Founding Student Members
Riley Cypes - Founder and President
Riley is a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School's International Baccalaureate Program.
She is eager to make STEM accessible to everyone, particularly underrepresented populations including
minorities and females. She participated in the Women in Engineering Aspire and Rise Programs at University of Maryland. She is also a volunteer at the Kid Museum and earned her certificate from Harvard University's CS50x (Introduction to Computer Science).
Evie Plett - Co-executive Vice President
Evie is a freshman at RMHS, with a passion for science and forensics. She is a part of the black masker
theater program as well as an avid athlete participating in RMHS field hockey, swimming and marching band.
In the future, she hopes to study ancient history and forensic sciences. In her free time, she enjoys reading,
art, and crafting. Evie is so excited to be a part of the STEM4ALL club and can't wait for all the exciting
things planned!
Auden Davis - Co-executive Vice President
Auden is a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School. They love science and are so excited to work towards
making it more inclusive! Auden has a passion for music and plays oboe, along with bass drum in marching band.
They love working with kids, and volunteer at various camps over the summer. Auden has a specific interest in
Environmental Science and Biology, and they hope to share this love with others!
Karina Snitkovsky - Membership Vice President
Karina is a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School's International Baccalaureate Program and serves as
the Membership Vice President of STEM4ALL. She is passionate about expanding access of STEM opportunities to
all students, regardless of gender or ethnicity. Karina has been involved in STEM from a young age, ranging
from participating in coder's events to science fairs. Her favorite subjects are math and science, and in
eighth grade she received the Julius West Middle School Science Award for academic excellence. As a Vice
President to the club, Karina hopes to help create engaging STEM events and inspire more students to explore
their interests in science and technology.
Elise Berndt - Membership Vice President
Elise is a freshman at Richard Montgomery HS enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. She loves
working with kids and volunteers at Visarts during the summer and her free time. Elise is also passionate
about soccer. She's on the JV Girls Soccer team at Richard Montgomery and plays for Bethesda Soccer Club.
She is also apart of the Richard Montgomery Debate Team. Elise's favorite subject is math and she is so
excited to be a Vice President of STEM4ALL!
Peter Chesterton - Events/Activities Vice President
Peter is a Freshman in the International Baccalaureate program at Richard Montgomery High School. He loves
STEM, and is eager to share it with as many people as he can. He is interested in engineering, physics, and
game development. Currently, he is enrolled in BC Calculus, and hopes to pursue a career in math. He is a
volunteer tutor, takes part in math team, and has taken numerous courses through Johns Hopkins Center for
Talented Youth.
Founding Professional Members
Moutusi Sau - Artificial Intelligence Consultant
Moutusi Sau is a distinguished VP Team Manager at Gartner,
leading the CIO Research and Advisory team specializing in AI Technology and Operations Strategy.
With a Bachelor of Science in Physics, MBA in Finance, and Masters in Investment Management from
Boston University, she combines strong STEM foundations with over 10 years of AI consulting experience
and 8 years in financial services. At Gartner, she manages experts covering AI and Generative AI,
and Data & Analytics spanning technology insights and solution development.
Her career includes roles at UBS Investment Bank as Global Equity Research Associate,
Durham Capital specializing in debt-financing for large-cap companies, and the Milken Institute as
Senior Research Associate where she authored nearly eight publications on banking and capital markets.
As a recognized thought leader, Moutusi has spoken at major conferences including the Gartner Tech
Growth & Innovation Conference and Data & Analytics Summit. Her expertise spans artificial intelligence
and generative AI in financial services, ESG trends, financial technology modernization, and digital
transformation strategies. Based in Potomac, Maryland, she continues driving innovation at the
intersection of technology and finance, helping financial institutions navigate the rapidly evolving AI
and data analytics landscape while exemplifying how STEM education provides the analytical foundation
for leadership in today's technology-driven world.
Scott Cullum - Creative Technologist
Scott Cullum is a creative technologist and designer with over 20 years of experience bringing ideas
to life. He's worked with brands like Under Armour, Verizon, Audi, and the World Wildlife Fund to
create engaging digital experiences. As a dad of two curious kids, he knows the value of hands-on,
playful learning. Scott loves making technology accessible and fun, and he's excited to help kids
explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math through building, experimenting, and creating
together.
Sunita Patel - Senior Assistant General Counsel, Product Security Micron Technology
Sunita currently serves as Senior Assistant General Counsel for Product Security at Micron, one of the
world's largest manufacturers of semiconductor memory and storage solutions that enable our digital
world. Prior to Micron, Sunita served at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, where
she helped develop several national strategies to include the National Cybersecurity Strategy and
National Cyber Workforce & Education Strategy; she also worked for 17 years as a federal civil servant
providing legal advice to several U.S. government agencies on topics such as intelligence, supply chain
security, and cybersecurity. Sunita has a passion for mentoring youth, and does this through teaching
at local universities, advising non-profit organizations on risk and the digital ecosystem, and serving
as a committee member for the American Bar Association's Standing Committee for Law and National Security.
Amy Carico - Director of Fuel Services and Technical Standards at Airlines for America
Amy Carico is a proud jet fuel nerd with a passion for collaboration; a skill she utilizes daily as
she is responsible for building consensus and finding industry solutions for fuel technical matters
while promoting flight safety and operational performance in the U.S. and International aviation fuel
communities.
More recently, Amy founded the ASTM Alliance for Empowering Women which aims to plug the leaky
pipeline between women earning STEM degrees and those continuing work in STEM career fields. The
organization provides personal and professional development training, mentorship opportunities, and
network building support to overcome the biggest barriers to women pursuing and retaining careers in
STEM fields. When Amy isn't busy talking about jet fuel cleanliness or thermal oxidation stability,
she enjoys spending time with her two daughters.
Dr. Abdel Elhamdani - Manager of Rockville Science Center
As a manager of the Rockville Science Center, Abdel develops programs, science projects, and classes
that target the whole community - from elementary school students to seniors. Abdel is a neuroscientist,
pharmacologist and electrophysiologist who studied the molecular mechanisms underlying the release of
chemicals and the recycling of vesicles cargo containing the chemicals in neuroendocrine and brain cells
(Neurons). He received a B.S. in Biochemistry, a master’s degree in pharmacology and pharmaceutical
chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France. Abdel
served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University, Assistant professor at Wayne State University,
Research Fellow at NIH, and was a Senior Scientist and Project Manager at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique
Federale de Lausanne), Switzerland.
Alex Saccente - Forensic Engineer at Thornton Thomasetti
Alex Saccente is an Engineer in the Forensics practice at Thornton Tomasetti's (TT) Washington, D.C.
office. Prior to joining TT, Alex conducted undergraduate research on heat transfer analysis of
structural steel elements in fire, and graduate research on lidar-based modeling and assessment of
deteriorated steel structures. Alex earned her B.S. in Architectural Engineering (2022) and M.S. in
Civil Engineering (2024) from Oregon State University before moving to Washington, D.C. to begin her
career at TT in July 2024. Over the last year, Alex has worked on a variety of projects, including
parking garage assessments, post-hurricane condition assessments, performance-based structural fire
engineering analyses, and factory and gas line pipe explosion investigations.
Dr. Patricia Cristofaro - Infectious Disease Doctor and Assistant Professor at Brown University
Patricia Cristofaro, MD is an assistant professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of
Brown University. She also was an attending physician of infectious diseases and medicine at the
Providence VA Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine
and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
Dorina Kroll - Owner of Potomac Physical Therapy and Rehab
Dorina Kroll received her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from University of Maryland her Doctor of
Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. She has worked in various outpatient settings in the
Baltimore and Montgomery County areas and is passionate about helping patients feel like their very
best selves. As a mom of two, she understands how hard it can be to make self-care a priority. Her
mission is to make PT as comfortable and convenient as possible! She is trained in external and internal
pelvic floor physical therapy by the American Physical Therapy Association's Academy of Pelvic Health.
Roy Yang - Senior Manager of Creative Services at Foundry
Roy Yang is an Emmy Award-winning global creative technology leader with more than 20 years of experience
spanning visual effects, digital content creation, and creative services leadership. As Senior Manager of
Creative Services at Foundry, he leads multicultural teams across regions, providing strategic workflow
consulting and partnering with global product, marketing, and sales organizations on product launches,
demonstrations, localization, and training initiatives. He has played a key role in scaling Foundry's
regional presence and strengthening long-term partnerships with leading studios and content creators worldwide.
Roy's career is grounded in hands-on production experience at renowned studios including Digital Domain,
Rhythm & Hues, Hydraulx, Zoic Studios, and Method Studios, where he contributed to major feature films such as
Thor and Night at the Museum. A recognized industry leader and speaker, Roy is known for bridging creative
artistry with technology innovation, helping the global content creation community adopt new tools, optimize
workflows, and evolve modern production pipelines.