Pactful Manager
- PHD, CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND LITERACY, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO
- MA, EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
Dr. Al-Gasem is the Project Manager for Pactful at the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education. Pactful is a curriculum that empowers teens and educators to tackle local and global issues. Using design thinking, Pactful provides tools to innovate for social good.
She earned her doctorate in Culture, Language, and Literacy from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Where she focused on Ethnomathematics, exploring mathematics as a cultural tool, emerging for linguistic and social group norms. Passionate about fostering equity in education and diversity in STEM, Dr. Al-Gasem believes that reshaping how people view mathematics through a greater emphasis on its social and cultural aspects is an essential step forward.
With over a decade of experience, Dr. Al-Gasem has developed programs that foster engagement, promote equity, and inspire meaningful learning. Among her notable achievements, Dr. Al-Gasem played a pivotal role in founding San Antonio’s first single-gender public school, where she crafted a female gender focused mathematics program. As a Project-Based Learning Facilitator, she designed over 70 lessons for K-8 students and secured state and federal grants to expand flexible, STEAM-integrated learning opportunities.
Additionally, her leadership extended internationally, supporting military families as the Director of School Age Care at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan. Her career reflects a deep commitment to empowering learners through innovative educational programs.