Keynote Speaker
Dr. Stephanie Salomone, University of Portland
Dr. Stephanie Salomone currently serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty in the Shiley School of Engineering at University of Portland in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Salomone also serves as a professor in the department of mathematics and is the director of the STEM Education and Outreach Center at University of Portland. In her various roles, she is very involved in STEM outreach and developing the next generation of STEM professionals.
Planning Committee
Dr. Mary Fennimore, Program Director & Chemistry Workshop Facilitator
Dr. Mary Fennimore currently serves as an organic chemistry instructor and the organic chemistry lab coordinator at Tarleton State University. When Dr. Fennimore was in the eighth grade, she attended a STEM outreach event that inspired her to be a scientist. She hopes to give back to the community by offering a similar opportunity that inspires middle school girls to discover careers in STEM.
Dr. Beth Riggs, Mathematics Workshop Facilitator
Dr. Beth Riggs is a Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics at Tarleton State University. She loves helping students explore mathematics through hands-on, discovery-based activities.
Dr. Victoria Chraibi, Biology Workshop Facilitator
Dr. Victoria Chraibi is an aquatic ecologist who studies water resources and algae, so she spends a lot of time wading in rivers or looking through a microscope. She also loves to garden, especially native pollinator gardens. She serves as an associate professor in the biology department and coordinates the education and outreach programming at Timberlake Field Station, which is a retired cattle ranch being remediated for native plants and animals. Originally from Colorado, she studied and researched in Canada and the Midwest before moving to Texas to join Tarleton in 2016.
Dr. Catherine Ronck, Geoscience Workshop Facilitator
Dr. Catherine Ronck is an assistant professor of geoscience at Tarleton State University. She teaches a wide variety of geoscience, environmental science, and earth science courses. Before joining the TSU faculty in 2013, she worked as a petroleum geologist for Texaco’s New Ventures Unit and Chevron’s Nigeria/Mid Africa Strategic Business Unit.
