Rabiah Mayas, Ph.D

Rabiah Mayas is an experienced nonprofit executive leader and informal science educator whose work focuses on equitable engagement with STEM as a mechanism for building healthy thriving futures. She is currently an independent consultant, supporting nonprofit and corporate clients with STEM education strategy, program design, and leadership development. With more than 15 years of experience working in out-of-school science education, Rabiah was most recently the Ruth D. and Ken M. Davee Vice President of Education and Chief Partnerships Officer at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI). In these roles, Rabiah led the Museum’s suite of educational offerings that connected youth, families, educators, and communities - to high-quality, relationship-based STEM programming. 

Prior to this role, Rabiah served as the Associate Director of Northwestern University’s Science in Society, a research center focused on interdisciplinary collaborations in support of collective impact STEM education models. She was also previously the Director of Science and Integrated Strategies at MSI.  Key program areas developed or expanded under her leadership include STEM career exploration events for youth, the Museum’s maker-based programs, the Black Creativity initiative, and science learning research. She also served as the Science Director for Science Chicago, a yearlong festival that engaged more than 140 partners and highlighted STEM through nearly 1,000 public programs.

Rabiah was raised in the Washington, D.C. area and earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a certificate in Modern Languages and Linguistics from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she was also Meyerhoff Scholar. She later earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular from the University of Chicago.  She is a member of numerous nonprofit boards and advisory committees, including the Chicago Children’s Museum Advisory Board, the Chicago Learning Exchange Board, and the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago Board.