ASANA
Farah Faruqi
Garland,TX
Summary
Highly experienced instructional leader with over 10 years of expertise in STEM within K-12 settings. Demonstrated success in leading professional development (PD) initiatives for educators, with a strong focus on culturally responsive teaching and equitable practices. Proven ability to manage and develop multi-layered teams, oversee complex projects, and align curriculum with national standards. Passionate about driving educational equity and innovation in STEM fields, with a commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning environment.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of STEAM Education
Project Scientist
02.2023 - Current
- Leading Teaching Institute to provide hands-on training on gender and racially equitable teaching to schools, districts, department of education.
- 10+ years of experience in curriculum development, instructional leadership roles in STEM within school districts, non-profit.
- Deep content expertise in designing STEM curriculum and alignment with NGSS.
- Years of experience supervising teams, with proven expertise in managing complex changes and ambiguity.
- Building partnerships with school districts in MN, NC, CA to implement all programs in schools.
- Designing inclusive survey for all ages, programs, and work with research firm to assess the impact.
- Launched staff engagement, gender diversity and cultural programs in addition to robust reporting tool that increased operational quality
- Leveraged professional networks and industry knowledge to strengthen client relationships
- Spearheaded innovative approaches to resource allocation and strategic planning
- Recruited, hired, and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for new organization
- Interacted well with customers to build connections and nurture relationships
- Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills
Curriculum Specialist
Age of Learning
- 12.2022
- Served as Subject Matter Expert on a15-person cross-functional team that created game prototypes using Agile methodologies and project management software such as Jira, Smartsheet, and Confluence
- Utilize research & information intelligence to assist our clients in rational, strategic, & data-informed decision-making as they strive to reach their social-impact goals.
- Collaborated with curriculum team members to develop over 50 highly detailed course documents that ensured the application of current best-practice approaches for science concepts
- Completed and documented upfront and ongoing needs analysis for over 1000 targeted learners for products.
- Effectively implemented best training practices and adult learning principles in planning and creation of instructional materials
- Teamed with subject matter experts in evaluation and revision of training tools in order to continually improve learning platforms
- Collaborated with administrators to determine course objectives
- Reached out to vendors to evaluate available curriculums and associated materials
- Designed, implemented, and managed successful training programs to meet department and school needs
- Negotiated contracts and delivery plans with vendors
- Provided subject matter expertise on all courses, materials, and lesson plans
- Developed assessments and user polls to evaluate course effectiveness, altering content and delivery to achieve student learning goals
- Created curricula, research topics and conceptualized course format, subject matter and presentation
- Designed course materials and supported implementation
- Developed workforce training programs to improve organizational efficiency
- Delivered top-quality training documentation, manuals, and tools addressing needs of specific specialist groups
- Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines
- Demonstrated leadership skills in managing projects from concept to completion
Research Assistant STEM
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Collaborate with multiple higher education institutions to develop and design learning instruments funded by National Science Foundation grants, resulting in launching the product online
- Develop & execute a design-based research (DBR) study to translate science professional development into online for science educators’ instructors, resulting in 3 peer-reviewed publications
- Lead focus groups, observations & in-context interviews to understand the impacts of professional learning for science teachers
- For NSF-funded projects, conduct usability testing on 2 prototype educational products, resulting in the launch of 2 new products to market thus far.
Project Manager & Visiting Scholar
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
01.2020 - 01.2021
- Conducted research, in-context interviews, focus groups, surveys, and open-ended questionnaires & analyze data to prepare 2 policy reports on Remote Pandemic teaching and learning; presented findings in the webinar and educational policy conferences
- Managed a team of 5 undergraduate students to collect data and write the report.
STEM Specialist & Supervisor
Independent Schools
01.2015 - 01.2019
- Collaborate with educators to analyze student data and create teaching plans to meet the individual needs of students in classes with an average size of 25 students
- Monitored and analyzed data related to student outcomes and staff performance to create achievable action plans, implement strategies for programmatic improvements, and review science activities for developmental and instructional integrity for 1,000 different cases
- Applied adult learning principles to design for knowledge, skills, and motivation in following ADDIE to plan, coordinate and deliver 10+ train-the-trainer events and needs assessment creation
- Conducted GAP analysis by analyzing quantitative learner data to determine the effectiveness of the standardized training materials, which led to 10+ improved training materials and a positive learner experience
- Developed weekly lectures & hands-on learning activities for undergraduate & graduate students
- Translated complex theoretical concepts (such as critical pedagogy) into classroom practice
- Mentored & advised 35+ teachers, collaborated with the departmental team to foster student success.
Early Childhood Educator
Russian Hill school
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Wrote & taught curriculum, designed age-appropriate lesson plans for 3-5 years of students, organized daily activities.
Middle School Science Teacher
City School
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Led 100s students & 10 faculty on campus, organized events, and led curriculum writing for science.
Advisor
SMART LAB
06.2024 - Current
- Collaborating with the SMART LAB team to define a clear vision for the educational technology being developed, creating a strategic plan that outlines the steps needed to achieve the vision.
- Providing insights into how the technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing curricula, and ensuring that the technology is intuitive, accessible, and meets the diverse needs of its users.
Education
Ph.D. - STEM Education
University of Minnesota
Twin Cities, MN10.2024
M.Sc. - Genetics
University of Karachi
Karchi01.2010
B.Sc. - Human Physiology
University of Karachi
Karchi01.2008
Skills
- Presentations and public speaking
- Group facilitation
- Client Engagement
- Stakeholder Management
- Research abilities
- Training and mentoring
- Data Interpretation
- Strategic Planning
- Relationship Building
- Student Support
- School Programs Development
- Academic Support
- Multitasking Abilities
- Curriculum Development
Software
Salesforce
ATLAS
Confluence
Jira
Trello
NVivo
Timeline
Advisor
SMART LAB
06.2024 - Current
Director of STEAM Education
Project Scientist
02.2023 - Current
Project Manager & Visiting Scholar
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
01.2020 - 01.2021
Research Assistant STEM
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
01.2019 - 01.2022
STEM Specialist & Supervisor
Independent Schools
01.2015 - 01.2019
Early Childhood Educator
Russian Hill school
01.2013 - 01.2015
Middle School Science Teacher
City School
01.2011 - 01.2013
Curriculum Specialist
Age of Learning
- 12.2022
Ph.D. - STEM Education
University of Minnesota
M.Sc. - Genetics
University of Karachi
B.Sc. - Human Physiology
University of Karachi
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