Meet our team

Dr. Laura Hosman is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University, holding a joint appointment in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and in The Polytechnic School. Her action-oriented work focuses on the role for new technologies in developing countries, particularly in education. Presently, she brings her passion for experiential learning to the classroom and beyond, through real-world-focused, project-based courses that bring students and student-built technology to the field for implementation.

Bruce Baikie is Senior Sustainability Fellow and Adjunct Faculty at Arizona State University. He has worked for many years as an ICT engineer in developing regions on sustainable computing, wireless broadband networks, and capacity building through partnerships and local ICT entrepreneurs. He is leveraging his extensive experience in the energy and telecom industries, 3 years as Executive Director of Inveneo, and 17 years at Sun Microsystems as telecom industry expert, and background in engineering and implementing ICT4D projects. His areas of expertise include: wireless networking, eco-data centers, micro-computing, and solar powering ICT. Bruce has mentored ASU SolarSPELL student teams since 2016 and has traveled and supported the training and implementation trips.

Heather M. Ross, PhD, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, is the co-director of the SolarSPELL Health initiative. She is an Assistant Professor at ASU in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She holds affiliations in the Barrett Honors College, School for Human Evolution and Social Change, and ASU Health Observatory. Her teaching and research centers on health equity and policy with a focus on homelessness and public safety in addition to global health. From 2019-2022, she served as Special Advisor to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego focusing on issues related to public health and health equity. Dr. Ross maintains a clinical practice as a nurse practitioner in cardiac electrophysiology.

Rachel Nova’s journey to SolarSPELL has been shaped by her belief that everyone deserves equitable access to education. In her 10 years of international experience, she has served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, taught English in France, and coordinated educational programs for refugee women in Arizona. With a BA in International Affairs and an MA in Learning Sciences, she is lifelong learner who champions an asset-based approach to her work.

As an ASU alumnus, Jacob Shaeffer is proud to bring a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science to the SolarSpell team. With nearly a decade of software development and systems administration experience, Jacob is passionate about SolarSpell’s goal to bring accessible electronic learning to the world.

Abby Johnson brings a people-centered and data-driven approach to her role as communications specialist, informed by her experiences working in higher education, local government and international development contexts. With formal education in anthropology, journalism and sustainability, as well as field experience as an agriculture volunteer in the Peace Corps (Togo, ’16-’19), she is passionate about telling stories that motivate people to become agents of change and increasing access to the information that can help them do so.

Cassie is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Rwanda, 2017-2019) who taught English to youth and adult populations in her community. She utilized SolarSPELL firsthand at her school and started a SolarSPELL club that supported secondary students with improving digital literacy skills and ICT knowledge. Cassie graduated with an MA in Peace and Justice from the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego in 2023. She is incredibly passionate about restorative justice, educational equity and human rights and is excited to work with the amazing students that make SolarSPELL possible.

Deeksha is a UX Designer with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction and a background in IT Engineering. She plays a key role in enhancing the user experience across all aspects of SolarSPELL, from the digital library to the website and research initiatives. With a user-centered and impact-driven approach, she focuses on designing intuitive and accessible experiences that empower SolarSPELL’s mission.

Beyond UX design, Deeksha has a strong interest in UX strategy, branding, management, writing, and creative problem-solving, bringing a well-rounded perspective to her work.