Key Personnel

Dr. Connie Chow crosses silos, sectors and continents to combine her passion and experience in education, science and technology, social justice and women’s rights. She’s been traveling to Ghana since 2009 to help teachers and girls see that hands-on science is fun. Before formally launching The Exploratory, she was the Executive Director of Science Club for Girls (SCFG), between 2006 – 2014. Under Connie’s tenure, SCFG received awards for Social Innovation from the Smaller Business Association of New England, Root Cause and the Metlife Foundation / After School Alliance. Prior to SCFG, Connie was an assistant professor in Biology at Simmons College, where she introduced innovative, interactive, interdisciplinary models of teaching through the biology and honors program, and as the co-PI on an NSF-funded summer program for Boston public middle school youth and teachers.

Dr. Chow is a Fellow and Board Member of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences, an advisor to the MetroNorth STEM Network, co-founder of the Boston Area Girls STEM Collaborative and the co-chair of the Diversity Subcommittee of the MA Governor’s STEM Council. Dr. Chow was a member of the steering committee for the Women’s Human Rights program for Amnesty International USA, and an adjunct faculty for the Practicum on Advocacy held during the annual CEDAW review at the UN. She is an Associate Lecturer in the Honors College at UMass Boston and a Visiting Social Entrepreneur at Suffolk University’s Center for Women’s Health and Human Rights. Connie received her Ph.D. in Virology from Harvard University.

Connie enjoys choral singing and has recently started to play taiko. Her favourite dinner while in Ghana is kontomire stew (palaver sauce) with boiled yam.

Favour holds a BSc in Psychology and an MPhil in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Ghana. She was a team leader and coordinator for Technologies without Borders and Recycle Ghana. She also organized workshops for iProject’s Ghana Young Women Empowerment program in the central Region to address teenage pregnancy. She was the Vice-President and Women’s Commissioner for her University residence hall.

Priscilla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon, and attended Ghana Secondary School. She was an Administrator at St. Patrick Solo Clinic, where she initiated a performance management process, and logistics management and supply systems to control inventory. She also was responsible for surveying and improving customer experience. As administrative secretary at Municipal Hospital, Goaso, she developed digital standard operating procedures and a human resource management system. She was also an intern at St Joseph Hospital where she was responsible for creating public awareness campaigns on public health and infectious diseases, including STDs. 

She looks forward to working with The Exploratory team to dispel stereotypes around STEM and contribute to community development. Her favourite food is plantains with kontomire stew. More

Guided by the philosophy that every new day presents a new opportunity, Christian Sackey-Acquah is glad to have found The Exploratory. Christian has a degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana, was a Speaker of the Legon Hall Congress at the University, and was an intern with the Social Welfare Department in the Ga West municipality, where he was sensitized to the unique challenges and strengths of women and girls.

Christian hopes to combine his leadership skills, knowledge in psychology and on-the-ground experience to help The Exploratory achieve its goal of promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among basic school children in Ghana. He’ll also be contributing to our blog and social media.

Christian finds great pleasure in reading political journals and listening to political shows on radio. He also enjoys writing down his experiences and thoughts to sharpen his writing skills. His favourite dinner is rice and cabbage stew. Christian believes that African textiles have a charming effect on him. We agree. More

Saviour Okine graduated with honors with a bachelors of science degree in Agriculture from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana. His final year thesis centered on plantain tissue manipulation and multiplication in vitro. After graduation, he was employed as a research assistant at the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

Thereafter, he was a Scientist-in-Residence (SiR) of the Lab_13 Ghana, which focuses on the use of easily accessible and low-cost materials to perform activities based on students’ curiosity and interests in STEM.

The transfer of scientific knowledge is his passion and as such, Saviour see his role at The Exploratory as an ideal vehicle to help upcoming students, especially girls, to appreciate STEM’s practicality. Saviour also has a keen interest in science communication, project management, data collection and analyses.

When pressed, he’ll tell you his favourite dish is boiled plantain with kontomire stew. Read more about Saviour here. 

Dora Agyare is an entrepreneur, business professional, and international relations enthusiast! As a relentless connector, strategic thinker, and a geek at heart – she is also the Corporate Relations Lead (Finance Chair) of the Boston Professionals Chapter of NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers).

Dora comes from a rich background in social justice. She received her Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. During 2010-2012, she worked as a Training/Mediation Assistant and Public Outreach Intern for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). While at the MCAD, she honed her organizational, detail-orientated, and public speaking skills to increase discrimination awareness at over 40 organizations.

With a newfound passion for STEM advocacy, Dora combines her skills and interest to identify and pursue partnership and business development opportunities to connect potential partners at a critical confluence: the right to a free education, equity for girls and women in STEM, and an end to economic/systemic oppression.