Tonya Prentice – President (Term 2022), Membership Coordinator
Current Position: 5-8th grade science, Tremont Consolidated (AOS 91)
Areas of Expertise: Teacher Leadership, K-5 Science Curriculum, and STEM
Personal Pursuits: Spending time with my family, traveling, and kayaking
Member since 2018
Adrienne Hanson- Secretary (Term 2022)
Current Position: Research Associate and Project Manager of Science Professional Learning, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
Areas of Expertise: High-quality (freely available) K-12 curriculum designed for NGSS, Teacher Professional Learning
Personal Pursuits: Hiking, dancing, and yoga.
Chrys Demos – Treasurer (Term 2022), Communication Coordinator
Current Position: High School Physics at St. Thomas Aquinas
Member since 2018
Diana Allen – Past President (term 2022), Website Caretaker
Current position: 7th Grade Life/Environmental Science, Sanford Junior High School
Areas of Expertise: Teacher leadership, Aquaponics in the classroom, STEM Education Leadership, NGSS
Personal Pursuits: Hiking, kayaking, traveling, personal growth, living outside my comfort zone
Member since 2012
Doug Hodum – Parliamentarian
Current Position: Biology Teacher, Mt. Blue High School, Farmington
Areas of expertise: Teacher voice/advocacy, teacher evaluation
Member since 2000
Sarah Sparks – Events Coordinator
Current Position: University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 4-H Science Professional
Areas of Expertise: informal education, experiential learning, volunteer development
Personal Pursuits: Discovering the natural world, increasing access and equity for young people to new opportunities, and spending time with my family or a good book.
Member since 2015
Jonathan Doughty
Current Position: Physical Science, Integrated Math and Science, Oceanography, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, Portland
Areas of expertise: Next Generation Science Standards, Professional Development, Curriculum Development, Differentiated instruction, alternative and modeling based physical science applications, project design and oversight
Personal Pursuits: Aikido, parenting, woodworking, roleplaying and video games, reading, singing, fencing…
Member since 2006
Lucas Benner – Website caretaker
Current Position: Environmental/ Physical Science, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport
Member since 2015
Marina Van der Eb
Current Position: Maine STEM Partnership, University of Maine
Area of expertise:
Personal Pursuits:
Member since 2020
Karen Fream- Communications Coordinator
Current Position: Instructional Coach, East End Community School, Portland
Areas of Expertise: Literacy and Science Instruction in elementary grades
Personal Pursuits: Would love to go into outer space someday, love sailing and being on the water
Member since 2018
Melissa Luetje
Current Position(s): 20 years as a dually certified life and physical science teacher at Kennebunk High School in RSU 21 (Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel), adjunct instructor at UNE (Gulf of Maine Field Studies) and MECA&D (The Climate Crisis), 2022 York County Teacher of the Year.
Area of expertise: Curriculum development, placed-based and experiential learning, teacher voice and advocacy, teacher mentor
Personal pursuits: being in, on, and around the water as much as possible (especially the Gulf of Maine), parenting three daughters, operating a small farm with my husband in Freeport, and painting (watercolors).
Lacey Todd
Current Position: Grade 5 Science Teacher, Mountain Valley Middle School (RSU 10)
Areas of Expertise: 3-5 Science, NGSS/Three-Dimensional Teaching, Science/Literacy Integration, Inclusion & Special Education, Pets in the Classroom, Teacher Certification
Personal Pursuits: Exploring and appreciating nature, photography, designing and building bioactive reptile and amphibian terrariums
Ian Parker Renga, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, University of Southern Maine
Areas of Expertise: Science teaching methods, new teacher support and development, educational renewal
Personal Pursuits: Fly fishing, birding, drawing, playing board games with my children
Member since 2023
Katie Coppens– Board Member
Current Position: 6th grade science, Falmouth Middle School and NSTA’s Science Scope columnist of “Interdisciplinary Ideas”
Areas of Expertise: Integrating science and literacy, Place-Based Learning
Personal Pursuits: Writing (author of eight science-themed children’s books), hiking, and kayaking
Member since 2013