Clayton Ellis is a secondary science teacher who started teaching at Central Tech, in Toronto, teaching Music, Business, English, Computers and Math. This auspicious start was indicative of how an interesting career in education was to unfold. Unpredictably. Always interesting. Opening two new schools, pioneering e-learning creation and implementation, and facilitating OISE courses were all a perfect backdrop for his current role as the Science and Technology Coordinator K-12 for the Peel District School Board. In this position, he is interacting with science and technology educators in 250 schools. Every day is an experience!

Clayton’s science contributions extend beyond the classroom as an author of Grade 9 Science and Grade 11 Biology textbooks for Pearson Educational, creating numerous STAO resources, developing ministry educational materials, and creating and running many successful science Olympiads, all in support of teachers and student science learning.

Graziella (Grace) Sadler is an elementary teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board and is honoured to work with STAO to bring science resources and PD opportunities to Ontario Educators.

Her 15+ years teaching experience began in Windsor, Ont. and spans Grades 1 to 10 including a 7-year Primary/Junior Science and Technology position. It was in this unique role where Graziella provided hands-on programming and enrichment opportunities for our youngest scientists. Graziella is the Judging Coordinator for the York Region Science and Technology Fair and has been a STAO member since 2013.

Andrew believes that STAO’s goals align with his passion for advancing science education and his commitment to integrating diverse perspectives into curriculum and teaching. In his roles at York University and the k2i Academy, he has consistently worked to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern educational practices.

Andrew aims to leverage his extensive experience in strategic planning, program development, and community engagement, to develop supports for educators. His background includes serving as the Coordinator of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education at the York Region District School Board, where he led the development of resources and professional development programs for teachers.

Andrew’s goal is to foster a collaborative environment where innovative ideas can flourish and educators feel supported in their professional growth, ultimately enhancing the quality of science education across Ontario.

Amit teaches science at Upper Canada College in Toronto, where he’s been in the classroom since 2010 and has also worked in the school’s boarding program. Outside of his work at UCC, Amit served on the faculty of the Shad program at the University of Waterloo for seven years, helping to run their STEM- and entrepreneurship-based summer enrichment program. Amit is also an HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador, creating and facilitating workshops to share their free resources and evidence-based pedagogical approaches at online and in-person conferences across North America. He’s excited to bring his experiences to STAO as it continues to grow in its service to members.

Joy is a seasoned financial professional with over 12 years of experience in financial statement analysis, reporting, and providing strategic financial guidance to senior leadership. She is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and holds an Associate of Chartered Accountants (ACA) designation. Joy earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting with distinction, an MBA from Vancouver Island University, and a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK.

Currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a Canadian nonprofit, Joy has previously held roles at leading consulting firms, including Ernst & Young and Deloitte, where she advised organizations on their financial and accounting needs. She also tutors finance to executives at the University of Chicago Booth.

An active member of CPA Ontario and Manitoba, Joy brings strong expertise in budgeting, financial reporting, compliance, and financial systems management. Her dedication to financial transparency and sustainability, along with her strategic financial planning, will contribute to enhancing STAO’s financial strategies and supporting its long-term objectives.

Joseph Bishay has been teaching science one way or another for over 16 years, across the elementary, secondary, and post- secondary panels, in both the public and private school systems. After conducting research at The Hospital for Sick Children in the programs of Cancer & Blood Research and Developmental Biology, he began his teaching career as an instructor in the Health Sciences department at George Brown College.

Concurrently, he was the head instructor for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) at Kaplan International. He currently serves as a professor in the department of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry at Seneca College where he teaches microbiology, and also as faculty at Tyndale University, where he teaches first and second year biology courses.

As well, Joseph has had the opportunity to lecture at the Royal Ontario Museum on the topics of natural science and natural history. Alongside science, Joseph has extensive experience in information technology, including running his own I.T. consulting company, working as director of I.T. at a private elementary school, and serving as Information Officer in an education technology firm supporting over 1,500 students. Joseph has been on the STAO Board of Directors since 2016.

Saarah Broadbent is an experienced educator with a strong commitment and passion for science education. With a Master’s of Science in Teaching, and an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Saarah’s educational journey reflects her dedication to both academic achievement and continuous professional growth.

Saarah’s career has been defined by her work in fostering excellence in science education across Canada and the US. Most recently, she served as a strong advocate of professional development for curriculum-aligned science workshops and support for educators in Ontario. Saarah has contributed to the advancement of science education through educator mentorship, fostering school board partnerships, and creating inclusive, engaging, customized educational resources and workshops for K-12, ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to thrive.

Saarah is excited to connect with science educators through STAO, where she can continue to contribute to the advancement of STEM education, and collaborate with others who share a passion for science in Ontario.

Sarah is a passionate science educator, who has worked in science communication in the informal education setting for 17 years, having joined Science North in 2007. She is a strong leader with an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. She thrives in diverse, collaborative team settings, and excels at building partnerships.

As Acting Director Education and Northern Programs, Sarah is accountable for Northern outreach initiatives, partnerships, programs, and science camps for all of Northern Ontario, and for Science North’s extensive education program, including school programming at the science centres, school outreach and virtual school experiences. She believes that to inspire the next generation of great innovators, you must first innovate how we teach, inspire and entertain them. Sarah’s work, over the past 17 years at Science North, has been deeply rooted in providing outstanding STEM experiences for students and teachers.

Wendy Noble-Dalgleish has spent the past 19 years with Boreal Science (the science education division of VWR/Avantor Sciences) as an account manager. She has worked closely with teachers, curriculum coordinators and school board officials to assist them with all of their science supply needs. Wendy has assisted teachers in sourcing products to match their curriculum, hosted workshops/webinars and more. She has also worked closely with all departments within her company and assisted with finding new suppliers, helped with marketing ideas/concepts, coached associates to help build connections and teamwork.

Wendy is also the global lead for the Women in Business Associate Centric Team within the Avantor Sciences global organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. She has worked with associates across the globe to bring programs, resources and events to support the global DE&I initiatives.

Michelle Tsui-Woods is the Associate Director of Operations and Development for k2i academy at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering. She is highly skilled in strategic planning, operations and development with experience working in the higher education, not-for-profit and financial services sectors.

She has a successful track record of developing and growing strategic relationship programs within large and complex organizations at a local, national and global scale, working closely with senior leaders and stakeholders. Michelle is passionate about inclusive and equitable STEM education.

Nathalie has been involved with STAO since her pre-service education days in various capacities as member and volunteer, including STAO President (2019), STAOConference Program Co-Chair, STAOPlayground Chair, and resource developer. 

Nathalie’s career in education spans over 25 years with progressive leadership positions in K-12 Education with the York Region District School Board and Rosedale International Education. Nathalie’s experiences include Curriculum Consultant (YRDSB) for Science and Environmental Education, International STEM instructor (York University), and most recently, Director of Academics (Rosedale International Education), in which she focused on facilitating teacher professional learning, curriculum design and development, and meeting the needs of all students in Science and STEM education.

In addition to her work with STAO, Nathalie has been chair of Science Education Leaders of Ontario (SELO) (formerly the Science Coordinators’ and Consultants Association of Ontario) and is the recipient of the 2022 Youth Science Canada Distinguished Service Award for her volunteer work leading the York Region Science and Technology Fair. In 2009, Nathalie was recognized with the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence for her use and promotion of technology in the science classroom.

Cindy is a chemical engineer who spent 10 years in the automotive industry. As the Education Chair for the Professional Engineers of Ontario Oakville Chapter, she connected local elementary schools with engineers. When her children were in elementary school, Cindy became even more passionate about getting kids excited about engineering and science. She spent a lot of time doing science experiments in their classrooms. Cindy now shares exciting science resources with Ontario teachers as the Communications Coordinator for STAO.

Zakia Remmach is a seasoned educator with a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Computing. Certified in Project Management (PMP) and a member of esteemed organizations like PMI, OEEO, and OCTE, Zakia brings a wealth of experience to the field of STEM education.

With over a decade dedicated to teaching Mathematics, Physics, and Science to students with diverse needs, Zakia has honed her skills in differentiated instruction and created innovative teaching resources, including contributions to the University of Colorado’s Computational Thinking and Coding curriculum.

Zakia’s proven ability to lead projects, build strong teams, and effectively communicate is complemented by her exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills. She is a results-oriented professional committed to delivering exceptional service and exceeding expectations.

Christian Cepeda is a secondary school science teacher with a notable career spanning 15 years. Christian has experience as Science Department Head, Co-Chair of the Science Subject Council at his board, and currently is serving as an Academic Consultant for STEM (K to 12) and AI, leveraging his expertise to innovate and enhance science education. In his work, Christian advocates for problem-based learning, equity, and culturally responsive pedagogy in education and is committed to fostering inclusive and effective learning environments.

Christian has made significant contributions to curriculum development, review, and implementation for the Ministry of Education and as provincial Education Coach in Project Innovation. His expertise has been sought after by Nelson Education, as a consultant, reviewer, and writer, as well as by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT),  where he has written content outlines for Additional Qualification (AQ) courses.

Christian’s dedication to advancing science education and championing innovation is evident through his long-standing involvement with STAO. In addition to presenting at STAO conferences and workshops, Christian is a dedicated member of the STAO Safety Committee, ensuring that science education is conducted in a safe and responsible manner, through the delivery of STAO Safety Workshops.

Cindy is a long time STAO member who retired in 2020 after 32 years as an science educator. She has taught in both the elementary panel and the secondary panel. She has had the role of department head, centrally assigned program leader, and education officer at the Ministry of Education leading the Science and Innovation portfolio. She served as the chair of Science Education Leaders of Ontario. Cindy currently teaches preservice science teachers at Brock University and is a certified ADHD coach.

Ritu Jhaveri is the founder of Deschool, a science education company in Toronto. Deschool focuses on providing innovative and engaging STEM experiences delivered by real world scientists for school students, aiming to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators. With experience living and working in India, Singapore, Dubai, and Canada, Ritu has served as an educator, curriculum specialist, and Principal. She is passionate about innovative science education and dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators.

Malisa Mezenberg enjoyed teaching high school sciences, math and cooperative education with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board for over 20 years. She took an active role in the Ministry of Education’s Science curriculum review and developed resources to support science teachers.

Developing a keen interest in the professional learning of teachers, Malisa created and coordinated a variety of professional learning programs for teachers in her position in the Professional Development Department at the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) and as Project Manager of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation Professional Learning Project. She has had the opportunity to work with international teacher education programs in the Caribbean and Africa. Malisa is currently working at the OECTA Provincial Office in the Counselling and Member Services Department. In addition to general counselling and advice to members on employment-related matters, she is coordinates OECTA’s Leadership Training Program.

Malisa cannot remember when she was not a member of STAO. She has served in a number of roles within the organization, including President in 1994–1995 and Chair of the joint STAO-NSTA Conference in 1996. In her current role of Director of Professional Learning she coordinates the professional learning activities of the association. Malisa was the proud recipient of the STAO/APSO Life Member Award in 2014.

Sheila is the Director of Elementary Resource Development for STAO. She was Co-Chair of STAO 2015, which celebrated 125 years since the founding of STAO and was the Partnership Coordinator on STAO’s Executive Committee. Sheila has a passion in the delivery of quality professional learning to meet the needs of Science and Technology Instructors.

Another interest of Sheila’s is Environmental issues, and she organizes the Enviro Ed Conference at UOIT Faculty of Ed. Sheila was instrumental in acquiring the NSERC grant to support Promo Science for 3 years for Science Encounters for STAO. Sheila is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Faculty of Education, Ontario Tech University. She teaches STEM, Environmental Education, Coding and Communication.

Kathryn has been volunteering with STAO since 2012 when she joined the Secondary Curriculum Committee (SCC). She served on the SCC both as a member and as the Chair of the committee before moving into the Communications Coordinator role on the Executive Committee. Kathryn graduated from Trent University with a degree in Environment and Resource Studies, then went on to Queen’s University where she completed her teaching degree. In the past 14 years, Kathryn has taught high school courses in science, biology, geography, physical education, special education, with her favourite, by far, being environmental science.

She is a self-described “Professional Earth Geek” and loves to share her love of the natural world with her students, friends and family. Kathryn has taught for the last 14 years in the Halton District School Board. She currently works at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School in Burlington, where she also lives with her husband and two young sons. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time outside, swimming, camping, hiking, catching frogs, coaching rugby, reading and working on various crafts. Kathryn’s favourite part about volunteering with STAO is working with other teachers to provide the best possible learning experience for young people both in and out of the classroom.   

Laura Wodlinger has been a STAO member since 2008 and has previously been the Secondary Curriculum Committee Chair (2016-2019) and the Professional Learning Team Chair for STAO2020 (2019-2020).   Laura is passionate about helping teachers deliver curriculum through relevant and innovative resources.   She has presented multiple times at STAO, OTF, BIT, and YRDSB conferences and is a strong believer in Professional Development.   Laura has created multiple resources for STAO/APSO (including the Tech Tools Collection) and written several articles for OSCA Magazine.   Laura is currently Assistant Head of Science in the YRDSB and describes herself as a citizen scientist, amateur tap dancer, karaoke enthusiast, and full time nerd.