The MNT-EC Executive Team
Jared Ashcroft
PI of Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC)
Professor at Pasadena City College
Jared Ashcroft is a Chemistry professor at Pasadena City College and the Center Director for the Micro Nano Technology Education Center, actively involved in bringing MNT technical education programs to community colleges. He earned his BS in Chemistry from Long Beach State and Doctorate in Chemistry from Rice University. His doctorate work and subsequent studies at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab focused on nano-based medical diagnostics and therapeutics. His current undergraduate research group focuses on using active learning in conjunction with remote instrumentation to increase success and engagement in science.
Billie Copley
Center Manager – Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC)
Billie is the center manager of the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC). She is the former project manager of Nano-Link: Center for Nanotechnology Education and a graduate of the Dakota County Technical College Nanoscience Technology program. Billie has been in the ATE community since 2011 and has worked with several other ATE centers and projects during her time with Nano-Link. She has her BS in Project Management from Minnesota State University – Moorhead. In her spare time, she enjoys being a rock hound and amateur wood building hobbyist.
Dominic Salerno
Dr. Dominic M. Salerno is a tenured assistant professor of biology at The Community College of Philadelphia. He also serves on the Biotechnology committee, which seeks to develop further training and research capabilities at CCP. He continues to pursue a program of research and training through grant funding and collaborations. Through a recent Department of Defense Grant, CCP Foundation Grant, and a Department of Education RISE (Raising Interest in Science and Engineering) Grant, he developed a research training course which aims to retain students in STEM fields of study as well as investigate the effectiveness of using a research based laboratory courses. Dr. Salerno has served as the academic coordinator of The Biomedical Technician Training Program since 2018. He serves as academic coordinator, mentor, and also trains students directly in the laboratory. He currently is (2021) serving as Co-PI on an NSF grant entitled “Expansion, Curriculum Evolution, and Enhancement of Biotechnician Training” which seeks to improve this already outstanding program.
Shari Liss
Shari Liss is Vice President of Global Workforce Development & Initiatives at SEMI. In this role, she oversees the work of the SEMI Foundation, a nonprofit arm of SEMI that focuses on Workforce Development programs and initiatives supporting more than 3,000 companies globally. Shari has more than 25 years of experience supporting education, career awareness and workforce development throughout the technology industry.
Under Shari’s leadership, the Foundation has launched numerous national and global workforce development initiatives and secured millions of dollars to fund programs that support industry image and awareness, welcome more women and people of color to the industry, and help veterans and those transitioning out of the military find careers in microelectronics. Shari has been instrumental in developing large-scale cross-sector partnerships that are working to bridge industry, education, and the workforce to address the industry’s critical workforce needs. This past February, Shari testified before Congress at the House Research and Technology Subcommittee hearing titled “Strengthening the U.S. Microelectronics Workforce,” where she made the case for increased industry visibility, stronger investments in K-12 STEM education, and a greater focus on inclusiveness in the industry.
Shari was formerly the CEO of Ignited, one of the nation’s most successful STEM teacher professional development organizations. Their work connected companies to classrooms throughout Silicon Valley and gave over 4,000 teachers and 3.2 million students more insights into the skills and experiences needed to succeed in STEM-oriented professions and companies.
Prior to Ignited, Shari was a teacher and curriculum developer, serving in a variety of positions with a focus on mathematics and at-risk students. She has developed an alternative school on the East Coast serving at-risk high school students, created curriculum for NASA and established a mathematics program for both gifted and challenged students in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Peter Kazarinoff
CO-PI Micro Nano Technology Education Center
Portland Community College
Peter is a full-time faculty member in Engineering and Engineering Technology at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. Peter earned a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Washington and a BA from Cornell University. He teaches courses in Engineering, Materials Science, and Manufacturing at Portland Community College. Teaching at a community college is his dream job. He is passionate about bringing a diverse group of problem-solving technicians into the workforce. Peter lives with two inquisitive daughters and a wonderful and supportive spouse.
Greg Kepner
CO-PI Micro Nano Technology Education Center
Greg Kepner, MEd, is a Co-Principal Investigator for the NSF-ATE Micro Nano Technology Education Center. He served for 5 years as Director/Principal Investigator of the NSF-ATE Midwest Photonics Education Center and as PI for an NSF project. He also served briefly as Co-PI for the OP-TEC center. In 2019, he retired from Indian Hills Community College where he served as the Department Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Department. He previously served IHCC as the Industrial Technology Coordinator and Robotics/Automation instructor. Greg has a Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Community College Leadership from Iowa State University, a BA Degree from Buena Vista University and an AA and AAS Degree in Electronics Technology from IHCC. He has experience as a senior field service engineer in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
Mel Cossette
Mel Cossette is the Executive Director/Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education funded Online Instructional Resources for Material Science Technology Education [formerly the National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education (MatEdU) housed at Edmonds College in Lynnwood, WA. She is also the PI for an NSF ATE project, Technician Education and Additive Manufacturing & Materials and a Co-PI on a newly funded NSF ATE Micro Nano Technology Education Center. Mel is an Alternate Commissioner for ABET through SME and a founding member of ABET's Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Council and has 20+ years of experience in manufacturing education focusing on technician education and workforce development. She has developed technician training programs for industry and educational institutions; serves on numerous committees and national boards; and worked in various industries and held administrative and faculty positions within the community and technical college system.
External Evaluation: Mume Collective
Jalil Mustafa Bishop
Antar A. Tichavakunda
Antar A. Tichavakunda is Associate Professor of Education at the University of California Santa Barbara. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Tichavakunda is a product of DC Public Schools. His first book, Black Campus Life: The Worlds Black Students Make at a Historically White Institution, is published with SUNY Press. Tichavakunda enjoys watching anime, eating soul food (especially savory grits), and writing in cafes. He is also an important part of the MNT-EC evaluation team.