Melinda Angeles interned at the Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center at Carnegie Mellon University for three summers. Her interest in urban redevelopment grew as she developed age-specific educational materials about brownfields. In 2010, she graduated with Bachelor and Master degrees in Environmental Studies with a focus on the Urban Environment at the University of Pennsylvania with the thesis, “Teaching Methods Using Brownfields as a Platform.” She has close relationship with the Brownfields Center and is assisting with research.

Courtney Daylong is a Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College alum. She served as a Teaching Assistant for the Communications/Public Speaking course and holds a Masters in Public Management with a focus in Strategic Planning. She spent a decade in executive leadership as a District Manager and Regional Vice President in higher education and American Honda Motor Co. throughout Minnesota and California. She also completed doctoral studies from the University of Southern California in Public Policy and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education. After having three boys, she is now the co-Founder of Totally Fit Mama, LLC, a national nutrition business focused on women’s health, giving back, and partnering with the Magee Women’s Research Institute.

Jennifer Lang has taught several outreach courses over the past few years at Carnegie Mellon University.  She taught Science and Special Education at Kiski Area School District for the last two years.  Prior to that she taught Chemistry at Vincentian Academy and Mount Alvernia High School for 10 years.   She attended Saint Vincent College and has a BS in Chemistry and a MS in Environmental Education. She also has a MS in Special Education from Slippery Rock University. 

Joseph Lang taught the Robotics Programming Design course for the past several years at Carnegie Mellon University.  Joe has worked as a middle school math teacher for the New Kensington Arnold School District for 11 years.  He attended Waynesburg University for his BS and his MS in Instructional Technology.

Jeffrey Looby earned his MBA and served as the Head of Tepper School of Business Graduate Finance Association. Prior to entering business school, Mr. Looby earned a Bachelors of Art degree in Business Economics with a minor in Accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles. After earning his degree, Mr. Looby successfully passed the CPA exam and frequently volunteered with Junior Achievement in both Los Angeles and Dallas. In all, Mr. Looby has more than four years of finance experience helping companies and their advisors with their complex accounting and finance problems and objectives. Assistants for this workshop include, David Dieker MBA recipient and Head of Tepper School of Business Data Analytics Club, Kelly Pasekoff and Alberto Chan students in the Tepper School.

Michael Polen earned his PhD in the Mellon College of Sciences Department of Chemistry and worked as a member of the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He is a former president of the Future Leaders of Science at CMU, which performs science outreach at local schools in the Pittsburgh region. Michael’s current research focuses on the impact of wildfires and prescribed fires on cloud formation and precipitation. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Widener University in 2013.

Melinda Sager has been a graduate student in Dr. Patricia Opresko’s Lab at the University of Pittsburgh since May of 2014. She is also a member of Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST) at CMU. Her research focuses on DNA damage and repair at telomeres in the presence of genotic agents. Melinda received her Bachelors of Science in Biology degree from Robert Morris University in 2014 and also has an Associate of Arts in Early Child Development from BCCC. 

Subanky Sivagnanalingam is a Carnegie Mellon University Alumni whose major was in Chemistry with a Biological Chemistry Track. She has previous experience working with children as a tutor at Colfax Elementary School and at the Science & Technology Academy in Pittsburgh. She is currently a DNA Zone Technician at Mellon Institute and helps prepare science experiment kits for middle school and high school students in the Pittsburgh area. During her free time, she also enjoys volunteering at events such as Moving 4th in Science and Take Your Kids to Work Day where she can have a positive influence in the community through education.

Yaniv Tivon is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Chemistry pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical biology. He received his bachelors from Rutgers University where he studied chemistry with a focus on organic synthesis. His current research involves the synthesis and utilization of modified DNA to study and inhibit cancer pathways. Yaniv’s goals include teaching how to provide logical explanations to chemical phenomena and manipulate them based on that knowledge.