THE EDUCATOR
Nicole K. Grimes is an alumna of The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY) where she received a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science and Technology. She is an education consultant, professional development workshop leader and speaker. A former NYC high school principal, she has been a fervent STEM educator for 20+ years working across public, private & charter schooling. As a teacher educator, she has served as a university adjunct assistant professor at CUNY Lehman in New York City since 2008 teaching varied graduate education courses. She earned an M.A. in Secondary Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University & a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University.
She served as the first woman of color and lay-person Principal of Dominican Academy from 2015-2018. Dominican Academy is an all girls college preparatory high school for academically strong girls in New York City. The school was founded in 1897 and ranks in the top 10 girls high schools in the state of NY and top 100 Catholic schools in the U.S.
Her current educational consulting work centers around school leadership, STEM initiatives, differentiated instruction & inclusive education across public, independent & religious schooling.
She currently serves as. Board of Director for La Salle Academy, a rigorous all-male college-preparatory Catholic high school in NYC.
EDUCATION + CERTIFICATION CREDENTIALS
August 2024: Achievement in AI for Marketers from Section.
September 2012: Ph.D. in Urban Education (concentration in Mathematics, Science and Technology), The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY).
February 2010: M.P. in Urban Education, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY).
May 2023: M.A. in Secondary Science Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.
May 2021: Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering from the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University.
REFFEREED PUBLICATIONS
Pitts, W.B., Grimes, N., (2018) The NYC Lab Skills Initiative: Integrating 21st Century Skills in Today’s Urban Classrooms. NYC Skills Lab, New York City Department of Education, New York, NY.
Grimes, N. (2013). The Nanny in the school house: The role of femme-Caribbean identity in attaining successful science encounters in an independent school. Cultural Studies of Science Education.
AWARD WINNER. Grimes, N. (2010). Multiple outcomes: exploring the use of cogenerative dialogues in a middle school science classroom. In Co-teaching in International Contexts: Research and Practice. (Eds) Scantlebury, K., & Collete-Murphy, A.. Springer.
Pitts, W.B., Grimes, N., et al (2007) Being, Belonging, and Becoming: The convergence of Shared Responsibilities Through Emerging Experience in Urban Science Education. City University of New York @ the Graduate Center, New York, NY.
THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEADER
Her passion for Caribbean culture and supporting her colleagues led her to firstly starting Carib Biz Network (CBN) as a passion project on social media in 2019. The goal was to share the entrepreneurial endeavors of her Caribbean friends and extended community members.
“I had so many Caribbean American colleagues starting small businesses and struggling to navigate that world. I myself was so passionate about all their ideas and products; & I wanted to help.“
Today, Carib Biz Network is a blossoming business development ecosystem dedicated to the growth and success of Caribbean small and micro businesses. Its mission is to connect, support, amplify and deliver information and resources to Caribbean entrepreneurs to make them more impactful and successful small businesses. Its services include workshops, webinars, networking and social events, pop-up markets and marketing and branding services via its internal creative agency - Creative MRKT. With its three core values of Education (to serve as a preferred knowledge base providing access to information and resources for the Caribbean diaspora), Advocacy (to advocate for initiatives that amplify and improve the livelihoods of Caribbean Americans; and Awareness (to promote and showcase the diversity of products and services of the Caribbean community nationally), CBN remains fervently committed to the success of its network.
HONORS & RECOGNITION
2024 | Global Influence Honoree- I Am Cultured.
2024 | Nominee - Seeds of Fortune, Women of Color Creating Wealth.
2023 | Certificate of Recognition - House of Representatives from Yvette D. Clarke.
2023 | Where Itz At B.I.G. Award Honoree.
2020 | YGB Power-in-Motion Women Empowerment Award.
2017 | Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Epsilon Chapter, Woman of the Month, August 2017.
2014 | Special Invitee to the White House for the 20th #WhiteHouseSocial, one of 20 educators nationally to meet with Dr. Jill Biden.
2014 | Best Manuscript of 2013 for Cultural Studies of Science Education. (CSSE)
2010 | ASTE Award V: Implications of Research for Educational Practice, Best Manuscript for “Exploring multiple outcomes: Using cogenerative dialogues and coteaching in a middle school science classroom.” Association for Science Teacher Education. (ASTE)
2009 | Ethics & Equity Scholar, National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
2006 - 2011Chancellor Fellow, The Graduate Center (CUNY), New York, NY
“Grimes is a rare educator with unique experiences who brings light to every educational space she enters.”
— Dr. Chris Emdin, New York Times Best Selling Author & Columbia University Professor