PEOPLE
Board of Directors
Jay Duchin, Founder, The STEM Van
Growing up, Jay had a love of building and breaking things but didn’t know this was basically engineering. He had poor grades in high school and was told to consider the military or a trade. The STEM Van was created to help change the way careers are presented and share traditional and non-traditional approaches to achieving them. He remains a video producer but still enjoys building everything from kinetic sculptures to custom camera mounts.
Younia Kowol, QubiTronic, Founder and President
Advanced Data Systems Software, Business Workflow Engineering, Quick Base Consulting and Integration and Motorcycle enthusiast. She speaks English, Italian, Polish and Ukrainian.
Elaine Batzer, Information Technology Instructor at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School
IT support in civil engineering for over 20 years; extensive AutoCad experience transitioned into Desktop Support and Network Admin. CompTIA A+ and Cisco Academy instructor, IT Essentials. Adult Ed credentials include night school for PC and MS Office Applications.
Barbara Deeley, K-6 innovation specialist
Barbara has been an educator in the Middleton Public Schools for 31 years as a classroom teacher. In 2019, she took on a new role as an Innovation Specialist, teaching kindergarten through sixth grade students through project based learning.
Alison Kenny, Founder KPR Communications
Alison is a public relations and communications professional who thrives in helping businesses, organizations, and educational institutions define their brand, announce news, develop content, gain visibility, and improve awareness. Ever since her days playing school with her childhood neighbors, Alison has enjoyed being in a classroom. She frequently leads media literacy workshops for middle schoolers and recently had the opportunity to teach a marketing and entrepreneurship class to high school students.
Cindy Goodland, Business Manager, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, TSV Treasurer
Cindy is the Business Manager for the Artificial Intelligence Technology and Systems Group. She leads the group’s business, financial, and administrative operations with a focus on managing the finances for a diverse portfolio of sponsored research programs. She holds an MBA degree in managerial leadership and a BS degree in business administration (summa cum laude). Both degrees were earned at University of Massachusetts Manning School of Business.
Volunteering activities include Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School where she has taught the art of first impressions fostering confidence in our young adults. She also volunteers as a financial coach with The Budget Buddies, a 501c3 organization that builds the financial literacy, confidence, and security of low-income women and girls in the New England area.
Ken Fraser, Veteran and Cameraman
Ken joined the Massachusetts Army National Guard in 1984 as a UH-1 (Huey) Helicopter Crew Chief with the 26th Aviation Battalion and the 164th Aviation Battalion and remains active today. In 1991 he transferred to the New Hampshire National Guard and joined the 1159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) and continued working on UH-1 aircraft. In addition to his regular duties, he also operated the rescue hoist. In 2009 Ken rejoined the service with the 157th Air Refueling Wing of the New Hampshire Air National Guard as an aircraft mechanic and later supported operation Enduring Freedom.
Sheri Lewis Mason, Software Engineer
Fauzia Amuda, Chemical Enginner
Expertise in research, data analysis, training and development, and budget administration.
Amy Mason, Patient Services Specialist at University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Experienced Office Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Strong administrative professional skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Event Planning, Customer Service, Strategic Planning, and Event Management
Erika Torkildsen, Engineering student
Systems Engineer at Raytheon Technologies (starting 2021). Operations Team Member, Reinvented Magazine and frequent volunteer wherever she’s needed.
Andrew Goddard, President and Chief Executive Officer, Goddard Technologies Inc.
Andrew Goddard founded Goddard Technologies in 1997 to specialize in the design, engineering, and thought processes to bring medical and consumer products from concept to market. His clients range from small start-ups to large corporations such as Smith & Nephew, Abiomed & SharkNinja. Some of the products that Goddard has engineered include medical devices, surgical robots, ER trauma rapid infusion systems, and cutting edge wound closure systems. On the consumer side, Goddard has designed and developed blenders, vacuum cleaners, toaster ovens and coffee makers.
Andrew obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1991.,
Advisors
Dr. Vincent Wilczynski has served as the deputy dean of the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science since 2010. He is responsible for planning and implementing all academic initiatives and overseeing the engineering school’s teaching resources and faculties. Previously, he was the dean of engineering at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He retired with the rank of captain and has also served as a vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). His teaching skills have been cited by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Dr. Wilczynski holds a B.S. from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from MIT, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The Catholic University of America.
Dr. Vincent Wilczynski has served as the deputy dean of the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science since 2010. He is responsible for planning and implementing all academic initiatives and overseeing the engineering school’s teaching resources and faculties. Previously, he was the dean of engineering at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He retired with the rank of captain and has also served as a vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). His teaching skills have been cited by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Dr. Wilczynski holds a B.S. from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from MIT, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The Catholic University of America.
Leader of Product Management and Software Development at Amazon Web Services
Michelle is recognized for her breadth of skills including sales, business development, marketing, product management, product marketing, public relations, alliances, and channel partners, event planning, demand generation, branding and product roadmap.
She is a passionate and visionary evangelist and public speaker and author of several white papers and industry articles.
In Memoriam
Woodie Claude Flowers (1943 – October 11, 2019) was a professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His specialty areas were engineering design and product development; he held the Pappalardo Professorship and was a MacVicar Faculty Fellow. Woodie was truly one in a trillion. His warmth, caring and kindness inspired everyone to do their best and go beyond what they could ever imagine. He will continue to be an inspiration to so many and we were honored to call him a friend.
Below is a video of Woodie doing what he loved, presenting to MIT students.
