Dr. Michole Washington is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, conducting space education research in partnership with NASA. Her current work focuses on NASA’s SCoPE (Science Mission Directorate Community of Practice for Education) project, part of NASA's Science Activation (SciAct) portfolio. In this role, she investigates how NASA-funded SciAct Teams across the country recruit and engage NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to support education and outreach initiatives. This research builds on her previous collaborations with NASA, where she developed frameworks for engaging diverse K-12 communities in NASA missions and projects, contributing to over half a million dollars in summer programming funding for students at HBCUs and MSIs.
At the core of Dr. Washington’s research is The Space Outside of the Box: Fostering Fugitivity for Black Girls in STEM through Endarkened Storywork, a dissertation that reimagines STEM education by centering the generational knowledge of Black women. Through this framework, she explores creative, culturally nuanced approaches to STEM topics, enabling learners to redefine STEM spaces in ways that resonate with their identities. Dr. Washington recently presented this research at the 2025 Joint Mathematics Meeting, where she discussed its intersections with AI development, algorithmic bias, and math education for Black students. Her innovative educational projects also include SpaceBox, an Afrofuturistic STEM escape room that merges storytelling, game-based learning, and STEM concepts into an immersive experience.
Additionally, Dr. Washington co-wrote ASU and Complexly’s Study Hall YouTube series, crafting real-world math problems grounded in culturally relevant narratives. One notable episode explores set theory through Jamaican and Filipino heritages, offering a refreshing alternative to traditional, unrealistic word problems. Her speculative fiction writing, inspired by Afrofuturistic icons like Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin, complements her educational work by exploring how small shifts in reality can transform entire societies, further reflecting her commitment to reimagining STEM spaces as inclusive and transformative environments.
