Brian Ciuffreda

Brian J. Ciuffreda has been known since 2003 for giving his students countless “opportunities” in science at PCS. His students are continually challenged to think at a high level and to make sure they understand how and why things are related. Mr. Ciuffreda also directs the PCS Jazz Ensemble, is the advisor for the school’s Operation Smile club, is a MathCounts coach, and is the school Service Awards coordinator. He coaches the PCS Girls Basketball Team and has captained a Special Olympics Polar Plunge team since 2016. In 2022, Mr. Ciuffreda co-founded Stomp Out Cancer, and published his first book in 2023. He has presented multiple times at both the National Science Teachers Association convention and the New Jersey Science Teachers Association convention. Mr. Ciuffreda currently serves on the Board of The Elixir Fund. He was recognized as the Operation Smile Student Programs Educator of the Year in 2018. He came to PCS with a varied background in teaching and business, including work in personality assessment and human resource consulting. Mr. Ciuffreda earned his B.A. degree with honors in biology and music from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania and earned his Master of Science in Education in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Cecelia Gillam

Dr. Cecelia Gillam is a native of New Orleans who has earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University of Hammond. Dr. Gillam has been a Science teacher for over twenty years. She has helped write science district curriculum and assessments for Environmental Science. She is an advocate for the National Equity Project by being selected as a board member for the Black Teacher Project. She is an ambassador for Pear Deck and Edpuzzle.Dr. Gillam has earned the distinction of being an ISTE Certified Educator. She is a member of the inaugural group of Trendsetters for Vernier. She also serves as a coach for Screencastify. Her involvement in the EdTech world does not stop with her role as an ambassador and coach; she is also a Distinguished Modern Classroom Educator and Expert Mentor for Modern Classroom. Cecelia is a Teacher Leader Advisor in EdTech content for the Louisiana Department of Education. She serves as an ambassador for EcoRise. She has attended and presented at multiple national conferences including ISTE and NSTA to train teachers on how to incorporate EdTech tools in their classrooms. Cecelia created a step team to engage at-risk youth in a positive community service-based organization. She has published a motivational children’s book that can be found on Amazon. The book is Black Girl, Black Girl you are AMAZING!. She is a National Grand Prize Winner for the Shell Lab Grant and a recent recipient of the Shell Urban Educator Development award. Dr. Gillam comes with a wealth of knowledge that can benefit all science teachers across the nation. She has served as an Affinity Group Leader for the State of Louisiana with the goal of helping to retain and preserve new science teachers. Her knowledge and skill sets will be very beneficial for the science community.

Danielle Jo White-Yelito

Dani Jo White‑Yelito is a high school science educator in the Merrimack Valley who teaches physics, environmental science, and life sciences through inquiry, equity, and local relevance. She designs interdisciplinary, story‑driven lessons that help students build science identity and connect scientific ideas to their own communities. As a Science Communication Lab Ambassador, she brings her background in environmental biology, curriculum design, and the arts to create accessible and engaging learning experiences for diverse learners.

Jennifer Broo

Jennifer Broo is a high school science teacher at Mariemont High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she currently teaches Honors Biology and AP Biology. In addition to her current courses, Jennifer has also taught AP Environmental Science, Anatomy & Physiology, Physical Science, Honors Biotechnology, and AP Psychology. Her inquiry based lessons are used in classrooms across the country, and she regularly presents her work at local, state, and national science education conferences. She has published multiple articles in The American Biology Teacher, including “Chewing on Change” and “Drowsy Drosophila.” Jennifer has participated in paleontology field research both nationally and internationally and is an alumna of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Short Course in Genomics through the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). She has also collaborated with the NIH on Cells in Action: Unraveling the Cell Cycle, Combating Cancer, and Exploring Clinical Trials. She holds a B.S. from the University of Dayton and an M.Ed. from Xavier University. Jennifer serves as a Teacher Ambassador for the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) and was named the 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher for the State of Ohio by the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT).

Natalia Coleman

Natalia Coleman, Ph.D., is a high-school AP Biology and Advanced Biology teacher in New Jersey with more than thirty years of experience as a university professor and cancer researcher. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Genetics) and is currently completing an M.A. in Education. Her academic career includes leading research laboratories, mentoring undergraduate and graduate researchers, directing federally funded STEM initiatives, and presenting nationally and internationally on cancer biology and science education. She has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters on cancer biology, science education, and curriculum development.

She continues her professional development in cancer education for secondary classrooms through programs such as the Rutgers Youth Enjoy Science (RUYES) initiative at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and through her work as founder and president of A Generation Without Cancer. These experiences extend her research background into the high school setting by grounding instruction in real-world scientific contexts while remaining developmentally appropriate. She has initiated IRB-approved educational research examining the use of cancer-related curriculum enrichment in secondary biology classrooms.

Tess Carlson

Tess Carlson is a high school science teacher in San Francisco, California. She is currently teaching biology as a founding teacher at San Francisco Unified's Mission Bay Hub, a life science and medicine program that primarily serves students from historically-underrepresented communities in STEM. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her M.A. in Education from Stanford University. Tess was a Knowles Teaching Fellow and is currently an Executive Member of Teach Plus's National Teacher Policy Cabinet.

Tess is passionate about supporting students in developing a strong sense of belonging in science, and she believes that diverse perspectives in STEM create stronger solutions and a better world. She strives to provide science instruction that is accessible, motivating, and inspiring for all students, and her favorite part of her job is learning new things from her students.