Shaffiq Welji is a PhD candidate in mathematics education at the University of Georgia and is interested in the connections among school and classroom culture, student learning, and teacher development across STEM education. Prior to joining UGA, Shaffiq became a National Board certified teacher and taught mathematics and engineering at the middle and high school level for 12 years. He has coached multiple robotics teams during that time. He has a BA from the University of Chicago in mathematics and a PhD from Columbia University in mathematics where he studied low-dimensional topology and geometry.