Dr. Calvin Briggs, 1994 graduate and former trustee of Clark Atlanta University, is the Founder & Executive Director for the Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM. Dr. Briggs formerly served as the Director of the Center of Excellence in STEM and mathematics educator in Birmingham, AL. Dr. Briggs seeks to “Create New Possibilities in STEM career pathways for all Students, “specifically, the underserved and underprepared. In his role with the Southern Center, Dr. Briggs seeks to “build capacity” through programmatic, policy, and funding guidance; increasing sustainability and effectiveness of STEM programs. Securing more than $7.0 million in STEM grant funding from the National Science Foundation to increase underrepresented minorities in STEM career pathways

Dr. Briggs advocates for impactful STEM policy and broadly disseminates “Best Practices” in STEM student recruitment, retention, success, and leadership through ongoing committee and board assignments such as the Alabama Mathematics Science and Technology Coalition (AMSTEC), the Understanding Interventions Advisory Board, and the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences National Forum. Most notably, serving as a member of the Alabama Governor’s Advisory Council for Excellence in STEM (ACES) and a member of the Alabama State Mathematics Course of Study Committee, Dr. Briggs contributed to the development and adoption of the “Alabama Roadmap to STEM Success: A Strategic Plan for STEM Education” and the 2019 Alabama State Mathematics Course of Study,” respectively. As a newly appointed member to the Alabama STEM Council Dr. Briggs believes “It is essential that we equip, elevate, and enrich our students, faculty, and institutional leadership with the necessary tools to advance degree completion, specifically, STEM career pathways.