Science ATL Leadership

Jamal Jesse

Vice Chairperson and Board Member since 2019

As the Workforce Development Manager for Georgia Power, Jamal and his team develop strategies that support Georgia’s talent pipeline for the energy industry and other target industries. By guiding partnerships with education and workforce development organizations, associations, and government agencies, Jamal works to maximize available funding and educational opportunities associated with talent development.

Before his time with Georgia Power, Jamal served 20 years in the United States Navy, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer in 2014. He was stationed onboard several U.S. Navy warships, serving as project manager. A native of New Orleans, Jamal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management from Southwestern College and a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University. Jamal also volunteers with several veterans’ organizations. He and his wife, Marcheria, have two daughters and a Yorkie. Jamal enjoys playing golf and attending Atlanta sporting events.

Emma Palmer

Secretary and Board Member since 2022

Emma Palmer is the Manager of Strategic Operations at PDI Technologies. She is part of the thriving Atlanta gig economy working as a freelance Equity Stage Manager at theaters across the metro region and sits on the Board of Directors at Synchronicity Theatre.

Before joining PDI Technologies, Emma was Director of Operations for the Economic Development Division at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Emma graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in Musical Theatre. An Atlanta native, she lives on the Westside with two cats, Sampson and Ann Perkins.

Jordan Rose

Founding Board Member
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director

Jordan is committed to promoting science literacy and a sense of belonging in science for all. He loves supporting science teachers and empowering youth to lead change. Together with Meisa Salaita and Sarah Peterson, Jordan co-founded Atlanta Science Festival in 2014 and built it into a successful nonprofit organization, now called Science ATL. With Science ATL, Jordan brings together schools, companies, and community organizations to improve equitable access to Atlanta’s myriad opportunities to learn and love science. Previously, Jordan led science education initiatives at the Georgia BioEd Institute, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Emory College Center for Science Education, where he supported K-12 teachers and students and facilitated university-community partnerships for 15 years. He is a 2021-22 Education Policy Fellow with the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and board member with Georgia Tech’s GIFT program and Arbor Montessori School. He lives in Tucker and enjoys hiking and riding bikes, playing tennis, rooting for Atlanta United, beating his family at Wordle, and jamming on the ukulele. But not all at the same time.

Karina Teichert

Public Events Manager

Karina Teichert (they/them) is a writer, musician, and artist based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up, they wanted to be both an “inventor” and an author, and they’ve spent their adult life chasing that dream of marrying science and the arts. After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2023 with a degree in Literature, Media, and Communication, they have gone on to work as a storyteller, arts administrator, and now, as part of the Science ATL team, an events manager. When they’re not helping plan the Atlanta Science Festival, you can find them running sound at local house shows, listening to science and design podcasts, or reading!

Danielle Freeman

Festival Administrative Assistant

Danielle is an independent consultant with a focus on helping businesses improve costs, reduce waste and drive culture initiatives that deliver measurable results. She is also thrilled to be a member of the Science ATL team. With over 20 years of experience in the engineering and consulting space, she has supported various clients across industries, focusing on operational efficiency and team performance, working with names you know and love like Gatorade, J.M. Smucker, Safeway and Clorox during her career.

In addition to consulting work, she is passionate about volunteering and has numerous organizations in Metro Atlanta that she shares her time and expertise with. As a lover of science and technology, she is very fortunate to have worked with Science ATL since the very beginning and Is so proud to see how it has grown from then to now. Science ATL is her extended family, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She enjoys bringing continuous improvement concepts into the way we work at Science ATL and is looking forward to future festivals with all of you. If you want to hear some stories from the way back machine, hit her up. It is so fun to reminisce with an eye on continuing to cultivate an equitable community of lifelong learners who are connected and inspired by the wonder of science in metro Atlanta.

Leslie Roberts

Board Member since 2024

Leslie is the Director of Alumni Relations for the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. In this role, she partners closely with the College’s Development team to engage alumni across the country and build a pipeline of future major gift supporters while also expanding the network of local corporate partners interested in mentoring and hiring our students. She has been integral to the partnership with the College’s career education program, working creatively to engage alumni with students and faculty. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Leslie spent 13 years at Columbia University leading and executing over 150 annual events and generating $7.1M in revenue.

Melanie Lawrence

Board Member Since 2021

Melanie Lawrence is Senior Associate Dean of Finance, Operations, & Information Technology and Chief Business Officer at Oxford College of Emory University. With previous roles in Emory University’s School of Law, and central research administration, Melanie has leveraged her knowledge and expertise in finance, student services, strategy, and operations, to enhance business operations in higher education.

Melanie is an Atlanta native and a proud alumnus of Emory University, having received her Executive MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School and serving as Treasurer of the Executive Women of Goizueta Alumni Board. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History, Economics, and Geography from Georgia State University.

Cheryl Kortemeier

Board Chairperson and Member since 2019

Cheryl Kortemeier has served as Executive Director of Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (CVC) for 12 years. The CVC supports companies in their strategic commitment to corporate social impact and community engagement. Previously (1998 – 2011), she was Director of Development and Communications at Trees Atlanta. Cheryl is Co-Chair of the EarthShare Georgia Advisory Board, Tri-Chair of the Partnership for Southern Equity’s Just Business Roundtable and also serves on the Advisory Board for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech.

Anthony J. Saul, FACHE

Board Member since 2023

Anthony Saul serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Grady Health System,. He joined Grady in 2019 as the Senior Vice President of Finance. With over 23 years of experience in healthcare finance and operations, Saul has held CFO roles at LCMC Health and Ochsner Health System in New Orleans as well as Controller roles within the Catholic Health West system.

Saul holds an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the University of Memphis and is a board-certified fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Jason Hoch

Founding Board Member

Jason is CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Wavland. Jason has over 20 years of experience with both major media companies and tech start-ups. Most recently, Jason served as President of Imperative Entertainment’s podcast division where he launched 23 new shows including Boomtown. Previously, as Head of New Initiatives and Executive Producer at HowStuffWorks, Jason launched three #1 podcast hits in 2018: ATLANTA MONSTER (with over 40 million downloads); its follow-up, MONSTER: THE ZODIAC KILLER; and BROKEN HARTS, a podcast collaboration with Glamour Magazine.

Sarah Peterson, PhD

Founding Board Member
Co-Founder

Sarah Peterson believes that wonder and curiosity have the power to bridge divides and bring diverse communities together. As a Co-Founder of Science ATL, she has been instrumental in launching the Atlanta Science Festival and strengthening its operations and programming over the years. Sarah brings together experience as a scholar and teacher of arts and humanities topics with an insatiable curiosity about the science underlying everything we do, see and use daily. As a Program Manager for GT Neuro, she is helping to advance the neuroscience and neurotechnology community at Georgia Tech and across Atlanta. In addition, she co-created ImaginePhD and works to advance the professional and career development of PhDs in all disciplines. She has a PhD in English Literature from Emory University.

Tysheonia Edwards

School & Youth Programs Coordinator

Tysheonia joined Science ATL in 2023 as the School & Youth Programs Coordinator. She developed a passion for nonprofit and youth development when she was an AmeriCorps member working for United Way of Greater Atlanta in their Homelessness Department. During her time in AmeriCorps she worked on numerous projects at United Way but her most exciting project was working with high school youth that come from nontraditional backgrounds. When she’s not working, she’s either traveling or trying out a new restaurant. Tysheonia is committed to developing the next generation of compassionate leaders with Science ATL.

Jess Hunt-Ralston

Board Member since 2022

Jess Hunt-Ralston is director of communications for the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech, home to 3,000 students and 500 faculty and researchers across six internationally ranked schools. A Georgia Tech alumna, Jess previously led communications for Atlanta BeltLine Partnership and the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, and served as a consultant for an international slate of non-profits, start-ups, and small businesses.

Alvaro McRae

Volunteer Manager

Alvaro McRae joined the Science ATL team in 2022 as the Volunteer Manager. Volunteers are vital to Science ATL’s vision of making Atlanta a science city and cultivating an equitable community through the wonder of science. Alvaro leads in developing a robust volunteer program at Science ATL with over 7+ years of experience in volunteer management and building community partnerships across Atlanta. He developed a passion for service to the community after serving as an AmeriCorps NCCC volunteer, where he completed service projects dedicated to hunger relief at the Utah Food Bank, disaster relief in St. Bernard’s Parish, Louisiana and an after-school education program at Pacific Elementary in Sacramento. His other interests include serving as a poll worker for Dekalb County, exploring new hiking trails, indulging in Revolution Doughnuts, and enjoying time with his growing family and friends.

Dana Buskovitz

Public Events Manager

Dana is a scientist by training, and an educator by heart. Since starting her career in STEM education in 2015, Dana has always had a love for sharing science with anyone who will listen through teaching, programming, community outreach, and sharing with science lovers everywhere. Dana is a Clemson grad (Go Tigers), a dog mom, and a lifelong learner! Catch her out and about at one of ScienceATL’s many public events, or taking her dogs for a walk in the park.

Crystal Lazarus

Board Member since 2022

Crystal Lazarus is a Senior Director of Planning & Strategy at Goodwill of North Georgia. She serves as the Controller for HealthMPowers, a nonprofit, promoting healthy habits to build a better future for all children. She has an extensive career working in various financial leadership capacities at Georgia EMA/ Homeland Security, Atlanta Regional Commission, Emory University, and Union City Government. Crystal has managed hundreds of millions of dollars by implementing transparency, innovation, and best practices to comply with GAAP, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and other ordinances/regulations. Her educational endeavors include a Master’s degree in Government and Nonprofit Accounting from Rutgers University, a Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Georgia State University, a Finance Officer Certification from the University of Georgia and other certifications. Crystal currently serves as the President of a chartered stock group and a volunteer tax preparer for the IRS. Crystal was instrumental in helping her former employer earn the coveted Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting from the GFOA.

Vince Ho

Board Member since 2022

As a Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group, Vince leads project teams focused on supply chain improvements and optimization for retail, CPG, and food and beverage clients. His scope of work aims to create efficiencies and streamline planning and delivery capabilities to ensure high levels of customer service while managing costs. Before his time with Boston Consulting Group, Vince worked in the Beverage division at Nestle USA, leading planning and forecasting efforts for a variety of products in the portfolio. As a native of Los Angeles, Vince holds degrees in Biomedical and Industrial Engineering from USC. He also earned his MBA from USC Marshall School of Business. He and his wife, Natalie, have a daughter and two cats here in metro Atlanta. Outside of work and family, Vince enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and cooking.

Brooke Rose

School & Youth Programs Facilitator

Brooke Rose is a dedicated, life-long learner who is passionate about STEAM education. Brooke is a proud Metro Atlanta Teach for America alum and was appointed as a Science Ambassador for the Georgia Department of Education in 2019. She has a background in teaching middle school and high school gifted Math and Science with 10 years of experience. Brooke has a Master’s in Education from Kennesaw State University in Instructional Technology which inspired her to expand her reach beyond the classroom, impacting even more students. She currently coaches teachers on the effective use of instructional technology. In addition to teaching and coaching in the public school system, she has successfully tutored hundreds of kids all over the world for the SAT and ACT, helping them go to the college or university of their dreams. Brooke’s teammates describe her as a dependable leader, a hard worker, and their favorite Harry Potter Nerd.

Isabela Galoustian

Data Management Intern

Isabela Galoustian is a 3rd year undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in Materials Science and minoring in Applied Math. Science education aimed to excite has had a profound impact on their childhood and life, and they’re passionate about fostering the spirit of curiosity in younger students. They’ve worked on previous projects related to educational outreach including Citizen Science and Emory Science Olympiad, and are currently a member of the Weeks Soft Matter Physics lab at Emory studying characteristics of random close packing! In their free time they like to lift and take walks in nature.

Paula Garcia Todd

School & Youth Programs Facilitator

With a steadfast desire to help patients through pharmaceutical technologies, Paula Garcia Todd has made significant contributions in drug delivery through her work at Dow Chemical, DuPont, and now IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances) for the past 18 years. As a Global Applications, Development & Innovation leader, she leads a team of 40 scientists and engineers to research and create patented polymer innovations to solve critical formulation issues for pharmaceutical companies around the world. Paula is passionate about introducing STEM to children. She has volunteered on boards and organizations focused on increasing the number of female and under-represented students in STEM fields, especially engineering, for the past decade. She has been active in diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy within industry, working through women’s and Latinx employee resources groups to create awareness and improve company cultures. In 2019, she was named a AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassador by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her devoted work in STEM outreach and was featured in a life-sized statue exhibit of outstanding women in STEM fields at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. Paula collaborated with Science ATL in 2021 to co-create the STEM Professional School Partnership program. Recently, she was named “Woman of the Year in Engineering” by Women in Technology and received a “Luminary Award” by Great Minds in STEM.

Mya Finley

Youth Ambassador Program Intern

Mya Finley is currently a senior at Georgia State University, getting her bachelors in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in data analytics. She is originally from Memphis, TN but decided to permanently call Atlanta, GA home. Her dream career is to work as a Data Analyst within the healthcare field. In her spare time she likes to go to movies and is an avid horror fan. As a Youth Ambassador Intern, she hopes to encourage young students within the Atlanta area to find a passion for STEM.

Tiffany Jones, EdD

School & Youth Programs Facilitator

Dr. Tiffany Jones is an educator passionate about connecting students with the amazing world of STEM. For almost 10 years, Tiffany has worked in the field of science education, teaching by day and volunteering on weekends to help students find their love of STEM. Tiffany currently teaches at South Cobb High School, serves as an assessment writer for the Georgia Science Olympiad, and volunteers to judge at many metro-Atlanta events at all levels. She also serves the Cobb-Paulding Regional Science Fair as a judge and assists with elementary science fairs as needed. Tiffany is involved with Science ATL’s Georgia Chief Science Officers (CSO) program as a site advisor and lead advisor to support CSOs and their teachers as they learn how to project their voice into the STEM conversations in Atlanta. Tiffany is also a proud Mom who does many of the items listed above from beside a softball field or dance studio. Her absolute greatest joy in life comes from watching her daughter discover the wonders of science and engineering from her worldview.

Zaid Irfan

Storytelling Intern

Zaid’s curiosity for science began at a young age when he was exposed to the concept of a
human cell and the intricacies associated with it; he has since committed to unveiling that
curiosity for over a decade and is currently pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience at Georgia State University. Zaid extends and promotes his interest in science and health disparities through the three organizations for which he is an executive officer at his academic institute, one of which he Co-Founded. Besides his affinity toward science, he enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with his family and friends in his free time.

Julia Regeski

Storyteller

Julia Regeski is a writer and content strategist who believes that everyone’s story deserves to be told in a way that’s intentional, compelling, and authentic. Her work experience has been focused on advancing meaningful social causes, and includes advocating on behalf of Georgia’s environmental resources and bringing together nonprofits in the wake of natural disasters. When she’s not using her communications skills to try to make the world a better place, you’ll likely find her reading, practicing yoga, or adventuring in the great outdoors.

Lucy Cronin-Golomb

Content Manager, Science Scene Calendar

Lucy Cronin-Golomb is currently working towards her PhD in psychology at Emory University. She is especially curious about learning and memory. Her interest in learning and memory was piqued during her time as research assistant at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, where she studied the brain basis of reading and language.

Now, she is interested in how our ideas, thoughts, and beliefs about the world develop over time. She wants to know more about how kids and adults grow their knowledge base- How do kids learn differently than adults? How do people choose what they want to learn? How does memory develop over time? These are just a few of the questions Lucy is pursuing in her studies.

Lucy is passionate about making science accessible to everyone. She wants to share her love for finding out the “why” and is especially enthusiastic about getting kids of all ages engaged with and excited about science! Lucy is a National Institutes of Health T32 fellow.

Meisa Salaita, PhD

Founding Board Member
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director

Meisa Salaita has made it her mission to help others see and appreciate the beauty of science by making it a part of everyday cultural experiences. Through her work founding and directing Science ATL, she spends her days convincing everyone else to fall in love with science as well. To that end, Meisa also writes, has produced radio stories, and hosted TV shows — all in the name of science. In addition to her work with Science ATL, Meisa is a producer for The Story Collider, a science storytelling podcast. Meisa has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern, and was recently named by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of 20 Women Who Mean Business in Atlanta.

AJ Chestnut Raines

School & Youth Programs Manager

AJ Chestnut Raines is a writer and educator with a background in chemistry, mathematics and middle grades science. For over 10 years, AJ has worked in the field of STEM education. Beginning as an extracurricular instructor, AJ’s in classroom experiences led her to find her niche in curriculum and instructional design. Her interdisciplinary writings have aided in program development for science education firms, education certifications for public schools, and grant procurement for non-profit organizations. As School & Youth Programs Manager at Science ATL, AJ leads the Georgia Chief Science Officers (CSO) and STEM Professional School Partnership (SPSP) programs.

Sarah Strassler

Digital Content Contributor

Sarah Strassler is a Biochemistry PhD student at Emory University, working in a structural biology lab to understand how enzymes and RNAs interact with one another in our bodies. Her passion for science communication began while serving as Peace Corps Volunteer where she enjoyed helping students make sense of the “magic” in the world around them through science. Sarah is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and an ARCS Scholar.

Kristen Clayton

Public Events Coordinator

Kristen Clayton is a nonprofit professional with experience focusing on the arts sector and is fascinated by the intersection of science, art, community organization, placemaking, and education. Kristen values creativity and curiosity and their ability to build a bridge between art and science. As Science ATL’s Public Events Coordinator, she is responsible for planning and executing a creative slate of recurring events and in assisting in planning the Atlanta Science Festival. With a MA in Nonprofit Management and Arts Administration focusing on art and nature from the University of Oregon, her experience includes program development, research, and evaluation for the High Museum of Art, Atlanta Contemporary, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

Susan Lozier, PhD

Board Member Since 2021

Susan Lozier is Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. Dean Lozier leads more than 2,500 students and 500 faculty and researchers across six internationally ranked schools in the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech. She is a physical oceanographer who researches the ocean’s role in climate variability and climate change, and the role that ocean physics plays in those expected changes. She currently serves as President of the American Geophysical Union and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a past president of The Oceanography Society, as well as the international lead for the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP) observing system.

Tjuan Dogan, PhD

Board Member Since 2019

Dr. Tjuan Dogan is passionate about education and curious about the intersection of art, science, and technology. As Global Director of Social Impact at Coursera, she develops strategies to impact global societies and transform lives through learning. Prior to Coursera, she held leadership positions in corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and social impact with Emory University, IBM, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the Southern Education Foundation. Tjuan is a native of Greenville, SC, earned her Ph.D. in education, with a concentration in business management, at the University of South Carolina, and completed a year-long fellowship at Harvard Business School after earning her Ph.D. She enjoys live theater, golf, patio gardening, and making stained glass art.

David Hartnett

Chairman of the Board (Founding)

As chief economic development officer for Metro Atlanta Chamber’s, David is responsible for leading a team focused on the recruitment, retention and expansion of companies and skilled talent within focused clusters e.g. corporate headquarters, bioscience, healthcare, IoT, smart city, cybersecurity, fintech, supply chain, eSports, and digital media/entertainment.

Before joining the Chamber, Hartnett served as the president and CEO of Maco Pharma (formerly United Pharma™) a privately held medical device/pharmaceutical company based in Duluth, Georgia, headquartered in Lille France. Prior to Maco Pharma, Hartnett was president and CEO of SteriFx Corporation, a specialty chemical company, contracted by U.S. Department of Defense (DARPA). Before SteriFx, he was the executive vice president of the North American headquarters of Given Imaging, Inc. (GIVN-NASDAQ). Under his leadership, the company commercialized the “PillCam” video capsule.

Hartnett is married with four sons, was raised on Coronado Island, California and is an active member of the Atlanta business community.

Jason Wellman

Board Member since 2019

Jason is a Regional Operations Manager at Google, where he leads data center operations across the eastern United States and South America, including sites in Moncks Corner, SC; Lenoir, NC; Douglas County, GA; Widows Creek, AL; Clarksville, TN and Santiago, Chile.

Since joining Google in 2005, Jason has held various positions related to Google’s Data Center Infrastructure and Operations. During his time at Google, Jason has successfully led cross-functional teams supporting Google’s critical business operations.

He is a member of the Lithia Springs High School STEM Board of Directors, which helped the school receive its certification and distinction as Georgia’s seventh STEM school in May 2016. Jason is a former member of the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce’s Chairman’s Club and also served on the board of directors for the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

A Texas native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stephen F. Austin State University. In 2005, Jason moved to Georgia with his wife and three children. The family currently resides in Milton, GA.