• Discoverability Visible
  • Join Policy Open/Anyone
  • Created 09 Mar 2011

People and Partners


SLED team

Leadership Team

(pictured from left to right)

  • Alyssa Panitch, PI and project co-leader (no longer at Purdue)
  • Brenda Capobianco, Co-PI and project co-leader
  • Todd Kelley, Co-PI
  • James Lehman, senior personnel
  • Chell Nyquist, project manager

Purdue University

Collaborating Units

  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Science
  • Purdue Polytechnic (formerly known as the College of Technology)
  • Discovery Learning Research Center (now closed)


2013-14 Design Teams

  • Kendra Erk (materials engineering, team leader), Ann Kirchmaier (biochemistry), John Lumkes (agricultural and biological engineering), Jaime Peterson (teacher), Jill Shambach (teacher)
  • Venkatesh Merwade (civil engineering, team leader), David Eichinger (biology and education), Brad Harriger (mechanical engineering technology), Ryan Habben (teacher)
  • Bryan Hubbard (building construction management technology, team leader), Kari Clase (technology leadership and innovation), Alyssa Panitch (biomedical engineering), Tahira Reid (mechanical engineering), Nancy Tyrie (teacher)

School Partners

Participating Indiana Schools

Original School Districts

  • Lafayette School Corporation
  • Plymouth Community School Corporation
  • Taylor Community School Corporation
  • Tippecanoe School Corporation

District Administrators

  • John Layton, Co-PI – Lafayette School Corporation
  • Dan Tyree – Plymouth Community School Corporation
  • Christopher Smith – Taylor Community School Corporation
  • Scott Hanback – Tippecanoe School Corporation

Grade 3-6 Teachers (2017)

Grade 3-4 Teachers (2015-16)

Grade 5-6 Teachers (2015-16)

Grade 3-4 Teachers (2014-15)

Lafayette Grade 3-4 Teachers

(left to right): Alicia Waitkoff, Valerie Dawson

(not pictured: Brittany Ristau, Tiffnei Tague)

Plymouth, Taylor, and Triton Grade 3-4 Teachers

(left to right): Matthew Corn, Cathy Stryker, Karen Green, Tana Houin, Angie Becktel, Jessica Campbell, Kaitlin Gustafson

Tippecanoe Grade 3-4 Teachers

(back row, left to right) Aaron Hamilton, Elizabeth Dunlap, George Berkesch, Bill Laufman, Beau Scott, Jill Parker, Clint Wilson, Laurie Camp, Madeena Coates, Kara Fletcher, Colleen Cooper

(middle row) Jessica Ferger, Ruthi Krynak, Arielle Mucha, Terri Fisher, Rebecca Combs, Christine Oppy, Laura Porter, Cindy Yeater

(front row) Angie Marks, Kimberly Deckard, Ellen DeFreese, Jolene Freeman, Vincent Perry

(not pictured) James Minogue, Jill Shambach, Dona Thomas


Grade 5-6 Teachers (2012-13)

Riverside (Plymouth) Grade 5 Teachers

(left to right): Stacy VanDerWeele, Nikki Rumpler, Amy Lewis, Sarah Glassburn, Elyse Chudzynski

Riverside (Plymouth) Grade 6 Teachers

(front row, left to right): Kyle Whiteman, Mindy Thorpe Mattis, Kim Burns*, Allison Stone

(back row, left to right): Sue Turpin, Scott Shelhart*, Eric Knebel,

(* no longer at Riverside)

Sunnyside (Lafayette) Teachers

(front row, left to right): Mary Sturgeon, Casey Davenport, Joanne Jones, Karen Beasley, Anne Mounce, Jennifer Sprunger, Kathleen O’Neal

(back row, left to right): Chris Mathias, Nancy Tyrie, Colleen Keefe Warren, Jennifer Dickensheets, Erin Doherty, Brent Martin

Taylor Elementary and Intermediate Teachers

(front row, left to right): Pamela Stamm, Barb Easton, Fran Benham, Carol Fitzgerald

(back row, left to right): Heidi Vance, Jo Goodrich, Judy Weirauch

Wea Ridge and Mintonye (Tippecanoe) Teachers

(left to right): Kelly Myers, Sara Wright, Sarah Roth, Peggy Johnson, Brian Hall

Other Participating Teachers

(left to right): Laurie Mitchell (Klondike), Tillie Kain (Riverside, retired), Laura O’Shaughnessey (Faith Christian), Anna Matthys (Sunnyside, retired), Anne Brickler (Sunnyside, retired)

Purdue Pre-service Teachers

2012 (left to right): Mary Hildebrand, Lauren Mattingly, Brooke Winebrenner, Barbara Kroemer, Andrea Levrio

(Picture Unavailable)

2013 (left to right): Hillary Eup, Mariam Addeeb, Sara Beth Shelton, Rachel Lane

2014 (left to right): Erika Matricia, Morgan Manuel, Hillary Eup, Alyssa Casselman, Sara Beth Shelton

Advisory Board

  • David Burghardt, Hofstra University
  • Allen Feldman, University of South Florida
  • Benjamin Kemp, Indiana Department of Education
  • Lawrence Flick, Oregon State University
  • John Hill, National Rural Education Association
  • Yevgeniya Zastavker, Olin College
  • Peter Kloosterman, Indiana University
  • Stephen Krause, Arizona State University

Community Partners

  • CMTA Consulting Engineers
  • Delphi Automotive
  • Duke Energy
  • Meadow Lake Wind Farm
  • Plymouth Foundry
  • Purdue’s Discovery Park
  • Roadworks
  • Subaru of Indiana Automotive