Wade Institute Board of Directors
Nan Waksman Schanbacher, Co-Chair
Nan served as a Board member, Vice President and Chairman of the Board of the Waksman Foundation for Microbiology from 1985 until the Foundation closed its doors in December, 2016. Between 1998 and 2005, Nan was a Board Member of the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology, a Washington D.C. organization promoting better science education nationally through local businesses, schools and government agencies. At the Children’s School of Science in Woods Hole MA, Nan served as a Board Member (1996-03), Vice President (96-97), and President (98-99). The Children’s School of Science was founded 150 years ago as a 6-week summer program for children ages 7-15, focused entirely on hands-on activities, with no tests or grades. In addition to serving on the Wade Institute Board of Directors and as Vice President and co-chair of the Board, Nan also serves as a reader/reviewer of teachers’ applications for the Albert Einstein Fellowships in the U.S. Department of Energy. Nan lives in Woods Hole, MA.
Karen Worth, Co-Chair
Karen Worth has been a faculty member at Wheelock College for over 40 years, where she teaches early childhood and elementary education with a focus on science education. She works closely with the Mathematics and Science Department to enhance the mathematics and science preparation of pre-service students at the college. She also coordinates the Integrated Elementary and Special Education program at the graduate level. Ms. Worth also worked as a senior research scientist at Education Development Center, Inc. for more than 25 years leading a range of programs focused on science curriculum development, professional development, and systemic reform. She has been a consultant and advisor to a number of museums and has advised school districts, public television stations, and community organizations across the country and internationally. She is a recipient of several awards in science education and is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and curriculum materials.
Cedith Copenhaver, Clerk
After 15 years working in research science, Cedith transitioned to a career in the museum field. She enjoyed the next 15 years as an evaluator, volunteer manager, and program manager in several science-oriented institutions. Her work in Research and Evaluation at the Shedd Aquarium continues to inform her thinking about educational initiatives.
Cedith earned her BS and MS in Biological Sciences from Stanford University.
Neil Gordon, Treasurer
Neil is the CEO of the Discovery Museum in Acton MA where he has been since September of 2009. Prior to assuming his current position, Neil served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Boston Children’s Museum, where he worked for 14 years. Prior to that, Neil was the City Budget Director and the Associate Director for the Mayor’s Office of Jobs and Community Services for the City of Boston. Neil holds a Masters degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BS in Geology from Dickinson College. Neil lives in Wayland MA with his wife, Ann, his son, and two dogs.
Jacob Foster
Ever inspired by his teachers and in pursuit of a larger impact, Jake is an advocate for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education at multiple levels. He is well known in the Massachusetts education community for his tenure at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), where he oversaw a variety of STEM initiatives, including the state’s standards and curriculum framework for science and technology/engineering and computer science. He earned a B.A. in Geology from Hampshire College and a Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Michigan. He has taught high school physical and earth sciences, and worked with the Coalition of Essential Schools on school reform efforts like project-based learning and portfolio assessments. Jake has been a member of the Operations Board for the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and the Board of the Council for State Science Supervisors. He also served as a member of the design team for the National Research Council’s Conceptual Framework for K-12 Science Education and the writing team for the Next Generation Science Standards. Moving forward, Jake is interested in supporting the design of school and district STEM programs and building design for STEM learning.
Andrea Gwosdow
Andrea Gwosdow is an award-winning medical and science writer and physiologist. She is President of Gwosdow Associates Science Consultants LLC (www.gwosdow.com), a science and medical communications firm that provides medical and science writing services and training, works with schools on science education, interprets science for non-scientists, and provides professional development for fellow writers. Andrea’s expertise is in scientific publications and she is known for clear explanations of complex scientific principles to a variety of audiences at all levels. She is an active member and Fellow of the American Medical Writers Association and has received the top awards from the New England Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association. Andrea has worked around the world with a variety of organizations to improve their communication and writing skills through hands-on workshops, seminars, and presentations. These workshops led to the publication of her book, The Complete Guide to Scientific Manuscript Writing. Andrea also writes a monthly column about cutting edge research for middle and high school students and teachers (www.whatayear.org). Her academic appointments have included Harvard Medical School and Yale University.
Terry Kwan
Terry Kwan taught pre-college science, supervised and trained teachers, developed and reviewed science curricula, and co-wrote several safety guides for science teachers published by the National Science Teachers Association. Following her tenure as a Supervisor with the Brookline, MA Public Schools, she was elected to six terms (18 years) on the Brookline School Committee, including two years as the BSC chairperson and worked for Houghton Mifflin in the development of linguistic software. Terry currently serves as a board member of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (an entity that approves all state funds awarded for pre-college public school construction and renovation) as an appointee of the State Treasurer. Terry also serves as a community representative on several Institutional Biosafety Committees for institutions affiliated with the Harvard Medical School. These committees review all recombinant-DNA research conducted at member institutions. She holds a BA from Binghamton University and an MSEd from Hofstra University.
Obi Onochie
Obi Onochie is the Director of the Harvard Medical School (HMS) MEDscienceLAB program and the MEDscience Forensics program. HMS MEDscience is an organization which aims to address education inequality in the Boston public school system. It is an innovative, immersive program which brings medicine and science to life to local high school students. As Director, Obi works on curriculum development which includes creating medical-based patient case scenarios and cutting-edge laboratory experiments that expose students to a range of topics including genetics, immunology, biotechnology, and forensics science. In addition, Obi began a mentorship program which pairs Boston public high school students with Harvard medical, dental, nursing, and public health students to further increase the high schoolers’ exposure to healthcare careers. Through her role at HMS MEDscience, Obi aims to stimulate scientific curiosity in students who may otherwise feel that a career in STEM is beyond their reach.
Prior to her position at HMS MEDscience, Obi was the Education Program Coordinator at CityLab, which is a biotechnology-based outreach organization located at Boston University. While at CityLab, she ran the afterschool program, created hands-on laboratory experiences for students in grades 9 – 12, and helped organize the 8-week long intensive summer programing. Obi worked as a Biology teacher and Laboratory instructor at several organizations in the Boston area including Upward Bound Math Science, SquashBusters, and Boston Area Health Education Center (BAHEC), all of which focus on STEM education in minority communities. Before transitioning to STEM education, Obi worked as a research scientist for several years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Chicago. Afterwards, she moved to Boston and received a Masters degree in Medical Sciences and a Doctorate in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
Kathy Zagzebski
Kathy has been the Executive Director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center since February, 2021. For the previous sixteen years, she served as President and Executive Director of the National Marine Life Center, a marine animal hospital and science and education center in Bourne, Massachusetts. From 1998 to 2005, she led the Stranding Department at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, where she was responsible for rescue operations along a 600-mile stretch of the California coast. And from 1997 to 1998, she served as Program Manager for the Georgia Coastal Management Program and helped achieve a federally-approved coastal zone management program for the state.
Kathy has volunteered for a variety of marine animal projects and organizations in Massachusetts, California, Georgia, Hawaii, and North Carolina. She graduated magna cum laude from Augustana College and received her master’s degree in coastal environmental management from Duke University. A member of the International Sea Turtle Society, Kathy has also served on a number of nonprofit boards, educational advisory committees, and other civic service in California and Massachusetts.
In the education arena, she served on the board of the Massachusetts Marine Educators and the New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative, and she served on the Advisory Board of the Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School. She also has been a Lead Educator for many of the Wade Institute’s Summer Professional Development Institutes. In North Carolina she currently serves on the Surf City Shoreline and Resiliency Advisory Committee and is a liaison to the Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Commission.