Meet the Discovery Education Curriculum Team Lisa Katz Vice President, Research and Analysis View details Robin Porter Vice President, Digital Content View details Amy Gensemer Senior Director, K-12 Digital Instruction View details Dr. Erick Lang Senior Director, Digital Learning View details Charity Lisko Senior Director, Global Curriculum View details Michelle Hunt-Laubach Director, Global Curriculum View details Jamie Jenkins Director, Instructional Design View details Camsie McAdams Director, Global STEM Curriculum View details Jessica McDermott Director, Assessment and Adaptive Learning View details Nikki Brassell Snyder Director, Digital Content View details Dr. Mark J. Stout Director, Global Curriculum View details Kenya Wallach Director, Mathematics View details Hailey Adams Mangum Senior Manager, Science View details Drew Hammill Senior Manager, Instructional Design View details Peg Hartwig Senior Subject Matter Expert, Mathematics View details Adam Wallach Senior Subject Matter Expert, Social Studies View details Ted Willard Senior Subject Matter Expert, Science View details Jennifer Fine Subject Matter Expert, Science View details Roger Harris Subject Matter Expert, Science View details Kandace Jones Subject Matter Expert, Mathematics View details Dr. Alvin Lin Subject Matter Expert, Science View details Beth Morris Subject Matter Expert, Mathematics, Global Curriculum View details Indrani Som-Pandey Subject Matter Expert, Science View details Betsy Sterling Subject Matter Expert, Assessment, Global Curriculum View details Simone Wellington Subject Matter Expert, Science, Global Curriculum View details Kimberly Wright Manager, Instructional Design View details Close Modal Lisa Katz Vice President, Research and Analysis With over 22 years experience as an educator, program leader and researcher, Lisa began her career as a high school teacher, led state-wide assessment and curriculum program development at the Maryland State Department of Education and led digital curriculum development as a district leader in a school system in Maryland. The Discovery Education Research team supports product development, program measurement and implementation evaluations. Lisa holds a B.A. in History Education from the University of Delaware and a M.L.S. from University of Maryland, College Park. Close Modal Robin Porter Vice President, Digital Content With more than 30 years in education, starting in a middle school classroom, Robin Porter leads curriculum development for Discovery Education’s marquee partnerships and the production, acquisition, curation, and publishing of digital content resources across our services. She is passionate about the power of digital as a way to engage students and meaningfully influence instruction. Close Modal Amy Gensemer Senior Director, K-12 Digital Instruction Amy has 18 years of educational experience in Science, Technology, and Engineering as a high school classroom teacher, department chair, district curriculum specialist and most recently supervisor for Science, Technology, and Engineering for the largest school system in Maryland. Prior to her supervisor position, she designed and delivered Professional Development at that national level and has authored national STEM curriculum products. Close Modal Dr. Erick Lang Senior Director, Digital Learning Dr. Erick Lang has more than 30 years of educational experience serving as a teacher, school-based administrator, central office director, and associate superintendent. As an executive leader in a large suburban/urban district, he facilitated the design and implementation numerous large-scale teaching and learning initiatives. Erick also taught graduate courses in education leadership at American University in Washington, D.C. and has served as a mentor to numerous teachers, school-based administrators, and central office leaders. Close Modal Charity Lisko Senior Director, Global Curriculum Charity is a STEM educator with over 20 years of experience in teaching, curriculum design, school planning, and leadership development. Her career has spanned from teaching middle school STEM electives, to coaching and supporting principals in school design, to creating and implementing STEM initiatives at classroom, school, district, and national levels. Throughout her career, Charity has advocated for increasing access and inclusion in STEM education efforts so that students around the world can build on their natural instincts to think and learn as scientists and engineers. Charity holds a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University. Close Modal Michelle Hunt-Laubach Director, Global Curriculum Michelle brings 30 years of professional experience to the role of Global Curriculum Director, having worked in a large urban school district and at the university level. Michelle has worked as a teacher, curriculum writer, professional development leader, educational consultant, and online course developer. Michelle’s areas of expertise include elementary mathematics, educational technology, professional development, and developing curriculum for domestic and international markets. Michelle holds a master’s degree in educational technology from Teachers College at Columbia University. Close Modal Jamie Jenkins Director, Instructional Design Jamie has more than 15 years of educational experience—spanning teaching, instructional design, standards development, and district leadership in curriculum and professional development. She is the recipient of several state and national teaching awards and participates in field-based conservation studies all over the world. Jamie currently develops curriculum and content to support our corporate partnerships bringing digital media and emerging technology into the classroom. She holds three master’s degrees. Close Modal Camsie McAdams Director, Global STEM Curriculum An experienced STEM education leader with close to 20 years in urban, public K-12 education, Camsie McAdams brings vast experience to her role at Discovery Education. Camsie is a former classroom teacher, coach, and curriculum/instructional leader at school, district, and national levels. McAdams served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Director for STEM at the U.S. Department of Education. She has also worked as the Director of STEM for District of Columbia Public Schools. With over a decade of experience teaching math, science, and literacy in New York City Public Schools and in California’s Oakland Unified School District, she is a recipient of several teaching awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching for the state of New York. McAdams received a degree in general engineering and political science from the University of Denver, and a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Close Modal Jessica McDermott Director, Assessment and Adaptive Learning Jessica began her career in education as an elementary school teacher and Teach for America Corps Member. During her 16 years in education, she served in many roles from Science Specialist at an all-boys public charter school to Senior Director of Assessment and Product for a national organization that runs Title I programs. Her proudest career achievement has been staying connected to her former students and watching them grow into amazing young people. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Close Modal Nikki Brassell Snyder Director, Digital Content Nikki is excited to lead the curation and publishing of our digital content to best serve students and teachers across our digital learning platform. She has over 14 years of experience in science education as a middle school and high school science classroom teacher, district curriculum writer, and professional development trainer in the largest school system in Maryland. Nikki also has worked at the American Association for the Advancement of Science on their after-school standards-based science program. She holds a master’s degree in Chemical and Life Sciences. Close Modal Dr. Mark J. Stout Director, Global Curriculum Dr. Mark J. Stout currently serves as Global Curriculum Director for Discovery Education. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Maryland College Park, with a BA in Geography from UMBC. He began his career as a middle school social studies teacher, and has worked as a curriculum specialist, facilitator in professional development, and curriculum coordinator for multiple programs in a large, high performing school system. He also served as an educational consultant in college and career readiness, an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins and Towson Universities, board member for the National Social Studies Supervisors Association, and a coordinator for two Teaching American History Grant projects. Close Modal Kenya Wallach Director, Mathematics Kenya has a vast range of corporate and educational experience. Prior to joining Discovery Education, Kenya served as the Head of Operations for Curriculum and Professional Development at Mathspace. Kenya also spent six years as the Supervisor of Mathematics and Science for the Stafford County Public Schools in Virginia where she led the implementation of new curriculum and managed a team of math specialists who worked directly in schools to support math instruction. Kenya previously worked as a K-12 Mathematics Instructional Specialist in the Richmond City Public Schools in Virginia and also worked as a consultant with Richmond City where she facilitated professional learning and professional learning communities which resulted in an increase in state math assessment scores from 40 percent to 80 percent in one year. Kenya started her career as a secondary level math teacher and high school administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Japanese and a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration and Supervision. Close Modal Hailey Adams Mangum Senior Manager, Science Hailey has over five years of experience in science education as an author of national STEM curriculum products. She has a degree in Secondary Science Education, concentration in Biology, from North Carolina State University. Before joining Discovery Education, she delivered professional development to K-12 teachers nationally. Close Modal Drew Hammill Senior Manager, Instructional Design Drew is a Senior Instructional Design Manager for Discovery Education. He holds an M.A in Social Studies Education and a Masters in School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He began his career as an AmeriCorps volunteer working with students with behavioral and emotional disorders. Drew has served as a high school social studies teacher, school administer, and curriculum coordinator for K-12 Social Studies in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. While serving in these roles, he led professional development in areas of inquiry-based learning, literacy integration, and social-emotional learning. Close Modal Peg Hartwig Senior Subject Matter Expert, Mathematics Peg was a National Board Certified classroom teacher, spending 23 years teaching middle and high school mathematics in Wisconsin. She developed mathematics curriculum and led district professional development initiatives including effective technology integration in the classroom, progression alignment between math and science courses, and project-based STEM integration. Peg continues to develop mathematics content for grades 6 through 11, leveraging guided inquiry techniques and integrating STEM opportunities. Close Modal Adam Wallach Senior Subject Matter Expert, Social Studies Adam has a wide range of educational and non-profit experience. He was recently appointed to the Virginia Commission on Civic Education. Prior to joining Discovery Education, Adam served as the Executive Director for a religious organization. He also spent six years as the K-12 Coordinator of Social Studies for Stafford County Public Schools in Virginia. In that role, Adam led the creation of new curriculum, implementation of project-based learning and performance assessment, delivery of professional development to Lead Teachers. Previously, Adam worked as a secondary social studies teacher in the Richmond City Public Schools in Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in History and a Master of Public Administration degree with graduate endorsements in School Leadership and Supervision as well as Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Close Modal Ted Willard Senior Subject Matter Expert, Science Before joining Discovery Education, Ted spent eight years as the in-house standards expert for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). In this role, he supported implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), other standards based on A Framework for K–12 Science Education, and three-dimensional learning. He is the author of The NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions and editor of The NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the NGSS (NSTA Press, 2014). Before joining NSTA, Ted spent twelve years at Project 2061 for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), where he was responsible for the development of the Atlas of Science Literacy, Volume 2 (AAAS, 2007). Earlier in his career, Ted was a high school physics teacher. He has a degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Close Modal Jennifer Fine Subject Matter Expert, Science Before joining Discovery Education, Jennifer was the Elementary Science Senior Administrator for the 15th largest school district in the nation. Prior to that role, she served as a classroom teacher, magnet school coordinator, and instructional coach. Jennifer also serves as an adjunct professor teaching blended learning Science Methods courses at a local university. She has a degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Science Education from East Carolina University and a degree in Curriculum Instruction Supervision Development from North Carolina State University. Close Modal Roger Harris Subject Matter Expert, Science Roger graduated from the University of Oregon with a Master of Science degree. He served as a natural history expert and lecturer on international ecotours in South America and Africa for 10 years. Since then, he has served as a science educator in private and public schools in Oregon and North Carolina. Building on his teaching experience, he has been developing online curriculum and digital instructional tools since 2009. Close Modal Kandace Jones Subject Matter Expert, Mathematics Kandace earned a degree in biology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also earned a degree in sociology with a double major in women, gender, sexuality studies with a concentration of women’s healthcare and sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University. She transitioned into teaching directly after completing undergraduate studies. For five years she taught mathematics as a high school teacher in Virginia. She has led professional development sessions, for the Greater Richmond area as well as the state of Virginia, in the areas of equitable instruction, differentiation, increasing mathematical wonder and classroom collaboration. She has worked on teams to analyze, evaluate and rewrite secondary math curriculum. Kandace is Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certified for the state of Virginia and is also a Padi certified scuba diver. Close Modal Dr. Alvin Lin Subject Matter Expert, Science Alvin was born and raised in Honolulu, Oʻahu of Hawaiʻi and brings over ten years of science and mathematics education experience to Discovery Education. Previously, he served as a STEM district resource teacher in the Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua complex area, peer reviewer for Achieve and NextGenScience, and proud teacher and academic coordinator in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. He received his BA in Chemistry, M.Ed. in Science Teaching, and Ed.D. in Professional Educational Practice. Alvin believes that with an open heart and mind we can empower and prepare all learners for tomorrow. Close Modal Beth Morris Subject Matter Expert, Mathematics, Global Curriculum Beth began her career as an elementary school teacher where she first developed an interest in teaching math and in better understanding how students learn math. During her 15 years in mathematics education, she has shared her expertise in curriculum and provided professional development while serving as a middle school math teacher, math specialist and instructional coach in both public and private schools in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Leadership in Mathematics Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York, NY. Close Modal Indrani Som-Pandey Subject Matter Expert, Science Indrani has more than 18 years of experience in the field of Scientific Research and Writing. Her experiences are focused around areas of evaluation and analysis of scientific processes including participation in and management of various STEM outreach programs. She has a graduate degree in Molecular Biology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. After obtaining her degree, she has been associated with a multitude of research projects at various institutes including Georgetown University and the National Institutes of Health. Currently, she specializes in science content writing, reviewing, and critical analyses of material connected to the publishing industry for the production of technologically advanced digital textbooks. Close Modal Betsy Sterling Subject Matter Expert, Assessment, Global Curriculum Betsy’s career in education began teaching English as a Second Language in South Korea and New York City. She then went on to work at a Charter school in Newark, NJ, where she was a math and science teacher, team leader, school expansion founding teacher and a math instructional coach. She earned the EPIC Spotlight Teacher Award for exceptional classroom level achievement gains based on value-added analysis by New Leaders for New Schools & Mathematica Policy Research. Betsy transitioned into assessment in 2012, and has worked as a contractor for an Ed-Tech start-up and for an organization that provides Title I assessment products. Her roles have included assessment editor, writer, and math content project manager, focusing on the development of high-quality, standards-based assessment items. Betsy is dedicated to the success of all students, and has first-hand experience of the effectiveness of data driven instruction to increase student achievement. Betsy holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction. Close Modal Simone Wellington Subject Matter Expert, Science, Global Curriculum Simone can’t imagine living a life that isn’t all about science, adventure and travel. Growing up with a father who was a coral reef ecologist, she traveled to many islands and far-off coasts learning from him while he conducted his research. As an adult, she has continued to roam the globe. She has taught in West Africa, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and The Netherlands. Her students left her classroom each day with science not only in their heads but on their clothes and hands too! While teaching elementary science, she completed a Masters of Zoology. Her field experiences allowed her to work with orangutan researchers in Borneo, ornithologists studying macaws in a remote part of the Peruvian jungle, and Smithsonian conservationists working to save critically endangered frog populations in Central America. As PolarTREC fellowship recipient, Simone spent seven weeks aboard an icebreaker in the Bering Sea, assisting scientists with the Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Project while blogging daily about her experiences to students in Washington, D.C. Most recently, she assisted the Owl Research Institute with a snowy owl behavior study on the Arctic tundra. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Education in Elementary Education from The George Washington University, as well as a Master of Arts in Zoology from Miami University. Simone hopes to inspire children to be future stewards of our environment by instilling them with love and respect for the natural world. Close Modal Kimberly Wright Manager, Instructional Design Kimberly is an Instructional Design Manager for Discovery Education. She holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in Biology and Geology, from the University of Texas at El Paso. As an undergrad she worked with traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM, to prepare middle and high school students for success in advanced studies and careers. Kimberly is the child of a Korean immigrant that believes it is vitally important that students feel as though they are seen and their culture validated and affirmed in the curriculum they are taught. Growing up and living in the border region of El Paso, she has dedicated her career to empowering underrepresented groups in education and healthcare. In 2020, she was awarded the Million Women Mentors Trailblazer Award, acknowledging her leadership and contributions to the field STEM of mentoring. She has served her community as a classroom teacher, STEM coach, global keynote speaker/professional development specialist, healthcare administrator, and mentor for LGBTQIA + youth in her community.