Dr. Margaret (Peg) Riley
Dr. Riley obtained her B.S. and M.S. at UMass Amherst, her Ph.D. at Harvard and then spent 15 years as a Professor at Yale. She just recently returned home to UMass Amherst, where she is a Professor in the Department of Biology. Her research in microbial ecology and evolution has led to key insights into the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Dr. Riley has a strong commitment to science education and hopes to use her position as the first President of the MAS to pursue this challenging and rewarding mission.
Carla Goldstone M.S.
Carla Goldstone obtained her B.S. in Biology from the University of Connecticut and her M.S in Biology from Southern Connecticut State University. She has been a research scientist and laboratory manager at Yale University and a research scientist for Origin Antimicrobials, Inc for 1 year, and is now a research fellow in the Riley laboratory. She has overseen $4 million in NIH and NSF research funds, has worked on projects ranging from enteric bacteria to antibiotic resistance and has amassed 5 publications. Science is a passion that she hopes to share with others through the MAS by upholding the motto -Think, Explore, Learn.
Dr. Michelle Lizotte-Waniewski
Dr. Lizotte-Waniewski obtained her B.A. and M.A. at Smith College in Northampton MA, and her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She served for 14 years as the Laboratory Director for the Molecular Biology Summer Workshops at Smith College, and as the Chief Financial Officer for ParaGene Inc for 3 years. She is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher and Manager in the Riley Laboratory at UMASS. Her research is focused on the molecular biology and genomics of enteric bacteria. Dr. Lizotte-Waniewski has been involved in teaching and research for over 17 years and looks forward to contributing more broadly to science education in Massachusetts.
Michael Bertrand
Michael obtained his B.S. in psychology at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, course work in design at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and his M.S. in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester in the U.K. Science and natural history have been the common threads connecting Michael's work in psychiatric counseling, informational graphic design for major newspapers and collection management at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. He has also served as a consultant to groups such as the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Lemur Conservation Foundation. Michael believes that today, science awareness and literacy in the U.S. is in danger of losing ground and that the efforts of groups such as the MAS are critical in maintaining a vital scientific community.
Sara Cody
Sara is currently in her second year at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Biology. She got her first taste of being a scientist the summer of 2006 after graduating from high school, while working as a lab technician at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. Upon entering college, she acquired a job working in Peg Riley's lab in January of 2007. The summer of 2007 was spent working at the University of Massachusetts Medical School again, this time participating in a study by doing data collection. She is now back working in the Riley lab for good. Sara is very excited to be a part of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences. She has always loved science, ever since she was a kid, and hopes to generate that kind of excitement for kids all across the state. To her, kids are the most important part of the world of science, because they are the doctors, nurses, chemists, physicists, and biologists of tomorrow!
Gabby Bouton
Gabby is a Junior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is a nutrition major and will be finishing a minor in psychology this semester. Gabby started working in the Riley lab in February of 2008 doing media preparation and a variety of work with the MAS. Over the past summer she assisted with cystic fibrosis research and is now helping to develop Project Spark. Science is a field that is imperative to modern technology and research. It can seem intimidating and she hopes to show kids how fascinating it is and introduce the different disciplines in a way that makes it applicable to their every day lives.
Sandy Robinson
Sandra is a Junior at the University of Massachusetts. She is a microbiology major in the Commonwealth Honors Program. Sandra is currently working in the lab of Dr. Peg Riley on a project involving antibiotic resistance. She plans to attend graduate school and earn a PhD in microbiology/Immunology. Sandra has always loved science and truly believes that through scientific knowledge, we can make the world a much better place.
