Our Team

Jen has been a faculty partner with the Baxter Center for Science Education since joining Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy in 2019, and she is now serving as PI and Acting Director of the Center. She loves partnering with Chicagoland educators to support the Center’s professional learning and teacher leadership opportunities. Prior to coming to Northwestern, Jen worked with the Ambitious Science Teaching group at the University of Washington. She has middle and high school science teaching experience, a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Political Science/International Relations from the University of Delaware, and a master’s and Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Maryland.

Ashley is part of the Baxter Center for Science Education, a collaborative partnership across Lindblom Math & Science Academy & Chicago Public Schools, Baxter International Foundation, and the Office of Community and Education Partnerships (OCEP) at Northwestern University. With a mission of developing programs that promote equity in science education, Ashley has cultivated professional learning and teacher leadership opportunities for the Center that elevate local science teachers’ expertise since 2014. She also has a passion for making sure educators have the materials they need to do hands-on science in their classrooms. Ashley has both a master's and bachelor's degree from Purdue University.

Natalie joined the OCEP team in September 2018. She is working with the Baxter Center for Science Education to develop OCEP’s partnership with Baxter International Inc. and Round Lake Area Schools. Natalie is excited to share her passion for STEM at the Baxter Center’s newest location, Round Lake High School, and Northwestern. In working with OCEP, Natalie also hopes to promote equity in STEM education by supporting teacher professional development, providing authentic STEM experiences for students, and developing community partnerships in Lake County. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology and a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Kate joined the OCEP team in January 2023. She is working with the Baxter Center for Science Education to coordinate the Baxter Box program. Kate is excited to harmonize her engineering and education experience in this new role to increase the reach, quality, and impact of the program. 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.

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.

James joined Northwestern’s CIERA in February of 2022, and is thrilled to be a project partner with BCSE. James brings a background in the physical sciences and education. He received his Bachelor’s of Science degree from Penn State in Planetary Science and Astronomy, and paired it with graduate coursework in Informal Science Education at Portland State. James is motivated to improve the human condition by elevating scientific literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking skills through public outreach and engagement. He has led STEM outreach programs for learners of all ages across the U.S. with a focus on individuals who are disadvantaged or underrepresented. James also loves visiting national parks, and his top joys are space, cats, sports, and ice cream.

Jamie joined the Baxter Center team in October 2021. She helps prepare workshops and compile resources for teachers as well as organize and develop Baxter Box materials. She hopes to help enhance science education and expand access to resources for teachers and students. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences with a major in neuroscience and a minor in Science and Human Culture as a member of the Class of 2025.

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.

Sylvia joined the Baxter Center team in October of 2022, a year after joining the Northwestern-Evanston Education Research Alliance (NEERA) (which is housed within the Office of Community Education Partnerships (OCEP)) as a research and administrative aid in October 2021. They work as an administrative aide, assisting with handling reservations for teachers online and in person, finding the most efficient ways of being productive through in-person organization and discussions about website changes, writing guidelines for various tasks to generalize them for the team, and developing surveys to be sent out to teachers. They are pursuing a Bachelor's degree in the Weinberg College of Arts and Science (WCAS) at Northwestern University in Statistics and Psychology with a minor in Data Science, being set to graduate in June of 2024.

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.

Bella joined the Baxter Center team in October 2023. She works as an Administrative Aid focusing on content creation, promoting the student and teacher initiatives of the Baxter Center via social media and written content, striving to reach the students and educators who could benefit from the centers’ resources most. She is passionate about creating engaging and creative media to share the good work of the Baxter center with as many people as possible. Bella is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism at The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University with a minor in Spanish and intended Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate as a member of the Class of 2026.