CORE Administrative Team
Audrey Breland
CORE Program Director
Greetings. I am honored to lead the Office for Equity and Diversity Community Outreach, Retention, and Engagement Program. In my first year, I am excited to fully embrace the collaboratively designed vision for a K-12 STEM ecosystem at the University of Minnesota. I bring a broad spectrum of K-12 experience to CORE as I served as assistant vice principal of teaching and learning at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Elementary School in Abu Dhabi, UAE; assistant principal at Aiken Middle School in Aiken, SC; dean of Richland One Middle College at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, SC; and a high school English teacher at Columbia High School in Columbia, SC, and Walterboro High School in Walterboro, SC. I graduated from Walterboro High School in Walterboro, SC, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia, in interdisciplinary studies as well as a master’s degree in teaching and another in education administration from USC.
Seth Thompson
Engineering Workforce Development Program Manger, NSF ERC Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio)
Keisha Varma
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology; Deputy to the Vice President and Associate Vice President for Equity and Diversity and Faculty Development, Office for Equity and Diversity
CORE Programs Team
Delina Brown-Jackson
Program Manager
As a Minnesota native, Delina began her education pathway at the University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities with her Bachelors degree in Psychology, with a minor in African American Studies. After working in education compliance for many years, Delina decided to pursue her Master of Arts degree in Counselor Education at the College of Education and Human Development at UMN. As a recent graduate, she is now the Program Manager for CORE.
In this role, Delina is able to continue her increasing passion for working closely with students to support their career, academic, and personal development. When she’s not event planning, Delina enjoys reading fiction novels, spending time with her family, and trying new food recipes from Pinterest.
CORE Grad Assistants
Marisa Peczuh (she/her/hers)
University Partner Coordinator
Marisa (Isa) is a PhD student in the Psychological Foundations of Education program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Prior to coming to Minnesota, she was an AmeriCorps member with City Year in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2020, she graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York with majors in Education and Psychological Science. Throughout these experiences, Isa has been passionate about supporting students’ social and emotional well-being and contributing to more equitable education environments. She is currently interested in researching how out-of-school programs can help middle and high school students develop a STEM identity in a culturally-relevant way.
Isa grew up in Willington, Connecticut and visited Minnesota for the first time when she moved in summer 2021. When she’s not working, she enjoys playing basketball, hiking, going to craft fairs, and eating sweet treats around the Twin Cities.
Nawal Maxamed (she/her/hers)
Family Liaison
Nawal recently graduated in 2022 from the University of Minnesota with bachelors in Biology, Society, and Environment and Human Physiology. When she is not working with CORE, she works full time at Lions Gift of Sight as a Donor Coordinator arranging the retrieval of corneas for transplant surgeries. With a heavy background in STEM, Nawal has been passionate to lead a new generation of students into STEM careers. As a first generation college graduate, Nawal is interested in helping first gen and underrepresented middle and high schoolers with a pathway to a STEM career and provide support in their journey in applying and enrolling to college.
Nawal grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota and when she is not working, she loves to read and meet her goal of 100 books per year. She also likes to try out new restaurants in the metro and wants to travel in the future.
Otiti Mayo (she/her/hers)
Marketing & Branding Coordinator
Otiti Mayo, B.S, is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota. Upon receiving her degree in Neuroscience and Spanish Language Studies, Otiti immersed herself in the world of STEM engagement via the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) Outreach program before later joining Team CORE as a CBS Outreach Liaison and CORE Marketing Assistant. In addition to her work with CORE, Otiti is a research assistant in the Bioecology, Self-regulation, & Learning (BSL) Lab where she leverages our understanding of psychophysiological processes to study how internal and external social pressures shape child development outcomes among individuals with multiple, intersecting marginalized identities. Her belief in equity and dismantling systems of oppression is what motivates Otiti to matriculate into a Medical-Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and achieve broader social justice impacts within healthcare systems.
In her spare time, Otiti enjoys roller skating, sun-bathing with her foster cats, and watching video essays. She also runs a home-baking business and is currently in pursuit of the perfect apple pie recipe.