Sharon Nelson-Barber, a sociolinguist, directs WestEd’s Culture and Language in STEM Education. Her research centers on understanding how the sociocultural contexts in which students live influence the ways in which they make sense of schooling in mathematics and science. Working side by side with other Indigenous researchers whose communities span the lower 48 US states, Alaska, Micronesia, and many areas of Polynesia, she also explores how aspects of cultural knowledge can become visible in assessment and evaluation to ensure that schooling is equitable for all students. A recent publication is Living Culturally Responsive Mathematics Education with/in Indigenous Communities (2020). She earned a doctorate in human development from Harvard University, and completed postdoctoral work at Stanford University as a Spencer Fellow.