Jennah Applebaum
Jennah’s 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 has a diverse background in music, education, and nonprofit marketing. Now, she’s excited to use her diverse skill set to inspire and connect the next generation of STEM leaders in Oklahoma!
Allison Bailey
Allison Bailey 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
Being raised in 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.
In her free time, Katie gets creative with DIY home projects and cross-stitch art, enjoys the camaraderie and competitiveness of shooting in a pool league, is a college sports fanatic, and truly cherishes her time shared with friends and family.
Rachel Christy
Rachel received a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Northeastern State University. After completing her degree program, Rachel also earned additional certifications in Elementary Education and Secondary Computer Science Education.
Before joining TRSA, Rachel taught Kindergarten, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Eighth Grade, and Ninth Grade across Oklahoma for a total of 10 years. During her tenure as an educator, Rachel served as a robotics instructor, STEM Family Night Coordinator, STEM Advisory Committee Chair, and wrote and received classroom grants totaling over $80,000. As a lifelong learner, she also participated in numerous professional development opportunities in the areas of STEM and equity, with her most recent participation in the National Air and Space Museum Teacher Innovator Institute.
Through her experiences as a public school teacher, Rachel realized her passion for STEM engagement and the representation of youth in typically marginalized communities. This realization led to a change of career path to the nonprofit world, where she could apply her passions, skills, and knowledge to influence STEM Education on a larger scale. It also inspired Rachel’s current pursuit of a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from Arkansas State University.
Outside of her passions for STEM Education, Rachel loves spending time with her daughters, Clara and Emilynn, and their dog, Rexi. Their most treasured adventures include cooking, painting, camping, reading, fiercely competitive game nights, and bursting into song and dancing at random intervals throughout the day (because life would be better as a musical).
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.
Christie Little
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.
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. 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.
When not at work, Emily is an active triathlete and UNAA ninja as part of the 2024 Smashfest Queen Athlete Team.
Anitra Parish
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. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, who all share a passion for art, community, and advocacy. Anitra loves learning new things and going to new places and is excited to continue her work and passions in her new community of Tulsa.
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.
Michelle Rahn
Space enthusiast Michelle Rahn has been an educator for the past 16 years, teaching kindergarten through 8th grade. During this time, she has integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into her project-based instruction. As part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovative Institute, Michelle loves to share her passion for STEM education and space exploration with other teachers nationwide. Before teaching, Michelle and her husband Eric owned and operated a small business in Claremore, where she currently resides. This background gives her a unique perspective on bridging education with industry and the importance of an equitable STEM educational experience for the future workforce.
Michelle holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership in Mathematics and Science from Oklahoma State University and has been recognized locally and nationally for her innovative and authentic student-focused teaching style. Michelle was awarded the Siegfried Excellence in STEM Education Award, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in Elementary Teaching, and a state finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
When she is not sharing the joy of STEM education or learning about space exploration, you can find Michelle learning new things related to gardening, cooking, stargazing, and, most importantly, spending time with family and friends.
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 joins our team with over a decade of experience in strategic communications, program development, and community partnerships. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in marketing from Northeastern State University.
Originally from Colorado, Jaime has proudly made Tulsa her home. She 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.
In her free time, you can find Jaime outside – running, cycling, camping, or endlessly playing fetch with her dogs.
