The AIMS Research Fellowship is provided to doctoral students in STEAM education fields to work alongside us in our projects with educators, community members, and youth. AIMS Research Fellows develop stronger research skills and approaches, work with our partner practitioners, present at conferences, and prepare publications. In sponsoring this program, we hope to support emerging scholars in developing practice-based approaches to research that center equity in the collaborative design of STEAM learning spaces, pedagogies, programs, research, and communities of innovation.
The AIMS Research Fellowship is provided to doctoral students in STEAM education fields to work alongside us in our projects with educators, community members, and youth. AIMS Research Fellows develop stronger design and research skills, collaborate with us monthly, work with our partner practitioners, present at conferences, and prepare publications. In sponsoring this program, we hope to support emerging scholars in developing practice-based approaches to research in the collaborative design of STEAM learning spaces, pedagogies, programs, research, and communities of innovation.
Codesign maker experiences for youth and adults
Support the design and development of our first teacher cohort in summer 2026
Codesign interactive STEAM exhibits for family/community engagement in early childcare centers across California
Average 5 hours per week
Meetings twice monthlyCompensation
$1,000 monthly paid directly to fellow
Eligible candidates for this program are middle/late-stage students enrolled in a research-based doctoral program at an accredited U.S. institution. We welcome candidates who draw on a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives and interests, including early childhood education, maker education, professional learning, teacher education, mathematics and science education, learning sciences, constructionist and constructivist approaches, and cognitive science, among others.
Applicants should take some time to get to know our projects, research interests, and partnerships. Be sure to review our core values, our history as an organization, and our strategic goals. To apply, please submit the following materials to the online submission system.
A narrative summary of your research interest that addresses the following: What is the purpose or aim of your research? How does your research, scholarship, and community engagement align with the mission and vision of AIMS? What will it contribute to the field and to society? (maximum 500 words)
An updated Curriculum Vitae
Unofficial copy of your most recent transcript
Letter of recommendation from your doctoral advisor, including confirmation of eligibility for the Fellowship.
Please direct any questions to Paul Reimer at paul@aimscenter.org.
Lora Cawelti is a learning scientist interested in learning and identity, how individual learning pathways are affected by social, cultural, and community contexts, and how learners overcome systemic barriers. She is also interested in designing for arts and STEAM learning that is rooted in inclusive, culturally sustaining pedagogies. Lora's background as a performing artist, teaching artist, and nonprofit arts administrator informs her research agenda where she prioritizes community engaged research and participatory design with students and community members. In her work with Creativity Labs and the Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine, Lora explored transdisciplinary arts and science practices in a range of learning contexts, supported the development of the Connected Arts Learning report, and worked with state network partners toward strengthening connected STEM learning ecosystems. Lora teaches undergraduate and graduate students in CalArts' new arts education focus. She earned her Ph.D. in Education from UC Irvine, M.A. degrees in Education from UC Irvine and Pepperdine University, and holds a B.A. in Music and English from the University of Hawaii.
Alvir Sangha is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His work bridges student learning and instructor practice. One line of research examines how undergraduates use visuospatial strategies to reason with chemical representations and how to design fair, bias-aware assessments. Another focuses on instructor professional development, equipping instructors to model spatial thinking to support students in STEM contexts. His goal is to make STEM learning more equitable and accessible for diverse learners. Alvir is currently a research fellow with the AIMS Center for Math and Science Education, collaborating on a project that introduces students to 3D printing as a context for developing spatial reasoning skills.
Hannah Smith is a Ph.D. candidate in the Learning Sciences & Technologies program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her research focuses on both the student and teacher aspect of learning. Her first line of research aims to identify the best ways to present learning materials to students in online environments. Her second line of research focuses on teacher professional development and how we can train teachers to be more confident when teaching STEM and give them the tools to do so. Together, she aims to make STEM learning more accessible to both students and teachers. She is currently working as a research fellow with the AIMS center, focusing on a STEM professional development program for Head Start teachers. Learn more on her website: https://tiny.cc/hannahsmith
Celeste Moreno is a third-year Ph.D. student at the ATLAS Institute at CU Boulder. She is a part of the Creative Communities research group, where she designs and studies creative learning experiences for learners of all ages that combine tools and ideas from multiple disciplines, such as computing, art, and science. She is currently focusing on on designing “computational tinkering” experiences that aim to engage learners in informal learning spaces in creative, social, and interdisciplinary approaches to computing and studying the facilitation practices that make those experiences possible.
Eli is currently a Master’s student in the Learning Science and Human Development cluster within Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education, working with Dr. Dor Abrahamson in the Embodied Design Research Lab, as well as the Berkeley Center for New Media. He is interested in contemplative learning at scale in the digital age, and how to support students in multimodal, embodied participation in learning contexts through novel educational approaches using tangibles and new media. Eli’s research focuses on clay as an expressive medium for surfacing pre-symbolic meaning-making, exploring the felt dimension of learning and the relationship between sensory modalities.
Brittany Caldwell is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Department of Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Her research focuses on children’s early mathematics learning, English language learners, and supporting mathematics learning through play. Having taught in a preschool herself, Brittany also has years of practical experience in the classroom. Recently, she has collaborated with the Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning (CITL) at UCSC to develop a peer-mentorship program in the Education department. Brittany lives with her husband and two young daughters in beautiful Santa Cruz, California.
Meghan Macias is a 2nd-year PhD student at UC Santa Barbara. She received B.A.’s in Psychology and Education from UC Irvine in 2016. Prior to starting her PhD, she worked as a preschool teacher at a Montessori school in Orange County, CA. Her research focuses on early childhood science education, learning through play, and teacher education and professional development. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA.
Leah Rosenbaum is a 4th-year PhD student in UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education. She studies Learning Sciences and Human Development with a focus on mathematics education. Leah’s primary research interest is in tangible and play-based learning activities as a means for learners to concretely explore and describe math concepts. Currently, this interest in manifested in the design and evaluation of a body-scale, collaborative geometry game (think Twister meets DanceDanceRevolution for geometry) that was recently installed at the Lawrence Hall of Science as a visiting exhibit. She lives with her husband and their dog in Berkeley, California.
Jim Gribble is a Ph.D. student and M.Ed Technology instructor with the Teacher Education Program at UCSB. His research has focused on the impact of block-based computer coding on the communication and academics of children with autism. Jim is currently designing and researching a way for children to learn how to code in virtual reality in informal spaces (such as the MOXI museum and Maker Faires) and collaborating with Computer Science departments in Oulu and Tampere, Finland to design digital games for children with exceptionalities. Jim is a former K-2 teacher and technology coordinator. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA with his wife and newborn baby.
Alexis Deidre Spina is a third year doctoral student, focusing on Math Education. She received her B.A. in Physics Education from the University of Delaware in 2007, and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary Science Education from the University of Delaware in 2009. Prior to starting her PhD, Alexis taught high school math and science for ten years. Currently, her research interests are professional development for in-service mathematics teachers and preparing pre-service mathematics teachers. Alexis is a member or our GSAE, a CTERIN fellow, and an instructor at UCSB. She lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband and dog.
Aims Center for Math and Science Education
