In my current position as an Assistant Professor of STEM Education, I teach two new classes I developed (Introduction to STEM Education and Design Thinking in Schools and Communities) and supervise the STEM Education minor I created in collaboration with faculty from other STEM disciplines, industry partners and informal STEM educators. Through grant and donor funding, I was able to get a makerspace built where I collaborate with mechanical engineering faculty to provide hands-on experiences in STEM and Design Thinking. I also teach classes in science, math and STEM teaching methods for prospective teachers. My research focuses on integrating formal and informal educational spaces, both physical and conceptual, to increase equitable teaching and learning in STEM experiences. I am currently focusing on makerspaces, both in schools and neighborhoods. I have reached out to my community and am able to serve and consult with several organizations and schools. While a graduate PhD student in science education at the University of Colorado Denver, my classmates and I were asked in one of our courses “If your research is not improving things for people, then what is it for?” This sentiment has guided me in my research pursuits. In teaching and research, my advisor Dr. Geeta Verma, would always bring me and others along regarding access to and brokering of information, relationships and opportunity. I have brought that habit with me in my current tenure-track position and have included student feedback and suggestions in designing courses and curriculum, sponsoring undergraduate research students, and asking students to publish with me. I continue to grow and develop as a scholar due to my time at CU Denver.