Jenniffer Riley earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in 2016. She began her career as a high school science teacher in Winston-Salem, NC, where she discovered her passion for mentoring and empowering students. Currently, Jenniffer serves as the Lab Program Coordinator for the Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry (OURA) within The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT). In this role, she encourages undergraduate students to engage in experiential learning through research, artistic expression, and other creative endeavors. Outside of work, Jenniffer enjoys reading, cooking, spending time outdoors, and making memories with her two young children.

Courtney Ngai completed her graduate work at University of Massachusetts Boston, and previous work at UMB includes research into understanding and characterizing how students classify and differentiate substances. Courtney also worked on a collaboration with science and chemistry teachers affiliated with Boston Public Schools to assess and foster students’ chemical thinking. Outside of research, Courtney volunteers for i-Trek, a nonprofit organization seeking to increase diversity in STEM by providing underrepresented students with research opportunities. Currently, Courtney serves as both a facilitator and researcher for DATs at CSU.

Louise Allen, PhD, is the Director of Student Engagement in TILT and the Program Director of the Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry. She has been a higher education professional for almost two decades.  Student mentees often joke that she has had every job on the planet. In her “past lives”, she’s held jobs as a zookeeper, a filmmaker, a faculty member, a shoe salesperson, a barista, a wildlife biologist and a computer lab technician.  However, her favorite job has been the one she holds now where she gets to work with faculty, staff, students, and community members to help make CSU a better place for students and employees.