Henrietta Gomez, Tribal elder/speaker

Henrietta is a living treasure in Taos serving as a cultural specialist for so many organizations and projects. She has a unique gift of sharing traditional knowledge while seeking new ways to create intercultural bridges of understanding and communication. Henrietta is a speaker for the BioSTEAM Youth Program and shares her personal experience and knowledge in our INTERview series.

Dr. Greg Cajete, author, native science advisor

Greg is an educator dedicated to honoring the foundations of indigenous knowledge in education. Dr. Cajete is a Tewa Indian from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. He has served as a New Mexico Humanities scholar in ethno botany of Northern New Mexico and as a member of the New Mexico Arts Commission. Dr. Cajete has authored five books including “Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence”. Greg is a speaker for the BioSTEAM Youth Program and shares his expertise about native science in our INTERview series.

Sheryl Romero, Cultural specialist /speaker

Sheryl advises on the cultural knowledge exchange for the BioSTEAM Youth Program and is a speaker for our public programs. Sheryl is a Taos Pueblo Tribal member, with a passion for reclaiming the agricultural heritage of Taos Pueblo and to restore its traditional food systems.

Tiana Suazo, Executive Director, Red Willow Farms

Tiana is Executive Director at Red Willow Farm at Taos Pueblo, whose mission is to reclaim the agricultural heritage of Taos Pueblo and to restore its traditional food systems. They incorporate ancient and modern sustainable farming practices, offer hands-on educational programs, and run the Red Willow Farmers Market. Tiana is a curriculum advisor and shares her knowledge about food sovereignty in our INTERview series.

Dr. Gladys Herrera-Gurule

Gladys is working in the Taos Municipal Schools as the District Family Engagement Coordinator. She has worked in the K-20+ spectrums and served in different teaching and administrative capacities in the public school, higher education systems, and the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) in her native country of Colombia and New Mexico. As a school teacher, instructional leader, and administrator, she worked closely with staff, students, and families from diverse backgrounds including: English Learners, Hispanic, Native American, Anglo, special education, low income, and homeless students and families. She has been actively engaged in working collaboratively local, state, national, and international agencies; and stakeholders to enhance services and resources to our student population.

Kaila Dicky, Teacher, Anansi Charter School

Kaila is a creative and innovative seventh and eighth grade math and science teacher at Anansi Charter School and also teaches at Upward Bound Math and Science in the summer. She has been implementing the STEMarts Curriculum Tools in her classroom since 2016 and is now advising on the BioSTEAM platform and curriculum interface.

Dr.Nicole Lloyd-Ronning, Astrophysicist, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Nicole is an astrophysicist at Los Alamos National Lab, where she studies the black holes created in the deaths of massive stars, and leads the outreach efforts on behalf of the Center for Theoretical Astrophysics. She is also on the faculty of the University of New Mexico, Los Alamos where she teaches physics. She is a science advisor and guest instructor in BioSTEAM projects.

Dr. Steven Goldfarb, physicist, ATLAS Experiment at CERN.

Steven is an experimental particle physicist working for the University of Melbourne on the ATLAS Experiment at CERN. He chairs the International Particle Physics Outreach Group, coordinates University of Michigan undergraduate research programs at CERN, serves on the QuarkNew Advisory Board, and is a fellow of the American Physical Society, serving on the Committee for Informing the Public. Steve frequently gives public talks on science, discovery and international collaboration, co-wrote a popular TED Ed video “The basics of the Higgs boson” and, most importantly, fronts the world-famous Canettes Blues Band. Steven has been an advisor for STEMarts Lab since 2013 and a key collaborator for the Projecting Particles project.

Agnes Chavez, Founder/Director

Agnes is artist/founder of the BioSTEAM Youth Program, a project of STEMarts Lab, a New Mexico nonprofit corporation in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) status. STEMarts Lab, founded in 2009, applies the latest scientific innovations to arts and education through interdisciplinary and intercultural collaborations. She was co-founder of The PASEO Festival and Education Director for the festival (2014-2018) and founded the Sube Language Curriculum in 1996.

Estacia Huddleston, Visual Program Design

Estacia is a Community Planner and Placemaker working at the intersection of creativity and community. Her primary interests revolve around facilitating visioning and creative placemaking processes that make community planning accessible and meaningful. She applies these skills to the design of BioSTEAM curriculum tools. She returned to apply her experience in sustainable design, interactive art and place based planning to her hometown of Taos.

Juniper Manley, Board Chair

Juniper Manley joins STEMarts Lab as a non-profit management professional with 26 years of experience in arts and environmental organizations. Focusing on fundraising and executive management, she has helped organizations raise millions of dollars and implemented large-scale, mission driven programs that take these institutions to a new level.  Growing up in Peñasco and attending Taos High School, Juniper holds a Masters in Arts Management from the Carnegie Mellon Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, and a BA in Anthropology from Reed College. She serves on the Board of the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAE Private Foundation.

Bettina Sandoval, Vice Chair

Bettina is from Taos Pueblo and has always had a passion for education. She has 10 years of progressive experience in the education field and is Director of the Taos Pueblo Education & Training Division. In the past two years she has successfully grown and maintained the programs she oversees; building relationships with schools, alternative educators, and all stakeholders involved in education, employment, and training. Bettina is also a curriculum advisor and shares her knowledge in Educational Perspectives.

Molly Robertson, Secretary

Molly Robertson holds degrees in Art History and Studio Art from Mills College in Oakland, CA.  Women she considers mentors include Moira Roth, Claudia Bernardi, and Hung Liu.  Molly has worked in the fields of art and education for many years and is excited to have the opportunity to expand that support through being a board member of STEMArts Lab.  Molly is a native of Pilar, New Mexico and former board member of The Paseo Project. 

Dr. Anita McKeown (FRSA), Board Member

Anita is based part time in Ireland and in Taos, New Mexico. She is an itinerant interdisciplinary artist, curator and researcher interested in Creative Placemaking and Open Source Culture and Technology. She is the co-director of SMARTlab Skellig, one of SMARTlab's international research social enterprises situated on the edge of the Wild Atlantic, S.Kerry. Current research has been funded by the EPA Ireland, CPL Ltd, Ireland's largest recruitment company and the Department of Rural and Community Development to develop place-based STEAM education, teacher training and community development. She also serves on the board of Acard Development Ltd and The Cahersiveen Community and Business Alliance, embedding best practice in Creative Placemaking within community development.