Meet the Team Northwestern University | School of Education & Social Policy

The OCEP staff includes education researchers, scientists, curriculum development specialists, software developers, and experienced K-12 educators. Our diverse base of knowledge, experience, and skills allows us to develop and sustain creative programs and initiatives, engage diverse stakeholders, build and sustain partnerships, and bridge the research, practice, and service missions of the University to benefit the community.

Nichole Pinkard

OCEP Faculty Director, Alice Hamilton Professor of Learning Sciences

Pinkard (PhD98), one of the first graduates of SESP's Learning Sciences PhD program, focuses on creating supportive learning spaces, both on and offline and spearheading collaborations through OCEP. She is the founder of the Digital Youth Network (DYN), and in 2014 received the Northwestern University Alumni Association Alumni Merit Award. She delivered the keynote speech during the 2016 SESP graduate convocation ceremony.

Emily Ferrin

Interim Assistant Dean for Community Education Partnerships

Ferrin oversees and manages the development and administration of OCEP programs and partnerships. She works in collaboration with faculty, staff, community partners and school districts to advance the research, capacity-building, and community partnership goals of OCEP, SESP, Northwestern, and partner organizations. Ferrin has been a part of OCEP since 2013 working various roles. Most recently she was the director of programs, working to operationalize and execute on organizational strategy. For many years previous she was the program director and resident scientists for for the Baxter Center for Science Education. Ferrin earned a bachelor's degree from Marlboro College and a PhD from Dartmouth College.

Natalie Bueno

Program and Partnership Coordinator

Natalie works with the Baxter Center for Science Education to develop OCEP’s partnership with Baxter International Inc. and Round Lake Area Schools. Natalie is excited to share her passion for STEM at the Baxter Center’s newest location, Round Lake High School, and Northwestern. In working with OCEP, Natalie promotes equity in STEM education by supporting teacher professional development, providing authentic STEM experiences for students, and developing community partnerships in Lake County. She earned a bachelor's degree in neurobiology and a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Hailey Cox-Montijo

Program Assistant for Evanston Education Partnerships

Hailey is the program assistant at OCEP for Evanston education partnerships. She supports the Northwestern University-Evanston Township High School (ETHS) Partnership Office and the Northwestern-D65 Partnership Office. She works out of the NU-ETHS partnership office located at ETHS and supports school-based and campus activities between the Evanston school districts and community partners, with time also spent on the Northwestern Evanston campus working with the OCEP team. Hailey has previously worked as the principal’s assistant at ETHS. She has a bachelor’s of science in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University with a major in Human Development & Psychological Studies, and minors in Sociology and Gender & Sexuality Studies.

Jen Lewin

Northwestern University-Evanston-Skokie School District 65 Partnership Coordinator

As partnership coordinator with our local K-8 school district, Evanston-Skokie School District 65, Jen facilitates partnership opportunities between Northwestern and District 65. Jen has experience in formal and informal education, most recently working as a middle school science teacher and science coach in the Chicago Public Schools. She has a bachelor's degree in biology from Loyola University, a master's in teaching and learning from DePaul University, and a master's in educational technology from Michigan State University.

Kristen Perkins-LaFollette

Northwestern University - Evanston Township High School Partnership Coordinator

Kristen serves as partnership coordinator for the NU/ETHS Partnership Office. She works to facilitate collaboration between Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University in order to enhance the educational experience of all students at both NU and ETHS. Kristen taught science at Roberto Clemente High School in Chicago and was the 2007 Teacher-in-Residence in the School of Education and Social Policy. She has published and presented with the International Conference on Learning Sciences (ICLS), the National Association of Science Teachers (NSTA), and the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). Kristen graduated from Purdue University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in biology education.

Sachin Pradhan

Software Developer

Sachin is the lead software developer for the Baxter Center for Science Education (BCSE) and the Computational Thinking in STEM (CT-STEM) projects. He earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Washington in 2006.

Gulnura Sultanova

Program Assistant

Gulnura is a program assistant at the OCEP. She supports the OCEP programs and projects by processing purchase requests and assuring the team members have resources they need for successful collaboration and quality work. Gulnura has previously worked as a science teacher in middle school. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from Roosevelt University and aspires to pursue a master’s degree in higher education. Gulnura speaks four languages other than English and enjoys watching sunsets in the city by the Michigan Lake.

Natalie Turner

Administrative Aid

Natalie is an administrative aid with the OCEP office. She supports the OCEP team on projects that include the preparation, advertisement, and data organization of and for many of OCEP’s community programs and partnerships, specifically the Baxter Center for Science Education (BCSE). Natalie is a current Weinberg undergraduate studying neuroscience.

Ashley Walter