21ST ANNUAL SCIENCE FAIR & AWARDS CEREMONY
Executive Director ’ s Message
Dr . Ayodele Thomas
Dear Greene Scholars Friends ,
Thank you for joining us for the 21st Annual Greene Scholars Program Science Fair Awards Celebration , as we celebrate our 170 scholars , including 12 graduating seniors !
We are so excited to be back in-person for our science fair after two years of virtual events due to the pandemic . We thank our scholars , parent volunteers , judges and supporters for making our virtual fairs a success and preparing us for our in-person return .
The Greene Scholars Program continues to stand as an outstanding and exemplary STEM enrichment model for African American children in Silicon Valley and across the country . I am grateful to our founder Debra Watkins and to the long-time previous program director Gloria Whitaker-Daniels for establishing such a strong foundation during the first 14 years of the program . As the third director of the Dr . Frank S . Greene Scholars Program , I remain honored to lead alongside our amazing Board of Directors and build upon that powerful beginning . As both a parent of two Greene Scholars and a trained engineer , I am additionally honored to be in a position to inspire the children of our community and watch them learn , grow , and achieve as true scholars fully engaging in STEM . I desire for all of our scholars to graduate from GSP with supreme competence and confidence in their ability to engage with STEM , no matter which field they choose to pursue in college .
With 147 alumni and 12 more joining their ranks this year , GSP is consistently training the next generation of tech and community leaders . As we enter into this new programmatic year , I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you – our corporate supporters , our community volunteers , and most especially our outstanding scholars and parents . Our parents are simply amazing and provide the pivotal vision , effort , and leadership that make this program extraordinary . Thank you for your support and encouragement . Here is to a great event !
Sincerely ,
Ayodele Thomas , Ph . D .
Executive Director , Greene Scholars
Dr . Ayodele Thomas is the associate vice president for diversity , equity , inclusion and belonging in human resources at Stanford University . As a lecturer for more than a decade , she teaches a self-designed course for 1st year doctoral students focusing on the academic , psychosocial , financial and career issues that face graduate students . Ayodele earned her bachelor ’ s of electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology . She received her M . S . in electrical engineering , and was the first Black female to receive a Ph . D . in electrical engineering from Stanford University . Ayodele is married to Jonathan Thomas and they have two children .
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