Melissa Cobb
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.
Dr. Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer 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. Ten years ago she was a member of the founding team for the teacher professional development program, SENSEsational Science, which is now a TRSA program and has served over 400 Oklahoma teachers and given out over 32,000 hours of PD.
When not at work, Emily enjoys running, biking, swimming and ninja.
Levi Patrick
Levi is a 7th generation Oklahoman with experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum writer. After teaching in Putnam City and Oklahoma City schools, Levi worked at the K20 Center for Education and Community Renewal as a Mathematics Specialist. Most recently, he worked at the Oklahoma State Department of Education for more than eight years as the Director of Computer Science and Secondary Mathematics and Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. He began his role as the Executive Director of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance in 2021. Levi holds his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics Education from Oklahoma State University and his Master’s Degree in Instructional and Academic Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.
During his career, Levi has made authentic, ambitious instruction his goal as he has provided countless hours of professional development, designed state policies, managed federal grants, and helped to direct millions of dollars aimed at elevating excellent STEM teaching. Levi has designed and implemented innovative structures that reimagine accountability as a method for envisioning, supporting, and celebrating schools. As a result, Oklahoma has gained national attention for the Champions of Excellence initiative including two research studies focusing on the role Networked Improvement Communities play in creating collective efficacy and affecting instruction, social-emotional, and achievement outcomes. The widely-regarded framework for evaluating STEM integration, co-developed with Tiffany Neill, has become an essential tool for STEM leaders across the country. While serving on the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics as the Vice-President of Program, Levi co-authored the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics position paper on STEM Education, “Building STEM Education on a Sound Mathematical Foundation,” co-developed the Every Student Succeeds Act Toolkit that provided guidance for reviewing and improving state plans for federally funded initiatives, and received the 2019 State Leadership Service Award in Mathematics from the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics and Texas Instruments. Levi completed a fellowship with Results for America in 2020 and continues to prioritize evidence-based investments in STEM Education that can ensure all students are STEM-ready and lead choice-filled lives.
When Levi isn’t dreaming about STEM Education, you can find him and his daughter Ruby hiking, picnicking, cooking, gardening, cycling, birding, or watching Frozen for the umpteen-millionth time.
Kristen Schooley
Although originally from Texas, Kristen is a Tulsan through and through! She has lived here nearly all of her life and has loved seeing the city grow into the gem that it is today. One of her favorite things about Tulsa is its philanthropic spirit, which is why she is excited to serve as the Development Director for TRSA, connecting Tulsans to an impactful, forward-thinking organization.
Kristen is a proud product of Tulsa Public Schools. From Will Rogers High School, she attended The University of Tulsa where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – with a minor in art! After graduation, Kristen spent ten years working with the American Cancer Society in event fundraising, PR and marketing, and people leadership, followed by nearly 8 years as the Director of Wellness at Montereau, a not-for-profit retirement community in Tulsa. As Director of Wellness, she was responsible for ensuring excellence in resident services through the work of her many team members. Kristen is a dynamic leader with a passion for serving others, and she brings years of experience in development and nonprofit management to the TRSA team.
Outside of work, Kristen enjoys working out (for her sanity, really) and playing as much tennis as possible! She volunteers for a number of organizations including the Junior League of Tulsa, Reading Partners and the Nancy Walton Laurie Leadership Institute of Chi Omega, for which she serves as the National Team Chair. And, of course, she loves spending time with her husband, Tim, and as many friends and family members as possible!
Lynn Staggs
Lynn Staggs is the Chief of Staff for TRSA. Having worked in the tech industry for many years, TRSA and its mission of raising awareness about and interest in STEM is near and dear to her heart.
Living with a husband with a science degree and raising a daughter with a science degree and a son with an engineering degree, Lynn is the maverick in the family with a double major in literature and mass media studies.
While this is the first time she’s been paid for her work at a non-profit, Lynn has accumulated thousands of volunteer hours at numerous non-profits – starting in high school when she volunteered with a special needs Girl Scout troop, through the PTA years, and up to her current board membership at the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa.
Away from work, she lives by the rally cry of her birth city, New Orleans — laissez le bon temps rouler!
Kristen Tanner
Kristen received her B.S. in Elementary Education and Masters Certificate in STEM Education from Northeastern State University and has 12 years of experience in the classroom, most recently as an elementary STEM teacher. She has a passion for STEM education, working with and encouraging teachers, and helping students broaden their horizons and change the future. She has been married to her husband for over 20 years and they have two amazing daughters. They love to travel and visit National Parks. When she’s not attending one of her daughters’ many band events, you can probably find her pulling weeds in the yard while dreaming of her next hiking and road trip.
Abigail Vensel
Abigail (Abbey) is originally from Upstate New York, near the Syracuse area. 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.
In her free time, Abbey enjoys reading and watching movies, discussing said books and movies at length, and channeling her creative energy into the fiber arts such as knitting, crocheting, and sewing.
Jaime Walton
Jaime didn’t fully realize it at the time, but as a high school student, she had a few advantages that helped her achieve success against a backdrop of challenges. Her work today, as a leading advocate for increasing awareness, as well as opportunity and access, seeks to spread those types of advantages more equitably across the educational landscape for students of all races, ethnicities, genders, and economic circumstances.
Though originally from Colorado, Jaime now proudly calls Tulsa her home. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in marketing from Northeastern State University and brings more than 10 years of experience in strategic communications. Jaime has rejoined the TRSA team after working with Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, where she helped develop a strategic plan to inspire and empower young women into 21st-century careers and fields of study.
She has a passion for creating inclusive opportunities and awareness around the life-changing impact STEM thinking can have on an individual student, family, community, and country.
For fun, Jaime enjoys cooking with her husband, running, video games, and coaching The Boss Ladies (FLL robotics team #32260).
