Jennifer Nicholls, Ph.D. | Source | Chief Program Officer at For the Win Robotics

Commander Jennifer Nicholls brings a lifetime of experience driving innovative and inclusive STEM programming to her role as chief program officer. With a primary goal of dispelling the common misconception that "STEM is difficult" and empowering all students with the confidence to achieve, she has devoted her life to enriching STEM education for both students and educators. Having served in the Navy for 20 years and earning multiple degrees in aerospace engineering, as well as a Ph.D. in systems engineering, Jennifer possesses a vast reservoir of knowledge and expertise in the field. Driven by her deep passion for inspiring young minds, Jennifer chose to transition to the classroom. As a middle school math teacher and adjunct professor at The George Washington University, she revolutionized traditional teaching methods by crafting inventive and all-inclusive lesson plans. Her approach encouraged students to actively participate in hands-on activities, engage in critical thinking exercises and apply STEM concepts to real-world situations. Jennifer’s experience and drive to make a difference led her to Mathnasium, where she successfully grew two franchises and eventually went on to become the company’s corporate senior director of education and then vice president of learning center systems and training.

Jennifer joins FTW Robotics with a shared mission that drone-centered education can make STEM and computer science education fun for all learners, while promoting collaboration, critical thinking and curiosity -- essential skills today’s students need to become the workforce of the future.