Sanaz Farhangi
Sanaz began her career in polymer science and engineering in Iran while also teaching science in K-12 schools. As a woman in a male-dominated field, Sanaz experienced the industry's and scientific labs' unwelcoming attitudes towards women and became interested in the fact that many girls become disinterested in STEM fields early on and abandon the curiosity about the natural world.
In her Ph.D. work, she studied how and why this process happens systematically for some learners (women, students from underrepresented populations, and low economic background) and how educators can disrupt this pattern by mobilizing the learner's agency.
Her training in qualitative and quantitative research methods of learning sciences, in the tradition of cultural-historical and critical theories, has prepared her for designing, developing, and evaluating programs that promote social justice through education.
After completing her Ph.D., Sanaz joined Florida International University (FIU) to institutionalize FIU’s efforts to advance women, equity, and diversity among STEM faculty. She has been an instrumental part of designing, researching, implementing, and sustaining this program's activities.
Sanaz’s research has been published in Journal of Women & Minorities in Science & Engineering, Journal of College Science Teaching, Cultural Studies of Science Education, and Association for Women in Science Magazine.
