Regional Coordinators

The STEP UP team has secured funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, with the hopes of recruiting 20% of physics teachers in three specific areas the school districts of New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; and Chicago, IL to implement the STEP UP curriculum and establish local physics teachers communities.

The three regions are selected purposefully since there is a large concentration of physics teachers in these areas who have not yet become involved in STEP UP, and their ability to support large numbers of young women studying physics.

Each region has a regional coordinator who, in collaboration with other program management team members, support the propagation and implementation efforts and play an important role in growing the teacher networks and uptake of STEP UP in each region.

If you have questions about the STEP UP Ambassador and Advocate program in these three regions, please contact the coordinators.



  • Elissa Levy

    Elissa Dunn Levy
    New York Regional Coordinator
    Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, STEMteachersNYC, Underrepresentation Curriculum, and STANYS
    Email Elissa Dunn Levy

  • Kori Bowns-Kamphuis

    Kori Bowns-Kamphuis
    Chicago Regional Coordinator
    Lindblom Math and Science Academy, FIRST Illinois Robotics
    Email Kori Bowns-Kamphuis

  • Praisy Poluan

    Praisy Poluan
    Los Angeles Regional Coordinator
    Edison High School, Academy of Sustainability and Engineering at EHS, Harvard PoLS-T Network, AVID
    Email Praisy Poluan