36 educators from 11 different states are joining the Institute for Research Experiences & Education’s 2026-2027 cohort of Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship.

Launched in 2023, the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship uses Xplorlabs to provide in-depth professional learning experiences alongside peers and leaders in education, as well as UL Research Institutes’ safety science experts. The yearlong program brings together an active cohort of secondary classroom and informal educators from across the country.

In mid-May, ULRI’s Institute for Research Experiences & Education welcomed the fellowship’s fourth cohort of educators, with two regional hubs based in Arizona and Pennsylvania thanks to partnerships with Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation and Penn Engineering’s Cora Ingrum Center for Community and Outreach.

Since its launch, the fellowship has grown significantly in size and impact. The 2023-24 cohort included 18 fellows across five states — reaching nearly 5,000 students. This new cohort will welcome 36 fellows across 11 states and is poised to reach nearly 10,000 students. In total, our 112 fellows have reached more than 30,000 students over the last three years.

Fellows don’t just use Xplorlabs once; many of them continue to engage with Xplorlabs, ULRI, and safety science even after their program concludes, multiplying the student impact every year.

To continue growing the fellowship’s impact, this year’s program will feature a new role for returning fellows, who will serve as mentors, model participants, and regional facilitation support. Five talented educators and former fellows will return to serve in this role with this year’s cohort.

As part of the program, all of the Xplorlabs Educator Fellows write about key learning moments, highlights, and successes using Xplorlabs in the classroom as well as the professional growth they experience through the fellowship. Their stories of innovation, passion, and impact are shared in an annual story collection.

Read stories and experiences from last year’s cohort

Welcoming the 2026-27 Xplorlabs Educator Fellows

Rosa Bockian: Phoenix, AZ

David Budai: Indio, CA

Anthony Buendia: Phoenix, AZ

Jerlita Buranday: Laveen, AZ

Marcia Butler: Philadelphia, PA

Ruben Carroll: Buckeye, AZ

Melissa Collins: Memphis, TN

Isabella Cornejo: Elgin, IL

Brent Cunningham: Waretown, NJ

Sam Daugherty: Canton, GA

Mia DeLaRosa: Glendale, AZ

Tim Foster: Dresher, PA

Fayiona Francis: Philadelphia, PA

Mandy Heal: Mesa, AZ

Tiffany Jones: Atlanta, GA

Raspreet Kaur: Phoenix, AZ

Anna Khawam: Chicago, IL

Belynda Laing: Canton, GA

Luisa Levine: Philadelphia, PA

Teresa Massey: Snellville, Georgia

Michael Matteo: Philadelphia, PA

Jeanene Nelson: Gunnison, CO

Theodora Nelson: Mesa, AZ

Acer Pitas-Pilo: Miles City, MT

Sydney Boone Robertaccio: Iliamna, AK

Emilie Rose: Roswell, GA

Nishant Sharma: Laveen, AZ

Shefali Sharma: Jersey City, NJ

Andrea Shirley: Tucson, AZ

Tamara Van Sickle: Yuma, AZ

Peyton Stuart: Philadelphia, PA

Katie Villier: Easley, SC

Shengjun Wang: Mesa, AZ

Brandt Webster: Canton, GA

Amanda White: Marietta, GA

Shonda Sylvester Williams: Lithonia, GA