Sonia Underwood
Associate Professor: Dr. Underwood joined FIU in January 2016 after working as a Research Associate at Michigan State University. Prior to that, she received her PhD in Chemistry focused on chemistry education from Clemson University and her BS degree in Chemistry from University of Central Florida. With all of the amazing unique aspects that FIU has to offer along with being born and raised in Florida, FIU was the perfect choice to call home! Underwood’s research area is focused on implementing and assessing curriculum transformation efforts using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Contact: sonia.underwood@fiu.edu
Graduate Student Researchers
Brianna Martinez
(August 2020 – Present): Bri earned her BS degree in Chemistry from Michigan State University in 2019. While an undergraduate she worked as a chemistry undergraduate learning assistant and research assistant. As a research assistant she investigated student learning of chemistry topics from online simulations and screencasts, synthesized and characterized organometallic frameworks, and explored how students used their chemistry knowledge to explain biological phenomenon. Bri is currently working on her Ph.D. in Chemistry with a Chemistry Education Track at Florida International University.
Giselle Castano
(August 2020 – Present): Giselle is graduate researcher pursuing her doctoral degree in Chemistry. She completed her undergraduate degree at FIU in Atmospheric Sciences and began her career post-graduation at the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Afterward, she transitioned into secondary STEM education, teaching AP Physics and Chemistry for three years. This experience led her to pursue graduate studies in Chemistry Education Research, where her work centers on understanding how chemists, both students and professionals, develop their disciplinary identities.
Kodi Nix
(August 2021 – Present): Kodi is currently working on her PhD in Chemistry, With a track in Chemistry Education at Florida International University. She earned her BS in Biochemistry at Georgia Tech in her home town of Atlanta, Ga, where she also began chemistry education research and developed her love of chemistry. While in undergrad, she focused on performing think aloud interviews and coding interview transcripts. Kodi hopes to expand her biochemistry knowledge and include it into Chemistry Education.
Undergraduate Student Researchers