Meet our Team

Shana is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Illinois with 16 years of STEM and education experience. Her studies focus on Education Policy and Organizational Leadership and include advanced certificates in Diversity & Equity and Technology. As a former public high school teacher and leader, she led, supported, and implemented initiatives that improved outcomes for marginalized students. She later extended her service and leadership to teacher education at the university level. Shana served as a STEM Teacher Mentor, University Supervisor, Professor, and a National Science Foundation Noyce Scholars Faculty member. Among other accomplishments, she developed college courses for graduates and undergraduates, established department guidelines, and initiated strategic district partnerships. Shana earned a B.S. in Biology from Purdue University and a M.S. in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. She joined Project Scientist because she wants increase representation in STEM for all women and girls, especially Black, Indigenous, and other Women of Color. Shana most values spending time traveling and volunteering with her children and husband. Her favorite woman in STEM is Jewel Plummer Cobb, for her university leadership and contributions to cancer research as a biologist. 

Christy Anderson brings more than 20 years of communication and operations experience in for-profit and non-profit enterprises to Project Scientist. As a product of girls programs, including athletics and afterschool, she is passionate about providing encouragement, support, and practical skills to girls to help them achieve their goals. Christy holds a Communication degree from Chapman University. Her favorite woman in STEM is Amelia Earhart because of her undeterred passion for aviation. She pushed against early barriers and paved the way for other women in commercial flight as well as shifted the public's perception of commercial aviation. She is also attributed to Christy’s favorite quote “Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.” 

Kierstin holds a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience with a minor in Education Studies from U.C. San Diego. Kierstin joined the staff of Project Scientist because she’s seen firsthand how life-changing STEM role models can be to young women. For the past several years, she has helped Project Scientist in creating an enriching and exciting STEM environment for all of its programs including STEM Club, STEM Lab, and Scholars. Not only does Kierstin manage Project Scientist programs, she also teaches in them from time to time. She enjoys interacting with students and helping them to learn new knowledge and skills. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog Maggie and reading historical fiction novels. Kierstin's favorite woman in STEM is animal physiologist and NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir.

Jonathan Ahrens attended Berklee College of Music and spent many years writing, recording, producing and licensing music for Television and film. The applications he used in the music industry sparked a desire for a deeper understanding of how applications work. After marrying his wife and the birth of their two children, he became a Certified Salesforce Administrator and pursued his degree in Information Systems & Business Analytics. Determined to make the world a better place, Jonathan found a deep passion for working in the nonprofit world. Prior to joining the Project Scientist team, Jonathan was the Salesforce Administrator for the non-profit L.A. Works, where he oversaw various integrations and provided best practices to end users. His favorite woman in STEM is Rosalind Franklin for her discovery of key properties of DNA which laid the groundwork for the correct description of the double helix structure of DNA. She is a great example of someone who does not let their surrounding circumstances dictate their future. 

Sarah has over seven years of nonprofit experience across the country working in Atlanta, Kansas City, Louisiana and is currently based in Las Vegas.For the past several years, Sarah has worked in a variety of operational roles within nonprofits working with marginalized communities and being an advocate for the populations she has worked with including those impacted by natural disasters, spinal cord injuries, and mental health crisis' with teenage girls.  One of the reasons Sarah joined the Project Scientist is because of her own passion to ensure that girls know from an early age, careers do not have to follow gender norms. Project Scientist's goal of cultivating an environment for confident girls aligns with Sarah's personal belief that confidence is vital to living a successful and fulfilled life. She holds a Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership from Arizona State University and a Master's in Nonprofit Administration. Sarah’s favorite scientist is Grace Hopper who enlisted during WWII in the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) and later went on to co-develop one of the earliest standardized computer languages. 

Lupe is a first-gen Latina college graduate. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Language Acquisition from the University of Nevada, Reno. She believes in the importance of connecting storytelling and a child’s personal experiences to their learning journey. Lupe has worked with a wide range of children, from grades K-6. For the past several years she has served as a Spanish Immersion educator. Suarez joins Project Scientist because she believes in providing girls from under-represented and underserved communities with the tools and skills needed to succeed in any career opportunity they pursue.  Her favorite woman in STEM is archeologist and botanist, Zelia Nuttall who helped restore the story of the ancient indigenous people of Mexico and advocated for the revival of native traditions, all while blazing the trail for future women in STEM. 

Robin is a science educator who teaches High School Chemistry and Physical Science. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry and a certification in secondary education from Michigan State University. She currently teaches in Austin, MN, where she has lived for the past three years. She has been a part of Project Scientist for five years, and started as a college fellow for the summer program in Irvine, CA. Currently, she serves as the Site Director for the virtual STEM Club program, as well as the Site Director for the Scholars program. She loves Project Scientist because of the wonderful young scientists she gets to work with and learn from! She also loves working with an amazing team that all share the same goal: to provide quality STEM education to those who might otherwise not have the opportunity.

Scarlett Webb is a native to NY, she grew up in the Adirondacks, and moved to Rochester, NY to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology for Biotechnology. Scarlett has been involved with children’s STEM Enrichment and leadership programs for over 20 years. This includes Clubs, STEM Hubs, Girl Scouts, and Project Scientist. Scarlett has been a Site Director for Project Scientist since 2021.  Scarlett has a passion to ignite a love and confidence of STEM in children, with a focus on girls and young women

Halee has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Spanish. She began with Project Scientist as a Fellow for the Scholars program. She now works as a Site Director & Assistant Site Director for virtual STEM clubs, and helps as a Rising Star for the Scholars program. Halee is passionate about Project Scientist’s mission to foster an inclusive and compassionate space for young scientists to learn STEM!   

Frederica Smith is a native of Louisiana and now resides in the Big State of Texas. She holds a Masters degree in Science from Louisiana Tech University and a second Masters degree in STEM Educational Leadership with a concentration in minorities in STEM from University of North Texas-Dallas. Frederica comes to us with over 16 years of experience as a science educator serving Title 1 schools in low socioeconomic communities in the heart of Oak Cliff, Texas. She has a great passion for equality and diversity within the educational system with emphasis in the field of  STEM. Frederica joins Project Scientist because she believes that no matter a student’s gender, race, or economic status, ALL students deserve the opportunity to navigate and explore the world around them through the lens of STEM. She feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside Project Scientist where the mission is to ignite and cultivate STEM confidence in ALL girls.

Laura Sanchez lives in Santa Ana, CA. She has her Bachelors in Mathematics:Education from California State University Dominguez Hills and wants to pursue teaching secondary mathematics. She currently works at El Sol Science and Arts Academy in which she also attended. She learned about Project Scientist and started off as a facilitator. She took interest in Project Scientist during the fall to teach it herself to help her community of Spanish speaking students. Getting to be an impact on these girls lives has taught her that to be more involved with the young scientist and help them achieve an interest in STEM related Fields.