Our Team

Jen Lewin joined the Baxter Center in August of 2024 after eight years in the Office of Community Education Partnerships (OCEP). As a former classroom teacher, Jen embraces opportunities to work with students and families, educators, schools, and the community. She taught middle school in the Chicago Public Schools for a decade before coming to Northwestern as a STEM partnership coordinator. Equitable practices for educators and students are at the center of Jen’s core beliefs including finding innovative ways to support efforts to spark curiosity and a drive for learning. She has been a PreK-8 science coach, an informal educator, and considers herself a lifelong learner. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning, and a Master of Arts in Educational Technology.

Kate joined the Baxter Center team in January 2023. You'll find her managing the Baxter Box and Lab Grant programs, supporting workshops and the Symposium, and spending time at schools in the BCSE network. Kate also works closely with data management, program evaluation, and maintenance of the website. Previously, she worked as an engineer and informal educator. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from Murray State University and a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Natalie joined the team in September 2018. She helps coordinate teacher professional development workshops, the Baxter Symposium, and student programming, and she collaborates closely with Round Lake Area Schools and Lake County Schools. She also supports data management, program evaluation, and website maintenance. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology and a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, as well as a Master of Data Science from Northwestern University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Kiko.

Nicole joined the BCSE in November of 2024. She went to high school at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School before attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and a Certificate in International Development. Nicole supports a wide range of BCSE programming, with a particular focus in managing the center's financial transactions, communications, and internal systems. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading fantasy novels, practicing yoga, and playing with her dog, Mateo ૮ ･ ﻌ･ა

Sachin began working at OCEP in May of 2013. Sachin works as a software developer for the Baxter Center for Science Education and the Computational Thinking in STEM (CT-STEM) projects. Sachin loves to work at OCEP because he gets to come and hang out with cool people every day. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Washington in 2006 and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Chicago in 2013.

Jen is honored to serve as Principal Investigator for the BCSE, building on her prior role as a faculty partner with the BCSE since joining Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy in 2019. She happily answers to the name "Richards" to help differentiate from wonderful Director Jen Lewin. Richards loves partnering with Chicagoland educators to support the BCSE’s professional learning opportunities and is increasingly getting back to her lab roots (much has changed since she was an undergraduate biology major!). Prior to coming to Northwestern, she worked with the Ambitious Science Teaching group at the University of Washington after earning a master’s and Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Maryland. For more on Jen's research, check out her faculty profile.

Moni is a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Russian and East European Studies. She's currently a part of the Baxter Science Program as an administrative assistant and is working on joining a lab by the end of her freshman year.

Sana joined the Baxter Center team in October of 2023. They currently work as an administrative assistant for the team, working in event programming and coordination for teacher workshops, the annual Baxter Symposium, and the Summer Scholars Program. Sana is a part of the class of 2026 in the Weinberg College of Arts and Science at Northwestern University, with a dual major in Data Science and Sociology.

Gloria joined the Baxter Center team in June of 2022. She works as an administrative aide, assisting with workshops and student outreach programs such as the Summer Scholars Program. Gloria is currently a class of 2026 student at Wellesley College and is pursuing a major in computer science.