Executive Director, Washington State Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA)
James Dorsey is the executive director of Washington State MESA, a program that prepares and encourages underrepresented groups (K–16) to pursue science, engineering and technology careers. Dorsey's professional background includes 25 years with both Washington and California MESA, advancing K–20 STEM education equity on statewide and national levels. Before his tenure with Washington MESA, Dorsey was national director of program development for California MESA, where he fostered new and enhanced partnerships with Hewlett Packard, AT&T, Google, Amazon, and other companies, and helped triple the number of MESA's community college transfer centers in California as well as replicated the community college model nationally. Dorsey originally enrolled in college to be a civil engineer, but changed to geology after a faculty member discouraged him from pursuing his desired profession. This experience inspired him to seek a career to encourage and prepare underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM.
