STEAM Superheroes Board Members

Linda Zaruches has spent the last 30 years working in Human Resources as a generalist and a recruiter. She worked for major healthcare and technology companies and all her roles included community and campus outreach to increase women and diversity into STEAM roles.   She created partnerships with women and diversity organizations, and she launched programs including a boot camp to encourage and inspire young people to pursue a career in STEAM.  

Her undergraduate degree is in sociology and her master's degree is in public administration with a focus on human resource management from Arizona State University. In addition, she has a strong background in event management and has served as the project lead for several large conventions and conferences throughout her career.    

Linda was heavily influenced by science fiction as a child and her favorite book is Dune, and her favorite TV series is Star Trek. In addition to Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5 and Star Wars, she also enjoys all the series from the Stargate franchise and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Dr. Aidyl Gonzalez-Serricchio is an unconventional scientist, educator, and analog astronaut dedicated to pushing the boundaries of science and promoting STEM education, research accessibility, and social and environmental justice. Armed with a Doctorate in Molecular Genetics from the prestigious California Institute of Technology, her academic journey was propelled by pivotal postdoctoral research on myotonic dystrophy at the University of Southern California. This journey led her to assume the role of co-principal investigator at California State Polytechnic, and she has now come full circle as a researcher at the California Institute of Technology while serving as Outreach Director and Senior Researcher at the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences. 

Pronounced "Ideal," Aidyl explores astrobiology, researching soil health and microbiomes in extreme environments from the Arctic to an Azores lava tube cave. Her research also encompasses neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on dementia using nematodes. As an Explorers Club member and part of the class of 2024 FIFTY PEOPLE CHANGING THE WORLD, Aidyl joins a distinguished group of individuals that the world needs to know about. As a NASA Solar System Ambassador and amateur magician, Aidyl captivates audiences with her unique fusion of science and enchantment. 

A fervent advocate for Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB), she holds advisory and executive roles in organizations like SparkReach Leadership and STEAM Superheroes, embodying a holistic commitment to advancing scientific exploration and societal progress.  

Rosa L. Smothers brings over 25 years of expertise in cybersecurity and advanced technology across both public and commercial sectors. With a distinguished career spanning more than a decade at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she played a key role in advancing cutting-edge computer technology, Smothers has led strategic planning and execution of cyber operations targeting terrorist and nation-state entities.

Following her impactful tenure, she assumed the position of Director of Cybersecurity Strategy at The Nielsen Company and currently holds the role of Vice-President and Chief Information Security Officer at CATIC.  Highlighted in "The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women in the CIA," Smothers holds a B.A. in Information Studies and an M.S. in Computer Network Security.

Beyond her professional pursuits, she actively advocates for education in cybersecurity, AI, computer programming, and national security for children and teens. Serving as the Vice President of "S.T.E.A.M. Superheroes," a foundation dedicated to empowering young individuals in these fields, Smothers is deeply committed to fostering the next generation's interest in these critical domains. Additionally, she is a member of Infragard and Women in Defense, further contributing to the advancement and security of the cybersecurity landscape.

Subrina has 33 years of public accounting experience in the areas of tax, investments, and process management for a number of clients ranging from not-for-profit organizations, banks, trust funds, investment firms, and public accounting firms. She started her career at KPMG, then went on to be an AVP at Mellon Bank, followed by a department head position in the Boston office of Thomsen Reuters. Eventually, she moved to Washington D.C. to work for professional accounting firms that specialized in tax-exempt entities.

Ms. Wood has presented at the AICPA Tax Exempt Conference, the Tax Institute, the Washington D.C. CPA Society and most recently at Northwestern Law School. She served on the board of the Justice Policy Institute as Treasurer for three consecutive terms. Currently she is a volunteer financial advisor to the International Association of End-of-Life Doulas and a paid financial consultant to the Black Public Defenders Association. Subrina received her Master of Science degree in Accounting from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art History from the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is a Certified Public Accountant and currently resides in Maryland.

Ronald S. Gamble, Jr, Ph.D. is a Theoretical Astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researching the energy emission processes of relativistic jets from high-energy active galactic nuclei and their connection to Supermassive Black Hole rotations. He is currently a CRESST-II Visiting Assistant Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland—College Park. Accompanying this, Dr. Gamble also has seven years experience in academia as a physics, mathematics, and computational science instructor and curricula developer. His experiences span across multiple industries including higher-education, space & defense, and the Arts.

He received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics (2017); M.S. in Condensed Matter Physics (2014) and B.S. Physics (2012) from the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. While there he held a Title III HBGI Fellowship, completing the first physics-related dissertation at North Carolina A&T State University pertaining to the emission and propagation of nonlinear tensor-mode gravitational waves from colliding black holes. Dr. Gamble holds professional memberships in the National Society of Black Physicists, the National Society of Hispanic Physicists (2009-2012), and the American Physical Society (FECS, Division of Astrophysics, Division of Gravitational Physics, and the Forum on Diversity & Inclusion). He is frequently sought after by his former students for academic and career advisement and mentoring. His future endeavors involve establishing a network for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students within underrepresented STEM fields. Dr. Gamble is also an established oil/acrylic painter, graphic designer, and illustrator with 15 years of experience. 

Swati was born in Bengaluru India, and emigrated to the United States of America when she was one years old. Her interest in space was inspired by watching Star Trek The Next Generation as a young child. For most of her childhood, however, she wanted to be a pediatrician. After taking her first Physics class, (due to a wonderful teacher), she switched focus to pursue engineering instead, with a focus in aerospace engineering. 

Swati attended Cornell University and received her B.S. in 2004 in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. After a brief stint working at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Cassini mission, in 2004-2005, she went on to graduate school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Aeronautics/Astronautics department, where she received her PhD in 2010.  Swati was a part of the Space Systems Laboratory, under the guidance of Dr. David Miller. 

She worked on the SPHERES project for her thesis, and also helped the initial trial of the ZERO Robotics program. She re-joined NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2010 in the Guidance, Navigation, and Controls section. Since then, Swati has worked on a number of missions, such as GRAIL, OCO-3, Mars 2020 Perseverance, and Psyche. She is best known for being the voice of Entry, Descent, and Landing for Perseverance's landing on February 18, 2021. She was the GNC lead and a Chief Engineer for the Psyche mission that launched October 13, 2023.

Sarah Christmas holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and is the founder of Shattered Glass Media (SGM), a respected entertainment consulting company specializing in digital multi-media production services, dedicated to empowering a diverse clientele of athletes, artists, entertainers & beyond.

With more than 25 years of experience in the television & motion picture industry, Sarah has provided services to major tv and film houses, such as TBS, MTV, Lifetime Television, FOX, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate and Walt Disney Pictures, to name a few. Her works also include providing visual backdrops in the production of Oscar award-winning features.

Currently her agency is designing unique brand strategies with media partnerships for several Emmy award winning authors & illustrators, that it represents. SGM currently has three client partners nominated for the upcoming Grammy Awards season. Sarah’s expertise is in developing collaborative partnerships and helping clients understand the value of their digital real-estate.

She & her husband are raising two children, where the oldest recently attended Space Camp Expedition 39. As a dual citizen of Nigeria, Sarah is uniquely positioned to navigate the expansion of next generation intellectual properties throughout the America’s & Sub-Saharan Africa. 

LaShana Lewis is Founder & CEO of L. M. Lewis Consulting, a DEI, technology and nonprofit management consulting firm. She started watching Star Trek from a young age and has been a dedicated Trekker since her childhood in East St. Louis, influencing her to pursue a passion in computer engineering. When she's not working or watching Star Trek, you can find her on the board of nonprofits dedicated to providing access to women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants, and people of color.

Dr. Kayla Iacovino is a volcano scientist with Jacobs at NASA Johnson Space Center. Having been a Star Trek fan practically from birth, the legacy of Nichelle Nichols and countless other women involved in Trek both in front of and behind the camera have shaped her life and career.

As Star Trek teaches us, humanity must explore. This drive for discovery and betterment has taken Dr. Iacovino to volcanoes around the world in such exotic places as Antarctica, DR Congo, North Korea, Chile, Costa Rica, and more. There she takes samples and measurements to understand how volcanoes work, why they erupt, and how volcanic processes shape the Earth and other planets. In her lab at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, she simulates the conditions inside of magma chambers to map out and understand how molten rock at high pressures and temperatures drives volcanic eruptions and shapes planets. Since 2019, Dr. Iacovino has worked with NASA to study not only our planet but volcanoes and magmas in outer space. Her work looks at how planets form and evolve over time to answer such questions as: how might we look for life on other worlds? Why is the Earth so different from the other planets in our solar system? How do planets become planets?

Dr. Iacovino is passionate about passing on her love of science and exploration to future generations and in supporting those with fewer opportunities. As Nichelle showed us with her unparalleled outreach and advisory efforts, one person can make a big difference in many lives.

Dr. Michael L. Wong is an Astrobiologist and NASA Sagan Fellow working at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Earth & Planets Laboratory whose research focuses on understanding how to explore strange new worlds to seek out new life. Inspired by Star Trek since childhood, he majored in planetary science at UC Berkeley before earning his master's and PhD from Caltech, also in planetary science. 

When it came time to defend his dissertation, there was only one logical wardrobe choice: a Starfleet science officer's uniform. Prior to joining Carnegie, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Astronomy and Astrobiology Program at the University of Washington. Mike is also passionate about science education and public outreach and hosts Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast.

Dr. Kara Brugman is an Experimental Petrologist and research scientist at Arizona State University’s new high pressure large volume press laboratory, the Facility for Open Research in a Compressed Environment (FORCE). By creating molten rock—a.k.a. magma—in the lab under extreme temperatures and pressures, she studies the chemical composition of early planets. Ultimately, she hopes to build our understanding of how those early compositions could lead to a habitable world, and improve our understanding of exoplanet data that comes from instruments such as the James Webb Space Telescope.

Dr. Brugman is a lifelong Star Trek fan. Her favorite series is “Deep Space Nine” and she was strongly influenced by the characters Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax and Col. Kira Nerys. In her spare time, she enjoys bouldering, hiking, puzzle hunts, eating, and snuggling with her foster fail cat, Kinzi.

Dr. Audrey T. Lin (pronouns: she/they) is a Palaeogeneticist and a Gerstner Postdoctoral Scholar at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. She was previously based at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. She is a palaeogeneticist, which means she is interested in the genetics of very old things. She received her D.Phil. in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Oxford where she studied the molecular evolution of animals like dogs, pigs, and direwolves, and also how ancient viruses within the human genome might contribute to early embryonic development and cancer. Her current research is focused on recovering highly degraded DNA or RNA from 100+ year old preserved museum specimens of animals or several thousand-year-old bones from archeological sites. This DNA or RNA (of the animal or of the virus that infected the animal) can then be sequenced and compared to other modern and ancient genomes to study the evolutionary history of these organisms.

Audrey is interested in utilizing different forms of artistic media in talking about evolution and biology. It is through an artistic medium (Star Trek, specifically the personification of Spock) that she wanted to become a scientist. She also enjoys doing science outreach because the things that she studies are cool, so clearly everyone else should think so too!

How Dogs Became Our Best Friends: The Genetics of Dog Domestication
Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome and the Viruses of Star Trek

A 5th year PhD student at the Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Aerospace Engineering, Naia previously attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in astronautics and minors in computational and applied mathematics. She obtained her Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Naia is funded through both the 2020 NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity and the Graduate Education for Minorities (GEM) fellowships.

She also has been a NASA Pathways Intern at NASA Glenn Research Center since 2016. Outside of her academic and research efforts, she advocates for diversity and inclusion in the STEAM fields through social media, organizational leadership positions and various speaking opportunities. All of which culminated in her being awarded the Forbes 30 Under 30 Science Award.

Dr. David A. Williams is a Research Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. Dr. Williams is the Director of the Ronald Greeley Center for Planetary Studies, a NASA-supported planetary data center at ASU. David is currently performing research in volcanology and planetary geology, with a focus on planetary mapping, geochemical, and remote sensing studies. 

His current research focusses on planetary geologic mapping of objects across the Solar System, and computer modeling of the physical and geochemical evolution of lava flows in a variety of planetary environments. He was involved with NASA’s Magellan Mission to Venus, Galileo Mission to Jupiter, Dawn Mission to asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, and ESA’s Mars Express orbiter mission. He is a member of the Italian JANUS camera team for the ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission that launched in April 2023, and he is currently Deputy Imager Lead and a Co-Investigator on NASA’s Psyche Mission, which launched on October 13, 2023. In 2014 David was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, and the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 10,461 Dawilliams in his honor. 

Professor Williams is a life-long Star Trek fan, and a six-term past president of the United Federation of Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona’s longest running Star Trek and general sci-fi fan club. Motivated to pursue a career in space science from watching the original Star Trek series as a child, he now speaks about NASA space science missions to student and community groups and at Star Trek and science fiction conventions.

Dillon is a hacker through and through, breaking into databases from the comfort of his bed is just another Monday. He holds a Master of Science in Cyber Defense and is well versed in most of the world of cybersecurity. Dillon is particularly passionate about viruses and malware and has spent a healthy amount of time reverse engineering modern ransomware strains to extract indicators of compromise with the goal of improving detection rates. He's dabbled in cryptography, writing an educational algorithm to demonstrate the effectiveness of n-gram analysis as well as building a peer-to-peer RSA encrypted messenger for trustworthy, and direct communications. Dillon's magnum opus is a tool to modulate the EM field that leaks from LCDs in such a way that it can carry data out of an airgapped network.
 

Dillon uses this knowledge for good of course and spent three years teaching this curriculum at the high school level. He's been a founding member of two FRC robotics teams, and has supported others from various roles including lead mentor. In his free time he enjoys chess and playing music.

 

Sabrina Khan is a 2nd year PhD student at Johns Hopkins University pursuing a degree in planetary geology. Her research is centered around the surface processes that drive landscape evolution across rocky worlds in our solar system, with a focus on Mars and its geologic history. Beyond school, Sabrina is broadly interested in bridging science, engineering and policy to discover new and equitable ways of exploring space and preparing the next generation of STEAM students. She is a 3x NASA JPL intern, a former MIT Pozen Fellow at Accion Systems, and former Vice Chair of the AIAA’s Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics (WoAA). Her mission experience includes work on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, MSL Curiosity rover, and the small-satellite BeaverCube. 

Sabrina earned her bachelor’s degree from MIT in Planetary Science and Aerospace Engineering in 2021, with a minor in Science, Technology and Society studies. She is currently funded by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.