About HWER
Founded in 2023, HomeWorld is an AI-driven startup dedicated to transforming science education, multimedia learning, teacher preparation, curriculum design, and learning engineering through innovative software solutions.
We collaborate with an extensive network of partners, including the University of Wyoming (PI Institute), University of North Texas, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Dallas, Florida Gulf Coast University, and North Carolina State University.
Our team is actively engaged in various phases of IES grants, the Tool Competition, the MIT Big Challenge Competition, and the Google GENAI Challenge. We have also achieved semi-finalist recognition in the UTD Big Idea Competition and the UTD Community Business Bootcamp.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization specializing in Earth system science, environmental science, and energy science, we bring cutting-edge research, geoscience expertise, AI technology, and software development to every partnership. Our mission is to serve clients across corporate, government, and higher education sectors nationwide, driving impactful change in environmental sustainaiblity through innovation.
David Williamson
CEO & President
David Williamson is the president and Chief Executive Officer of the HomeWorld Educational Resources. He is a geologist and has 22 years of working experience in oil and gas industry. He has strong passion in Earth science and environmental education. He has a rich experience in project and company management. Dave has strong project and business management skills. Also, he is a domain expert and has MS degrees in geographic information sciences (GIS) and geosciences. David Williamson will serve as the key coordinator with the UTD research team and the project manager for EasyVille educational content preparation, materials reviewer, and the organizer of the review camp.
Zachary Clowdus
Secretary
Zach enjoys the research process and using my geoscience knowledge to educate others on interesting topics. He likes coming up with creative solutions to complicated problems and collaborating with a team to produce a great finished product as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Steve (Zhongjie) Zheng
Treasurer & Technology Director
Zhongjie Zheng is also a technical consultant in the HomeWorld Educational Resources. He is a Senior Software Engineer at Splunk and was a software development engineer at Amazon. He has 8 years of online platform and mobile software engineering experience. He is specialized in UI control, 3D rendering, Unity, and OpenGL, and familiar with CesiumJS, which is an open source JavaScript library for creating world-class 3D globes and maps and its extended product Cesium Ion is one of the primary resources that we will use to develop the EasyVille. He has a MS degree in computer science. Zhongjie Zheng will serve as the primary technical leader of the EasyVille development.
Ning Wang, Ph.D.
Research and Development Director
Ning Wang is an interdisciplinary researcher and academic leader specializing in data science, learning science, and human-centered computing. He currently serves as an ORISE Research Fellow with the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), where he contributes to the development of next-generation data visualization tools and AI-powered systems that enhance access to complex scientific data for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
​
Dr. Wang serves as a board leader for research at HomeWorld Educational Resources advancing complex systems learning, sustainability education, and workforce readiness in the age of artificial intelligence. In this role, he has built and led collaborative networks across research and doctoral institutions, guided research initiatives, and supported grant development efforts to expand interdisciplinary programs and partnerships.
He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he designed and teaches project-based courses that integrate science, storytelling, and technology. His academic leadership emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds to develop research, communication, and innovation skills.
Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. in Sustainable Earth Systems Science, with additional training in geology, geophysics, computer science, and science education. His work focuses on advancing how individuals engage with complex information systems through data visualization, AI, and innovative learning environments.
Through his combined efforts in research, academic leadership, network building, and grant development,
Dr. Wang is committed to strengthening connections across research and doctoral universities and advancing collaborative, data-informed approaches to addressing complex societal challenges.
Ali N. Salman
AI Solution Expert
I am a research assistant (and Ph.D. student) in the Multimodal Signal Processing Lab (MSP) at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), under the mentorship of Dr. Carlos Busso. My research interests include affective computing, deep learning, computer vision, and human-computer interaction (HCI).
