Meet the Nerd Herd
Levi Patrick
Executive Director
Levi is a lifelong Oklahoman with over 18 years of experience in education. He has worked in various roles, including as a teacher, instructional coach, curriculum writer, and state education leader. As the Executive Director of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, Levi is dedicated to promoting STEM education and ensuring all students have access to quality STEM opportunities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education and a master’s degree in instructional leadership.
Dr. Emily Mortimer
VP of STEM Ecosystems
Emily is a rural Missouri native with a B.S. in Biology from Missouri State University, M.S. in Teaching, Learning and Leadership from OSU, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and STEM from OSU. Her professional experience includes 14 years in informal education at the Tulsa Zoo and Dickerson Park Zoo. Over the years, her main job duties included behavioral training for various bird and mammal species, volunteer management, community partnerships, program development, curriculum writing, and education department management. Fifteen years ago, she was a founding team member for the teacher professional development program, SENSEsational Science, which is now a TRSA program. She has served over 400 Oklahoma teachers and given out over 32,000 hours of PD.
Jennah Applebaum
Communications & Impact Manager
Jennah has a diverse background in music, education, and nonprofit marketing. Her journey into the world of STEM began during her time as the Marketing and Communications Manager for a nonprofit organization. It was there that she discovered an interest in web development and decided to delve deeper.
Fueled by an innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge, she began learning to code and grew passionate about opportunities for women in technology and STEM. Jennah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership.
Allison Bailey
Program Manager
Competitions & Mentoring
Allison is a seasoned community relations professional with over a decade of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Previously, she managed community partnerships and executed impactful programs, including strategic STEM initiatives impacting K-12 students. She holds an MBA in Leadership and Organizational Development and is advancing her expertise with certifications in Project Management and Data Analytics. Her career is marked by a commitment to building and sustaining strategic relationships and driving community engagement.
Katie Burk
Director of Development
Originally from rural Wisconsin, Katie has called Tulsa home since 2005. She joined the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and spent more than 17 years developing strategic fundraising plans and cultivating donor relations through the SEG Foundation. Katie received a Certificate in Fundraising Management from The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and has a strong passion for connecting individual and corporate donors to the meaningful missions of charitable organizations.
Melissa Cobb
Senior Program Manager
Melissa received her B.S. in Secondary Science Education from Oklahoma State University. She has 9 years of experience teaching high school Environmental Science, Marine Science, and STEM. Before becoming an educator, she worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Melissa is passionate about supporting teachers and helping students overcome barriers, making STEM education more accessible to all. Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, reading, and training her dogs in competition agility.
Christie Little
Accountant
Christie was born and raised in Oklahoma and has called Tulsa home since 2003. She received her M.S. in Accounting from Oklahoma State University and has over 20 years of public accounting experience in auditing and quality control. When not crunching numbers, Christie enjoys quilting, knitting, traveling/camping with her husband (also a CPA), and spending time with their three dogs. Christie also loves watching baseball, and she and her husband are over halfway to their goal of attending a game at every major league baseball park.
Anitra Parish
Operations & Program Logistics Manager
Anitra is a seasoned continuous improvement professional with decades of operational and program experience in the nonprofit sector, focusing on promoting equity in education and increasing organizational impact. She is passionate about decreasing barriers for youth and their families, leveraging creativity and empathy as powerful tools in her work. Anitra has worked on multiple STEM initiatives that have brought advanced education to youth in San Diego, CA in fields such as oceanography, environmentalism, DNA sequencing, and more. Born and raised in Southern California, Anitra relocated to Tulsa in 2022.
Michelle Rahn
Program Manager
Professional Development | Curriculum & Resources
Michelle is a seasoned educator with a passion for STEM education and space exploration. She has taught for 16 years and has integrated STEM into her project-based instruction. Michelle is a recipient of several awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Siegfried Excellence in STEM Education Award, and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in Elementary Teaching. She holds a master’s degree in mathematics and science education and is committed to providing equitable STEM education for all students.
Abigail Vensel
Program Manager
Me & My Math Mentor
Abigail (Abbey) is originally from Upstate New York. After graduating from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo with a B.A. in Mathematics, Abbey moved to Tulsa to join the 2018 Corps of Teach for America. She spent the next four years in the classroom, teaching 7th grade math and 8th grade Pre-Engineering. Abbey has a strong passion for math, STEM, and encouraging youth to explore interests relating to STEM, as well as providing teachers meaningful opportunities & resources to help their students be exposed to all things STEM.
Jaime Walton
Community Engagement Manager
Originally from Colorado, Jaime has proudly made Tulsa her home. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in marketing and has over a decade of experience in strategic communications, program development, and community partnerships. Jaime is a member of the inaugural board of Outdoor Classroom – Tulsa, a nonprofit organization focused on STEM and outdoor education, where she contributes her expertise in volunteer coordination and partnership development.