is an Associate Professor in Biology and is serving as the Associate Provost for Innovation and Student Success at Queens College. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto before moving on to her PhD at the University of Oregon. Since 2005, Dr. Holtzman has been a faculty member at Queens College, studying heart development and aquatic toxicology. As Associate Provost, Dr. Holtzman oversees many student success initiatives. This includes the Learning Commons, the Writing Center, the Office of Experiential Education, and the Center of Career and Engagement and Internships. Additional programs include the Office of Honors and Scholarship, the First Year Experience, and the Accelerate, Complete, and Engage QC program.

In addition to the Q-STEM grant, Dr. Holtzman also oversees other grants including Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence Award (IE3) focused on DEI in the classroom, an NSF funded grant for design thinking and makerspace development, an NSF grant supporting computer science transfer students, and several other CUNY funded projects.

Her work and advocacy continue to focus on the success of students and what Queens College can do in support of their learning and growth.

Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Biology

Daniel is an adjunct lecturer in Biology and is serving as the Director of the Q-STEM Academy at Queens College. As an undergraduate researcher, he worked in the Weinstein Lab focusing on signaling mechanisms underlying germ layer formation and germ layer patterning in the vertebrate (Xenopus laevis) embryo.

A strong advocate for increased access of STEM education among underrepresented youth, Daniel serves as the founder and director of a non-profit organization, STEM Scholars. The organization’s, and inherently Daniel’s goal is to make STEM education to accessible to everyone. Between 2018-2021, Daniel has worked on the HSI-STEM grant serving as a biology peer mentor. As part of his work on the grant with Dr. Holtzman, he has written the Fetal Pig Dissection Manual (2018) which includes some original artwork, and was a major contributor for the latest Histology Manual (2019). After the grant ended, Daniel transitioned to working at the Learning Commons as the Biology Tutor Coordinator. 

His professional interests include education in medicine, advancement in STEM education, and surgery. On a more lighter side, Daniel is an avid fan of Star Wars fan. In his spare time, he loves to read comic books, collect action figures and celebrity autographs.

Daniel is pursuing a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the SUNY Downstate School of Public Health. He will pursue an MD degree in the future. 

Project Co-PI

Coming Soon.

Director of Research, Evaluation, & Program Support

Dr. Reem Jaafar has been a mathematics professor at LaGuardia since 2010. She has a successful track record of collegewide initiatives, including co-founding the math society and training students to compete in regional and national mathematics competitions. She has also mentored several undergraduate student research projects. In 2018, Dr. Jaafar spearheaded the design of the College’s strategic plan with internal and external stakeholders. From 2019 to 2022, she co-led the College Self-Study for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, receiving numerous commendations from the visiting team. 

Since 2014, she has co-directed the Supplemental Instruction Program, a peer program known as the Academic Peer Instruction (API) program, resulting in increased graduation rates for both STEM and non-STEM students. In 2022, she became the director of Research, Evaluation & Program Support for the Queens STEM Academy, a 4.6-million-dollar project funded by the Department of Education aimed at improving equity in STEM. 

Dr. Jaafar’s scholarship is diverse and includes continuous improvement in teaching and learning, assessments in student outcomes and theoretical physics. She holds certificates in Project Management, Inclusive STEM Teaching, and Student Success Analytics. As a co-PI on several grants focused on equity and improving student success in STEM, Dr. Jaafar has received funding from internal and external funders, including the Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies Initiative at CUNY and the US Department of Education. In 2022, she received the Exceptional Woman Award from a New York State Assembly member. 

Niki Jones is a higher education professional with more than 15 years of experience in program management, student development, and program administration. She is currently the Director of STEM Initiatives at LaGuardia Community College where she leads the coordination of several US Department of Education, HSI STEM initiatives that improve STEM education and outcomes for under-represented students. These initiatives utilize High-Impact Practices such as First-Year Seminars, learning communities, co-curricular activities, and undergraduate research to improve learning outcomes and enhance the student experience.

In addition, Ms. Jones serves on the college’s Assessment Leadership Team (ALT) to ensure the effectiveness of LaGuardia’s Core Competencies and the assessment of student learning outcomes, working on the Inquiry and Problem-Solving competency.  She also works with the college’s Center for Teaching and Learning on assignment design for faculty in the Inquiry and Problem-Solving competency to support innovative teaching pedagogy. She worked with the college’s Standard III Working Group for the Middle States Self-Study to compile and review data on the college’s design and delivery of the student learning experience, particularly the assessment of these processes.

Ms. Jones completed a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at St. John’s University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at CUNY’s Lehman College.  She is currently an Ed. D student in Lehman College’s School of Education EDOL program.