Zulaika Shamshieva is a nationally and internationally recognized STEM educator and advocate with over a decade of teaching experience. Originally from Kyrgyzstan, Zulaika became the first girl in her village to earn a master’s degree, and is deeply committed to educational equity and student empowerment. Zulaika is an alumna of the TechWomen program of the U.S. Department of State, a STEM Research Grant recipient from the Society for Science, and has been recognized as a STEM Gender Champion by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In the classroom she combines literacy, inquiry, and innovation to empower students through research, science competitions, and authentic problem-solving. A polyglot fluent in five languages, Zulaika brings a global perspective to her classroom, integrating literacy across the curriculum to foster curiosity, resilience, and critical thinking.