Allison Scott 500

Dr. Allison Scott is the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI). The Level Playing Field Institute (www.lpfi.org) is an Oakland, CA-based non-profit organization that operates STEM programs for low-income middle and high school students of color-- the Summer Math and Science Honors Academy (SMASH) and SMASH: Prep—and conducts research on barriers to pursuing and persisting in STEM. Dr. Scott’s research agenda examines student perceptions of barriers and stereotypes within STEM fields, the double-bind facing female students of color in pursuing STEM education, and the effectiveness of LPFI’s STEM intervention programs. In addition, Dr. Scott is the Principal Investigator for a National Science Foundation CE21 grant to develop and implement an AP computer science preparatory sequence within the SMASH Academy to increase the number of underrepresented students taking AP Computer Science. Dr. Scott also participates on several advisory boards and task forces, including the Social Science Advisory Board for the National Center for Women in Technology, the NSF-sponsored “STEM for All” taskforce. Previously, Dr. Scott has conducted research examining educational inequity at the Education Trust-West. Dr. Scott holds a Ph.D. in Education from U.C. Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hampton University.