Carrie Hall has a deep love for Tulsa. From her days attending The University of Tulsa to encouraging UTulsa to apply for more grants, she believes in the university and the city.
Hall graduated with bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry in 2006. She went on to earn her master’s degree in 2008 in biochemistry from UTulsa and her doctorate from Idaho State University in 2011. Now, she’s enjoying her dream job at the National Science Foundation, where she’s the program director for the Division of Equity in Excellence in STEM within the Directorate for STEM Education.
“I am the person who says yes or no when people apply for grant funds,” she said. “My division focuses on innovations in STEM education and the intersection of science and education. It’s about making our universities more inclusive spaces where people from different backgrounds – whether that’s faculty, or administrators, or students – build initiatives that work toward more inclusive spaces.”
Hall hopes to see UTulsa faculty and administrators submit grant proposals to build programs that would support students from underrepresented backgrounds who find an academic home at UTulsa.
An inclusive university or workplace has more diversity, which breeds more innovation and provides a broad perspective on ideas and different approaches to solving problems, Hall said. “The more we can bring people in and help them be included, the better our innovation and ideas become,” she added. As program director, Hall oversees two different staffs: one of about five people and one with nearly 30. Budgets for the program total in the tens of millions of dollars, she said.
Hall credits her time at UTulsa for not only teaching her about the National Science Foundation but also preparing her for her career. She said the faculty at UTulsa are very welcoming to research. “In my experience, the education at UTulsa is amazing,” she added. “It is unparalleled. It is an education of enduring worth.”
Before starting at UTulsa, Hall spent several years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. She was stationed around the world, including in Texas, South Carolina, and England, among other locations.
An avid traveler, Hall is proud to call Tulsa home and is glad her job allows her to remain in Tulsa. She can be found playing disc golf, at the Riverside trails, quilting, or out with friends. “Tulsa is a great place to have a friend group and to be centralized here,” she added.