Addison-based Trinity Chrisitan Academy has named TCA teacher and technology expert Lisa Wong to the new position of chief innovation officer.
TCA said Wong will be instrumental in driving transformative and continuous improvement within the school, integrating cutting-edge technologies and cultivating a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity for TCA students.
Trinity Christian Academy, a private coeducational school for grades pre-K through 12, offers Christian families and their children a demanding, college preparatory curriculum within a Christian community committed to integrating biblical faith and learning.
Wong, a former defense industry engineer with Raytheon, joined TCA more than 10 years ago to develop a new STEM program for the school after deciding to transition to the field of education.
Wong previously served as TCA’s director of technology and has championed a culture of innovation on campus, preparing students for the future workforce after leading a variety of new programs and curriculum over the past decade.
TCA said that Wong has launched STEM Clubs in the lower and upper schools, helping create exposure to STEM much earlier in the education process; created the Tech Stop program for students to assist teachers and peers with computer issues, helping students gain real-world experience and sharpen leadership skills; and updated the Honors Engineering Design class with a new capstone project in which students are tasked with designing products to assist children with disabilities, a tradition among the TCA community that develops its students’ engineering and servant-leadership skills.
Wong has received numerous STEM and innovation awards and recognitions for her work at TCA, most recently being selected as part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Master Teacher of Invention Education Program. TCA said that in addition to her current responsibilities of overseeing the technology department, STEM programming, and training faculty in invention education, Wong will continue developing a strategy to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
The academy said that Wong also will oversee the progress and creation of professional development programs for students.
Melissa Neatherlin, who has been with the academy for 11 years serving in various positions, most recently as the director of Educational Technology Integration, will take on Wong’s former role of director of technology. Neatherlin will be responsible for supervising the educational technology specialists and support teams, and managing hardware, software, and network system design and support for over 3,000 devices across the campus.
Neatherlin also will oversee training, technology integration in classrooms, student digital safety, and campus cybersecurity.
“We believe that we are equipping our students to be the future problem-solvers and leaders of the world,” TCA Head of School Dr. Jeff Williams said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing how Lisa and Melissa will use these roles to carry out our mission to equip our community with the technological resources to further engage our students, enhance the curriculum, and enable all learners to use technology well and wisely in a way that will carry them forward in their education and future careers.”
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