Science for All Summit
Save the Date!
February 19-20, 2026
Friday Conference Center | Chapel Hill, NC
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center hosted the inaugural Science for All Summit in April 2023. We are already looking forward to hosting the fourth annual Summit on February 19 – 20, 2026.
The Summit is a community convening to advance access and opportunity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. The purpose of the Summit is to engage educators, practitioners, researchers, thought leaders, and other change agents in conversation and knowledge-building around emerging issues and innovative strategies related to advancing access in STEM. Putting these ideals into practice requires an intentional focus on creating authentic and adaptive environments while simultaneously cultivating a community that collaborates, innovates, and implements promising practices shown to effect sustainable change. At the Summit, we will provide opportunities to share new research findings, exchange resources, discuss strategies, and demonstrate effective practices and interventions.
Meet the Keynote Speakers
Dr. Connie Locklear (she/her)
Director of the Title VI Indian Education Program for the Public Schools of Robeson County, North Carolina
Dr. Locklear has spent her entire professional career in education. She has taught middle school, high school, and college-level mathematics. Dr. Locklear has served in many capacities; she has worked as a school-based curriculum specialist and a district-wide curriculum supervisor in the areas of mathematics and science.
Learn more about Dr. Connie Locklear…
Dr. Locklear spent many years working with the North Carolina Teacher Academy, where she provided professional development opportunities to teachers across the state. She has provided professional development at the local, regional, state, national, and international levels, where she had the honor to present at the World’s Indigenous Peoples Conference in 2014. Dr. Locklear has an undergraduate and a graduate degree in mathematics education, as well as an Educational Specialist and Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.
Dr. Locklear has served in many different capacities. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Student Service Enrichment Program, an appointed member by the North Carolina General Assembly for the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC), 1st Vice-President for the National Indian Education Board of Directors, and an advisory board member for the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity. She has also served as a member of the NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center Board, a member of the Intertribal Talking Circle Substance Abuse Prevention Native Youth Community Partnership Grant, and former Chairperson of the State Advisory Council on Indian Education. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of NC.
Dr. Jessica Hernandez (she/her)
Indigenous scholar, environmental scientist, and advocate based in the Pacific Northwest
Dr. Hernandez is internationally acclaimed for her groundbreaking work creating synergies among Indigenous science, traditional ecological knowledge, and Western science. Through her scholarship and advocacy, she champions climate and environmental justice while centering Indigenous sovereignty, rights, and knowledge systems.
Learn more about Dr. Jessica Hernandez…
Dr. Hernandez’s impact spans continents, with a focus on advancing Indigenous land rights and tenure in Latin America as well as in Eastern and Western Africa. As the founder of Earth Daughters, an Indigenous-led nonprofit, she leads transformative efforts to empower transnational Indigenous women and youth through mutual aid, climate justice, and grassroots organizing.
Dr. Hernandez is the best-selling author of the award-winning Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science. Her highly anticipated second book, Growing Papaya Trees: Nurturing Indigenous Solutions for Climate Displacement, will be published in November 2025.
In recognition of her visionary leadership at the nexus of science, advocacy, and Indigenous knowledge, Forbes named Dr. Hernandez one of the 100 most powerful and influential women in Central America.
Dr. Sarina Saturn (she/they)
Healing-Centered Neuroscientist turned Racial and Gender Equity Strategist, Community Advocate, Educator & Facilitator
Dr. Sarina Saturn (she/they; née Rodrigues) is a transdisciplinary scientist, educator, researcher, mentor, and anti-oppression community organizer dedicated to advocating for marginalized communities, including BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, and women.
Learn more about Dr. Sarina Saturn…
A CHamoru (Indigenous culture of the Mariana Islands) and Indian queer feminist leader and award-winning scholar-activist, Saturn’s work focuses on intersectional racial and gender equity, decoloniality, and the neuroscience of emotions, prosociality, stress, trauma, healing, and resilience.
She received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from New York University under the mentorship of Joseph LeDoux. Her dissertation focused on molecular, cellular, and behavioral studies of the amygdala, the key brain structure for emotional processing. She was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, under the guidance of Robert Sapolsky, where she investigated the role of stress hormones on the brain’s emotional circuitry. At the University of California, Berkeley, Saturn was a postdoctoral fellow in Dacher Keltner’s lab and here she began her attempts to bridge neuroscience and social psychology. Her current research investigates the biology underlying positive emotions, and her goals are to illuminate the roots and development of social well-being. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, National Public Broadcasting’s (NPR’s) Science Friday, Scientific American Mind, and other international outlets. She is excited to be a part of the ADVANCE team so that she can play a role in creating a supportive climate to help women scientists thrive at Oregon State University.
Location: 100 Friday Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
The two-day Summit will incorporate keynote presentations, workshops, breakout and poster sessions, and networking opportunities to encourage conversation and knowledge building.
The 2026 schedule will be released on a later date.
Online registration for the 2026 Summit will open on December 1, 2025. Join our mailing list to stay up to date on all Summit announcements.
The registration fee includes 2 continental breakfasts and 2 lunches as well as digital access to Summit resources including presenter slides and handouts. CEUs may be available for qualifying participants.
Registration Rates:
$85 student rate
$105 educator rate
$205 nonprofit and college/university rate
$305 corporate rate
Please download our flyer to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
We are grateful to the following individuals who are volunteering their time to serve on the 2026 Steering Committee.
Ashley Boyette
Aftercare and Enrichment Manager, Jewish Community Center
Keyma Clark, EdD
Personal and Professional Development Coach, Wake Forest University
Eisha Clyde
Founder and Executive Director, The HBCU STEMulUS
Linda Dion, NBCT
Program Coordinator, Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership
Crystal Harden, EdD
Director of Program and Strategic Engagement, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Trudie Henninger
Education Outreach Manager, The North Carolina Arboretum
Jamie Lathan, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Extended Learning, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Connie Locklear, EdD
Director of Indian Education, Public Schools of Robeson County
Alfred Mays
Chief Diversity Officer and Strategist, Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Stephani Page, PhD
Director of Strategic Initiatives, WEPAN – Women in Engineering ProActive Network
Josmell Perez
Director, Carolina Latinx Center
Keaundra Robinson
Equity Leadership and Strategy Coordinator, Durham Public Schools
Torri Staton, PhD
Director of Equitable Economic Development and Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Mark Townley
Assistant Director of Programs, Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership
Deanna Townsend-Smith, EdD
Senior Director, Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity
Megan Vinh, PhD
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
Accommodations are the responsibility of individual participants. We have reserved a block of room at the following hotels:
Courtyard by Marriott
100 Marriott Way
Chapel Hill NC 27517
Conference rate: $151 per night
Hampton Inn & Suites
6121 Farrington Road
Chapel Hill NC 27517
Conference rate: $151 per night
More information on reservations and deadlines will be available at a later date.
I am interested in submitting a proposal. How long will the workshops and sessions last and how many people will participate? Workshops will be 2 hours with a maximum of 25 participants, depending on the level of interest in the topic. Breakout sessions will be 1 hour with approximately 70-90 participants depending on the level of interest in the topic. There is also an option to submit a poster proposal for the 2026 Summit. Poster sessions will be incorporated within the schedule for ~30 minutes in the Friday Center lobby area.
What information is required to submit a proposal? You can preview all the questions on the proposal submission form proposal submission form.
Are there scholarships available to ensure the Summit is accessible and inclusive? Yes! Please complete our brief scholarship application prior to registering. You will be notified about your scholarship status in early December.
Where is the Friday Conference Center located? The address for the Friday Conference Center is 100 Friday Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517.
Please contact scienceforallsummit@unc.edu with general inquiries.
Please contact Andrew Amodei to discuss sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.
