Bryan Walsh, ArtDimenstions St. Louis, President
Bryan Walsh grew up in Belleville, Illinois (a St. Louis suburb) and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, a small rural town north of Cincinnati. During college, Bryan’s artistic and musical influences expanded significantly. There, his musical interests transitioned from mostly classic rock (Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, etc.) to hip-hop, punk, jazz and funk. Almost concurrently, his interest in the art and design related to these genres (Graffiti, Street Art, punk band flyers and more) began to grow. In addition, his studies there included a trio of sociology classes that dealt with race, gender and class. These classes and his continued reading on these subjects contribute to his work. Through the use of symbols as icons and the incorporation of lettering, he hopes to weave social commentary and reflections of the urban landscape into many of his pieces.
Cynthia Graville-Smith, Saint Louis University, Director of Converging Communication Technology
Cynthia oversee the the 8,500 square foot digital media center for the Communication department. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media at Webster University and master’s degree in Educational Technology from the University of Missouri. She is currently pursuing a Ph. D. from the University of Missouri, focusing on the use of participatory and social technologies in the learning process. Before joining SLU, Cynthia spent several years in the museum field, leveraging digital pathways to engage and deepen the experiences of non-traditional museum audiences, particularly youth facing multiple risk factors. While Director of Learning Technologies at the Saint Louis Science Center, Cynthia led multiple institutional initiatives, including the Youth Exploring Science program’s participatory website, www.youthexploringscience.com and the ongoing Community Science and Teaching Fellowship. She has presented her work on digital community-building and its impact on engaging underrepresented audiences in museum learning at several international, national, and regional conferences, including MaW2008, AAM, NSTA, and ASTC. For this work, she was awarded the 2008 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award for New Leadership in the Field by the Association of Science and Technology Centers.
Danielle N. Lee, Biologist
Danielle N. Lee is a candidate for the doctor of philosophy degree in biological sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Danielle’s current research is an examination of individual differences and behavioral syndromes. Her dissertation, titled “Individual differences in exploratory behavior of prairie voles, Microtus ochogaster” will be presented at a symposium on animal personality at the 31st Annual International Ethological Conference in Rennes, Frances. Danielle is an active member of the Animal Behavior Society including the Education and Diversity Committees. Danielle’s interest in outreach to under-served groups, particularly African-Americans includes mentoring undergraduate and high school students and participating in after-school science programs. She also authors a science blog geared to inner-city young people about urban ecology and environmental science, Urban Science Adventures! ©. Her research awards include grants and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, American Society of Mammalogists, and Sigma Xi. Danielle will be completing her degree program in the summer of 2009 and plans to pursue an academic career that emphasizes science outreach and participation of under-served audiences.
Jason Lindsey, Hooked on Science, Outreach Science Educator
Jason Lindsey is an award-winning outreach science educator. He studied science and journalism at Western Kentucky University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. At WKU Jason focused on general science with an emphasis in meteorology and climatology. Jason has worked diligently for more than 10 years to take science beyond the classroom window. Each year he performs hands-on science experiments at schools and community events throughout southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. His hands-on, kid-friendly science classes are offered throughout the year and have helped hook hundreds of kids on science.
Jeremy Pollock, Brown Shoe Company, Senior Software Developer
Jeremy Pollock received his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and from the University of California at San Diego respectively. He moved from Chicago to Saint Louis just over a year ago, and has worked as a web and software developer for nearly four years. He is interested in the software development lifecycle, business formation and growth, and strives to stay abreast of new technologies and trends in software.
Krystal Salamon, Saint Louis Science Center, Community Relations Specialist
Krystal creates successful new partnerships each month with new local media, organizations, and institutions through promotional campaigns and events. She has designed all of the promotional items, informational/ awareness campaigns, and integrated marketing communications plans for Saint Louis Science Center’s community focused projects for over two years. She also has successfully altered the image of the organization to reflect a more diverse and culturally aware, educational resource for all audiences in the St. Louis community. Recently, she began a strategic integrated marketing campaign plan centered in St. Louis schools, and designed to promote partnerships and long-term relationships with the Saint Louis Science Center in order to extend the mission of igniting and stimulating interest in science and technology. She plans to start her master’s program at Saint Louis University in the Spring of 2010.
Ryan Blackburn, Financial Management Partners, Financial Consultant
Prior to joining FMP, Ryan spent three years in various financial positions with General Electric, including real estate, commercial equipment finance, franchise finance, and corporate financial services. Ryan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and earned a BE in Analytical Finance from Wake Forest University. Ryan loves numbers and hopes to help others find satisfying careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Whitney L. Sparks, Monsanto, Information and Research Specialist for Public Affairs
Whitney Sparks currently serves as Monsanto’s Public Affairs Information and Research Specialist with the Issues Management Team. Daily activities include monitoring media and providing information to key decision makers around developing stories. She began her career at Monsanto in 2006 in the US Commercial Business Customer Operations Team where her primary focus was building relationships with customers and Account Managers while meeting delivery expectations for the branded seed and chemical business. Whitney received her Executive Master’s of International Business (EMIB) at St. Louis University in May of 2009. During the summer of 2008, she traveled to China with her graduate group to study and conduct business in this growing region. She graduated from Miami of Ohio with a degree in Botany and a minor in Marketing. The international perspective continues to be of great interest to Whitney personally and professionally. She serves on Washington University’s Delta Gamma Sorority Corporation Council and as a member of the United Way GenNext organization. Whitney is active with Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Association and is a coach in the Gateway Field Hockey League.
Rebecca Dohrman is an Assistant Professor at Maryville University in Communication/Public Relations Her research and teaching interests focus on how high-tech organizations can use emerging technologies to improve their relationships with young people and other stakeholders. She is also an Extension Services Consultant with the National Center for Women and Information Technology where she works to recruit more individuals, particularly women, into the field of computer science and STEM fields more broadly. Rebecca is originally from Belleville, IL and lives in St. Louis with her partner, John, and her son, Noah.
Please contact Meesa Olah if you are interested in becoming a Junior Board member.
