wSTEMAPUS.org
AWIS Chapter

Olivia Turner

President of wSTEM APUS

Olivia Turner is a Master of Management student with the American Public University System. She is an active and supporting APUS-Analog Research Group (AARG) member and a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). When she is not filling her educational bucket, you will find her actively supporting one of her many passions for life: hosting a weekly local crochet and knit Meetup group, volunteering with CASA, cooking or baking intuitive recipes, working in either the flower or vegetable gardens, strength training at the gym, on the courts playing tennis, basketball or volleyball, or hitting the trails cycling, running, walking, or hiking with her best four-legged friend, Oakley. Olivia thoroughly enjoys being active and outdoors and pushing her boundaries. She is thrilled to participate as President for the APUS wSTEM and connect and support women in science.

LaKeisha "KC" Lyons

VP wSTEM APUS

LaKeisha “KC” Lyons is currently working on her master’s degree in accounting with a CPA concentration.  KC currently live a small city in Texas but has hopes of moving to Colorado next summer.  KC enjoys traveling and playing volleyball and is currently working as a Senior Accountant for a local Real Estate Firm in the commercial department.  She is hoping to be a great asset for wSTEM and AWIS.

Pedro Maldonado

wSTEM Communications

Pedro Maldonado has over 20 years of experience in the federal government and has been working in Washington, DC, for the last ten years.

Pedro currently serves as Director of the Office of Financial Management at the Federal Highway Administration.

After serving in the U.S. Army as a 19D Cavalry Scout, with a deployment to Iraq in 2008, he received his master's degree in International Administration at the University of Miami in 2012. He is currently a Doctor of Global Security student at American Military University. 

Bridget Kimsey

wSTEM APUS Secretary

Bridget Kimsey is of both Lenape and Irish descent. She has her roots and beginnings in learning and working with her native elders, as a registered member of the Lenape Tribe of Indians (Delaware Nation). She has been working inside of Global Indigenous Methods and Western Scientific Methods for 30 years- in the fields of healthcare, research, writing, policy, and security. Her training runs along the spectrum of human health, biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics.

Bridget works closely with the scientific community, medical community, and other communities on differing cases and projects. She is a published author with books that describe her experience on differing topics and how they bridge into dominant modern held scientific findings.

Bridget has an undergraduate degree in science, technology, engineering, and math. She is currently working on a master's degree in space studies at APUS, with a concentration in astronomy/physics. She will then pursue a PhD in artificial intelligence. Her professional goals are to continue to research and write in finding different ways of knowing in science, creation, and the nature of reality; to continue to teach and work on projects- including patient care.

Please feel free to visit her website at https://bridgetkimsey.vpweb.com
her author's page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07JGPV2ST 

Dr. Kristin Drexler
Faculty Advisor

Dr. Kristin Drexler is a full-time faculty of Geography and Conservation of Natural Resources for American Public University System’s School of STEM. She recently earned her PhD in Educational Leadership at New Mexico State University (NMSU) specializing in socio-ecological systems research. Drexler earned her Master of Arts degree in International Affairs/Latin American Studies from Ohio University, with an emphasis in Natural Resources Management. Drexler has conducted numerous community surveys and feasibility studies in Belize regarding agroforestry, conservation, and sustainable agriculture. Until she became a full time Instructor with APUS in 2009, Ms. Drexler was an Environmental Scientist in New Mexico, conducting field biology surveys and environmental impact analyses. Drexler founded the Belize Field School Program at NMSU, coordinating short courses in Belize in wildlife science, marine ecology, agriculture, and documentary film (2006-2014). Most recently, Drexler produced an award-winning short film, “Yochi” (2016), a story about youth conservation and action against poaching and illegal wildlife trade. In the late 90s,

Dr. Shelli Carter
Faculty Advisor

Dr. Shelli Carter has a PhD in Biology from the University of Alabama and a MS in Education-Instructional Design from Purdue University. She has worked in private forensics, as a SME with the MITRE Corporation, and as a government research scientist, project manager, and recruiter. Dr. Carter has taught and designed courses from the community college to university level. She currently serves as an Associate Professor within the School of STEM at APUS.

Dr. Karen Hand 
Faculty Advisor

Dr. Karen Hand is a full-time faculty member in the Information Technology and Computer Science programs for the American Public University System's School of STEM.  She holds a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, as well as a Master's in Open and Distance Learning and a PhD in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University.  Her dissertation is entitled, “Descriptive Post Titles as Advance Organizer: Effects on Critical Thinking and Cognitive Load in Asynchronous Threaded Discussions.”.  Her previous work experience in the field of computer science includes positions in the military, government, academia, and industry, in areas such as technical support, computer programming, database management, and software engineering.  Dr. Hand is passionate about science and technology and about being a role model for women pursuing careers in these fields.  She is excited to be a faculty advisor for the wSTEM and AWIS organizations at APUS, in addition to being a faculty advisor for the APUS Chapter of CompTIA Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP), and she welcomes all interested students to join each of these student organizations.

Honorary Alumni Advisor:

Alexya Papadogiannis

Alexya Papadogiannis is originally from Crete, Greece and currently resides in Charlotte, NC. In 2020 she received her B.S. in Information System Security with a concentration in Cyber Security from AMU. She currently works for the Department of Homeland Security as a Transportation Security Officer. She is passionate about supporting women and girls in all STEM fields and encourages them to pursue their dreams. She is a firm believer that the sky is the limit! In 2018 she served as Webmistress for wSTEM and from 2019 to 2020 she served as President of wSTEM and Vice President of AWIS. Upon graduating from AMU, she has stayed on as an Alumni Advisor for both wSTEM and AWIS.

wSTEM

Dr. Jack Galvan - Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jack Galvan received his Master’s Degree in Information Systems from the Honors University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Jack obtained his Ph.D. in Business Management specializing in Information Systems, from Northcentral University. His persistence in his education then landed him as the Chief Technology Officer and Director of I.T. working for a Market Research Firm in Florida for six years. Dr. Galvan currently serves as the Department Chair for STEM General Education MATH.