Executive Director
Committed to education for over 30 years, Dr. Kamal Hamdan envisioned an institute that would provide adequate support to train effective and inspirational STEM teachers and serve under-resourced and under-represented communities.
The executive director of the California STEM Institute for Innovation and Improvement (CSI³) and director of the Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE), Dr. Hamdan is one of the top leaders of STEM Education in the country.
Recipient of the prestigious Wallis Annenberg Endowed Professor for Innovation in STEM Education grant (2016) and the Wang Family Excellence Award (2016), he has generated over $50 million in grant funding and partnerships for the array of STEM-focused and teacher-training programs that operate out of CSU Dominguez Hills (CSUDH).
Dr. Hamdan earned his EdD from the University of Southern California (2010), his MA and Teaching Credential from CSU Dominguez Hills (1994), and his BS from San Diego State University (1984).
PASSION FOR TEACHING
Dr. Hamdan left a career in engineering to pursue his dream of education in the mid-80's. Hired as a math teacher at George Washington Preparatory High School located in South Los Angeles, he was named "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" five times during his tenure.
After 15 years of teaching high school, Dr. Hamdan joined the faculty of CSUDH’s College of Education in 2000. From then on, he developed and implemented a variety of teacher education programs and curricula in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, including initiatives to train general and special education teachers. Programs such as the Transition to Teaching Program, Math and Science Teacher Initiative, Noyce Scholars Program, Urban Teacher Residency and Master Teacher Fellows were designed to create multiple pathways for students to become teachers from undergraduate to graduate studies.
Several times, Dr. Hamdan has been recognized as an outstanding faculty member of CSUDH. In 2012, he was named the director of CISE, a regional program that was established as the umbrella organization for all CSUDH STEM educational programs. The center was designed to increase the number of credential teachers in STEM education, and to bring STEM to the forefront of K-16 education through leadership and service.
In 2013, he launched CSI³ as to oversee the multitude of grant programs focused on strengthening math and science K-12 teacher education in the Los Angeles Region that he has garnered for CSUDH.
CSI³ LEADERSHIP
Pushing to provide a template for the nation, Dr. Hamdan emphasizes that students and children remain the focus.
The institute has grown tremendously since its 2013 launch. Established programs are heavily sought out by students and with new programs to meet the needs of a diverse and growing student population. Dr. Hamdan remains an unwavering advocate for quality teaching in high-need schools and high-quality STEM educators.
