Tati Russo-Tait (she/her)

Dr. Tati leads the ACCESS lab, where she engages in interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects employing various methodological approaches to examine facets of equity and justice issues in biology and other fields in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.

Dr. Tati is a first-generation to college student who immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil in her late teens. She was a young mother and was unable to finish high school, but she eventually attained a GED, enrolled in community college, and transferred to the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She then attained a Master’s degree in Stem Cell Biology at San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. in STEM Education at University of Texas at Austin.

Before pursuing her Ph.D., Dr. Tati was a program director at the Center for Science and Math Education and instructional faculty in the College of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University. She taught undergraduate courses in biology and health equity, co-developed biology and social justice curricula, and led professional development workshops on student-centered teaching practices and equity issues in STEM. Her lived experiences as a biology student, and her subsequent work with minoritized students in STEM motivated her to pursue scholarship in the field so that she could contribute to the larger body of knowledge and national conversation on using asset-based and justice-oriented approaches to support STEM students and prepare equitable STEM educators.

Dr. Tati enjoys relaxing at the beach (or lake or river) with her partner and dogs. She loves spending time with her family and friends (usually near a kitchen where she or someone is making something yummy) surrounded by laughter, music, community, and love.