As Director of Development, Dr. Simone B. Soso leads Challenger Center’s efforts to secure grants, philanthropic support, and develop strategic partnerships in alignment with the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.
Before joining Challenger Center, Dr. Soso served as the Founder of STEM Futures Consulting. Her background is largely in strengthening institutional capacity, securing research funding, and advancing equitable participation in federally funded STEM initiatives. Her career spans U.S. STEM workforce development, science policy, and collaborative partnerships, strengthened through her service as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (Science and Technology) Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Soso holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental Science from Iowa State University, a Master of Science degree in Animal Health Science from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
