AlLisia Dawkins is a PhD student at Utah State University in the Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences department. She is a native of the Southside of Chicago and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Northeastern Illinois University located in Chicago, IL. A former Student Advocate and Mentor within GEAR UP Chicago, she has always had a passion for science and math education; it was within this role she discovered she wanted to make STEM education more equitable and accessible to under-resourced, underrepresented communities. Her current research interests include culturally disruptive STEM-based curricula, development of African American students’ STEM identities within formal and informal learning environments, and increasing the number of African American individuals pursuing a pathway in STEM careers. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, solving puzzles, and karaoke.