Dr. Jennifer Veilleux is a geographer with a focus on internationally shared freshwaters research. Before coming to Tulane, Veilleux worked for nineteen years on water security, development, and management in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She has consulted with foreign governments, tribal governments, traditional societies, international non-governmental organizations, and the US Government as well as worked for Oregon State University and Florida International University. Veilleux is a former Boren Fellow. She is also a professional photographer and visual artist.

Dr. Alireza Shirvani received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from University of Kentucky. His research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Game Development.

Marguerite Sheffer, Ed.D., joins the Taylor Center as a Professor of Practice & Associate Director of Design Thinking for Social Impact. Dr. Sheffer holds an EdD in Educational Leadership and has a decade of experience as a K-12 educator in California and Louisiana. In her most recent position as Director of Impact at TrueSchool, Dr. Sheffer developed adult education curriculum, facilitated design thinking trainings, and managed and coached diverse cohorts of educators from across the United States. As the Associate Director of Design Thinking for Social Impact, Dr.

Keena Kareem is a native of New Orleans and an alumna of Tulane University, earning a B.S. in geology and the Harold E. Vokes undergraduate student award.  She earned a Ph.D. in geology from Louisiana State University before moving to industry.  She worked as an exploration and development earth scientist at Chevron for 10 years in Deep Water and Onshore basins. After leaving Chevron she embarked on a career in teaching, since academia has always been her passion.

Cathy Gray spent the first 18 years of her career as a CPA in Nashville, where she gained experience in public accounting, insurance regulation and business management in the city’s flourishing music and entertainment industry. She comes to the Freeman School from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, where she served as a lecturer of accounting and finance. Gray holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi and is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Analytics at the University of South Alabama.

I received my PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2011 doing research on signal transduction in plants. I have taught for several years and am particularly interested in ways to support diversity and inclusion in my classes.