After receiving her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Connecticut, Ashley joined Teach for America and taught in Hartford Public Schools for the last eight years as a science and STEM teacher. Ashley also served as science coach for new science teachers and taught science education courses through Teach For America and the John Hopkins Master’s program during this time. She was Teacher of the Year at Kennelly School and served on the Union Board in Hartford for two years. She is very passionate about partnering with the community and organizations to promote STEM education. She participates and encourages students to also be involved in service learning with Knox Community Gardens and the Aloha Foundation as well as works with CCSU, UCONN, TFA, CT Center for Advanced Technology and Manufacturing, LEGO, and Talcott Mountain. She additionally assisted with elementary and middle school running club, girls basketball and softball, after-school science programming, and has helped to organize and run middle school trips to Washington, DC and Vermont. Ashley has also been the STEAM Specialist and Lead Teacher for the Horizons summer program at The Ethel Walker School for the past two summers.

Emma received her Bachelor’s degree in physics from Vassar College in 2009, where she also was senior editor of the college newspaper. She taught physics and chemistry at her alma mater, Emma Willard School, before earning a Ph.D. in applied physics at the University of Virginia in 2016. Her Ph.D. research was in laboratory astrophysics and astrochemistry, focusing on thermal and radiation processing of frozen water in astronomical environments. As a graduate student, she was awarded fellowships by both the NASA Earth and Space Science Program and the NASA Virginia Space Grant Consortium. Emma lives with her rescue border collie, Davy.