OUR TEAM — FULL BIOS
The People Behind the Work
The people you meet are the people who do the work. These longer sketches provide more context on the experience, perspective and practical judgment each person brings to KOT.
We build the team around the work — not the work around the team.
Dr. Richard (Rick) Beal, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Educational Innovation • STEM Ecosystems • Higher Education
Rick Beal is an educational innovator, STEM ecosystem builder and higher-education leader whose career has centered on connecting schools, universities, researchers and communities. At SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, he helped expand dual enrollment, school-university partnerships, teacher development and authentic student research, including work connected with National Science Foundation GK-12 initiatives. His international experience includes service as a Peace Corps teacher in Eritrea, a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Cambodia, and later leadership in international programs and accreditation. Through KOT, Rick helped design and deliver professional learning for Kuwaiti educational leaders and now focuses on program design, partnerships, research, assessment and building systems that leave people and organizations more capable.
Dr. Matthew C. Williams, PhD
Chief Academic Officer
Curriculum & Instruction • School Improvement • Systems Leadership
Matt Williams is an educational leader and school-reform specialist with more than two decades of experience designing programs, improving institutional performance and building partnerships across schools, universities, government and industry. He earned his doctorate in Leadership, Thought and Policy from the University of Rochester. His career has included leadership of Syracuse’s Institute of Technology at Central, helping launch the Public Service Leadership Academy, and regional work in curriculum and instruction. Matt brings KOT a combination of scholarly perspective and direct implementation experience: how policy, curriculum, professional learning, career pathways and school improvement actually move through complex educational systems.
Dr. Abdulilah Al-Dubai, PhD
Chief Education & Cultural Partnerships Officer
Educational Leadership • Community Building • Cultural Partnerships
Abdulilah Al-Dubai is an educator, school leader, researcher and community builder whose work connects educational leadership with deep experience in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. He helped establish Syracuse’s North Side Learning Center, building educational opportunities with refugee and immigrant families through relationships, volunteer networks and community partnerships. His doctoral research at Syracuse University examined Muslim students’ experiences in U.S. K-12 schools, including the supports and challenges that shape belonging and success. Born in Yemen and raised in Eritrea, Abdullah brings multilingual, cross-cultural and school-level experience that helps KOT understand educational challenges from more than one institutional or cultural perspective.
Steven Mustafa Abdel-Aziz
Chief Growth & Global Partnerships Officer
Business Strategy • Growth • Partnerships • Community Leadership
Steven Mustafa Abdel-Aziz is a business executive, entrepreneur, investor and community leader with nearly three decades of leadership experience. Beginning in automotive sales in 1997, he advanced through increasing roles to general management, with hands-on responsibility across sales, finance and insurance, service, parts, inventory, marketing, banking relationships, personnel development and executive operations. He has supported business turnarounds, trained teams and helped strengthen other dealerships. Steve’s entrepreneurial and investment experience includes real estate projects in the United States and internationally, as well as investment in other industries. He was also among the founding members of Syracuse’s North Side Learning Center. At KOT, he connects mission with execution — helping build partnerships, growth strategy and sustainable organizational capacity.
Dr. Mohammed Taleb Al-Kandari, PhD
President, Kuwait & Government Partnerships
Kuwait Strategy • Government Relations • Institutional Partnerships
Mohammed Taleb Al-Kandari is a senior higher-education leader in Kuwait who brings KOT strategic counsel, trusted relationships and firsthand understanding of educational and institutional contexts in the Gulf. His professional experience includes leadership within Kuwait’s Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, where he has served as Dean of Admissions and Registration. Mohammed has been part of KOT’s work with Kuwaiti educational leaders during its earlier programs, helping connect people, institutions and communities across cultural settings. His perspective helps ensure that relationships, credibility and local context are considered from the beginning of program design.
Thyda Teng, BSN
Office Manager & Accounting
Participant Experience • Operations • Healthcare • Program Support
Thyda Teng is a registered nurse and educator who brings practical judgment, participant care and operational support to KOT programs. Her healthcare background gives her a people-centered orientation: noticing what individuals need, helping them navigate unfamiliar situations and creating environments in which they feel supported and respected. Her international and educational experience also strengthens KOT’s ability to support participants when learning extends beyond a classroom into unfamiliar institutions, communities and cultural settings. Thyda’s role reflects a core KOT belief: a strong learning experience depends not only on what is taught, but also on whether people have the support and confidence to participate fully.