Our Team

Dr. Kelley T. Lê

Program Director

Dr. Lê has been in the educational field for a decade as a high school science educator, instructional coach, consultant, and educational leader. She comes to UCISP from the UCI CalTeach Math & Science Program where she served as a coordinator, lecturer, and program designer. Her prior roles include being the CA science instructional specialist for a program authored by the Lawrence Hall of Science, curriculum consultant for the UCLA Curtis Center, and program designer and facilitator for the UCLA Science Project. She currently develops and facilitates programs in the areas of climate change education, nanoscience, next-generation science, transformative coaching, and mentoring. Kelley is also the author of the book, “Teaching Climate Change for Grades 6-12: Empowering Science Teachers to Take on the Climate Crisis Through NGSS (2021).” Dr. Le serves as an executive committee member for the UC-CSU ECCLPs initiative, board member for Ten Strands, Climate Reality Corps Leader, and was one of hundreds to support the framework development for Action for Climate Empowerment National Strategy for the United States.

Kelley attended Leuzinger High in the inner city of Los Angeles, and is a first-generation student. She received her educational training from UCLA’s Center X Teacher Education Program, and UCLA Educational Leadership Program (ELP). Her love of science comes from her resilient mother who immigrated from Viet Nam as a refugee, and currently works for Boeing. Whenever there’s an opportunity, Kelley loves laying low in Maui with her family, expressing herself through dancing hula, and indulging in a cup of boba milk tea. She currently resides in the South Bay with her husband (who is also a high school math teacher in the inner cities), and two young boys who are already EJ advocates.

Email: Kelley.Le@uci.edu

Dr. Jennifer Cao

Associate Director

Dr. Cao has been in the educational field for over a decade as a middle school science teacher, educational technology coach, and educational leader.  She is passionate with working in schools with learners from low socioeconomic statuses and ethnically diverse backgrounds. She also currently serves as an instructor and supervisor in the CalTeach program at University of California, Irvine (UCI). She is a proud UCI alumni and holds a B.S. in Biological Science as well as a Master of Art in Teaching. Jennifer earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Cal State University of Fullerton and her dissertation publication, “Effects of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy on Latino Student Engagement and Content Mastery in Physical Science (2016)” supports her facilitation and program design vision. She loves being active outdoors, trying out new places to eat, and experiencing others’ culture by traveling the world.

Email: CaoJP@uci.edu

Gabrielle Camacho

Associate Director

Gabby brings with her a wealth of teaching, leadership, and mentoring knowledge and experience. She is an alumni of UCI’s CalTeach Math & Science Program and holds a B.S. in Biology/Education and M.A. in Education, Teaching and Learning from UC Irvine. Gabby holds expertise in developing NGSS integrated curriculum and supported Northwood High School mentors as a CalTeach Team Lead working with pre-service science educators. While she specializes in biology, she currently teaches Integrated Science at NHS and supports the school’s WASC committee for accreditation. She is also the lead for Marine Science and serves as the Orange County Academic Decathlon coach.

Lilly Lopez

Program Coordinator

Lilly Lopez is a recent graduate from UCLA with a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies and a minor in Conservation Biology. Since then has worked as a naturalist for the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy, where she has helped implement educational outreach programs and helped manage their two nature centers. In addition, she has also collaborated in various community-based research projects and internships that have focused on the ecological composition of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and surrounding areas.

Lilly’s passion for environmental justice and climate change has led her to inspire individuals to be active members of environmental movements within their own communities. Some of her favorite hobbies include backpacking, camping, and running throughout the South Bay!

Shaun Ho

Program Facilitator

Shaun is in his 28th year teaching high school and is currently teaching Integrated Math 2 and AP Calculus at Chaffey High School in Ontario.  He holds a B.S. in Biology from UC San Diego, a Master’s degree in Education from Claremont Graduate University, and credentials for both biology and mathematics.  Shaun has taught every high school math level, from Algebra 1 and Integrated Math 1 up through AP Calculus.  He has also taught Biology, Anatomy/Physiology, and AP Biology (13 years) and currently remains a national AP Biology reader (including during the 2020 online adapted test in response to COVID-19 closures).

Shaun recently left a position where he helped to lead the transition into developing an NGSS-aligned curriculum for Biology as well as a Common Core-aligned curriculum for Integrated Math 2. He experienced a new-found fervor in teaching the life science curriculum through units centered around anchoring phenomena and guiding students to develop their own anchoring questions to drive the learning process, utilizing the growing resources for lessons based on climate change data. Seeing the students become more engaged in the learning process, especially through the development of a digital interactive notebook, invigorated him to seek more involvement in this process. He is currently working to help shape similarly modeled units within his math department. During his free time, Shaun loves to tend his garden to grow fruits and vegetables for his family, take care of his numerous pets with his kids, travel, go camping, watch and play sports, read, and just hang out with his wife and kids.

Yvonne Lopez

Program Facilitator

Yvonne is entering her 17th year as science teacher at San Gabriel High School. She loves teaching an elective physiology course as well as a biology course dedicated to immigrant students. As a daughter of immigrant parents, it seems like a perfect fit. She is also the science department chair and has worked for the Alhambra District in many capacities. A few roles include being a Mentor Teacher for the Induction Program & she was the WASC Focus Leader for instruction. She’s been involved in multiple committees such as the Common Core CADRE, Professional Development Committee & English Language Learner Committee.

She’s originally from a small town in northern California called Hollister. She moved to Long Beach State to complete her  B.S. in Human Development with a minor in Biology and Human Resource Management. Yvonne is also an alumni from the University of Southern California – Fight On!  There she received her Teaching Credential and Master in Art in Teaching. As teaching about the human body is always front and center, Yvonne appreciates anything having to do with sports & fitness. Running, cycling, walking her dog & yoga are her current hobbies. Her beautiful children & husband do an incredible job of keeping her life in balance with lots of love, laughter & faith. 

Monica Maynard

Program Facilitator

Monica is the Science TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) for the Montebello Unified School District. She has been with the district for 14 years teaching high school courses in Geology, Earth Science, General Science, AP Environmental Science and Introduction to Engineering. In its inception, Monica was the lead teacher for the Engineering Pathway and also served as the EL Facilitator at one of the comprehensive high schools. Most recently as a TOSA, Monica has been involved in guiding the district-wide adoption of new instructional materials and facilitating the implementation of the K-12 Environmental Literacy Program, in collaboration with SEER (Science Education and Environment Roundtable).  

Monica is currently a graduate student at CSULA pursuing a Master’s Degree in Environmental Hydrogeology with a GIS Certificate. Monica’s collaborative and investigative nature has earned her a part-time position at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, where she serves as the STEM Coordinator and has developed two educational outreach programs for teachers and high school students that have been running since 2013. Monica enjoys traveling, running/hiking, and loves spending time with her family.

Dr. Mahya Babaie

Program Facilitator

Marianna has been a public school teacher for over 20 years in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.  She earned her Biological Sciences degree and a teaching credential from UCI.  She has a master’s in Educational Leadership and preliminary administrative credential from CSUN.  She has taught rising middle school through high school students in science, math, and robotics.  Currently, she teaches Introductory Computer Science, PLTW Automation and Robotics, and 8th-grade science at Lincoln Middle School.  As an instructional leader, she has been an instructor, coach and mentor in helping move her district forward with NGSS implementation. Initially, supporting colleagues and the Board of Education in understanding the instructional shifts called out by the NGSS and then through PD focused on the SEPs. Marianna is a mentor for the UCLA CalTeach Program and a teaching application instructor at the UCLA Nanoscience Institute.

Marianna takes the exciting educational opportunities space science provides for the NGSS instructional shifts seriously. She has conducted experiments aboard a Zero-g flight and even applied to be a NASA Astronaut. Marianna resides in Culver City with her husband and is fortunate to have her two young adult children at home since the quarantine. Marianna enjoys gardening, sewing, pottery, cooking, swimming, as well as MIG and TIG welding. Her favorite drive is the 395 exploring and camping in the Eastern Sierra or anywhere her husband does astrophotography.

Adam Woods

Program Facilitator

Adam is moving into his 15th year of Science & Engineering teaching at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana, CA.  Over the course of his career, he has taught Earth Science, AP Environmental science, and CTE PLTW Engineering.  Adam has spent the past 6 years developing and maintaining the first Aerospace Engineering Pathway in Orange County, which consists of 3 successive Engineering courses designed to better prepare underrepresented students for STEM majors at the college level.  In addition, he recently completed the UCI Computer Science teaching supplemental and is working to better incorporate CompSci into his Engineering courses.  Adam’s passion for STEM education includes a deep commitment to leveling the playing field for young women pursuing Engineering or Computer Science.  He advises two on-campus clubs, “Cal Poly Pomona Femineers” and “Girls Who Code”, both with the goal of closing the gender gap in technical professions.  Looking into the future, Adam hopes to one day implement Environmental Engineering at his school site and create a synergetic Aerospace, Environmental & Computer Science Academy.

When he is not teaching, Adam is busy raising 2 young daughters and getting outside in nature as much as possible.  A Southern California native, his favorite activities include camping, backpacking, surfing, mountain biking and climbing.  One long term goal of his is to eventually become an all-around mountaineer, capable of summiting mountains the likes of Rainier and Shasta (but his wife might have different plans).  Favorite locations for travel include Olympic National Park, Tahoe and Joshua Tree National Park.