Wilbert Butler has devoted his career to STEM education, both in and out of the classroom. He spent decades teaching high school science in Gadsden County and then pursued a PhD in STEM Education at FSU. He began teaching at (then) Tallahassee Community College, and has recently retired from Tallahassee State College. While at TSC Dr. Butler developed an informal science program called the “STEM-Gym” to offer middle students the opportunity to enjoy learning about science and other STEM disciplines. In his “free time,” he created a foundation to enrich the lives of Gadsden County residents. The Foundation purchased and totally renovated the old Northside High School in Havana into a community center with a library of Gadsden County African American History, library classrooms, a teaching kitchen, a gym, vegetable gardens, physical location for the STEM Gym,and an aquaponic system for fish farming.

Kerry brings a background of science teaching, training, research, and community outreach to the Board of Tallahassee Scientific Society. In her professional career, she has worked to communicate complex concepts in science to a diverse range of students, from K-12 through seniors. The bulk of her research career was spent at the Shriners Hospital for Children and Oregon Health Science University in Portland, OR.

Barry, Environmental Manager & Chemist, Retired

“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” –Anne McCaffrey, writer (1 Apr 1926-2011)

Brittany is a PhD candidate in Environmental Science at Florida A&M University’s School of the Environment. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Lincoln University (PA). Before pursuing her doctorate, she worked as an Environmental Officer at The Bahamas’ Ministry of the Environment, contributing to initiatives like the national ban on single-use plastics and balloon releases. Currently, Brittany serves as the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Young Ambassador to Florida. She serves as the graduate student representative to TSS, helping to guide and support their initiatives.

“I have been given this mountain to show others it can be moved” – author unknown

Todd Bevis earned his master’s degree in biological science and has been a practicing scientist
and science educator since then. He has worked in K-12 science outreach programs and
professional development programs for inservice teachers at the secondary and post-secondary
levels for 20 years. He is the Director of Teacher Professional Development Programs for the
Office of STEM Teaching Activities in the College of Arts & Sciences at Florida State University
and is also a certified Clinical Education Trainer. He not only is engaged in research on science
teaching and learning with a focus on teacher professional development and its impact on
student learning, but also regularly works with teachers in their classrooms. He has published
numerous scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals in both science and science education. He
is currently engaged in an NSF-funded research project on how best to design professional
development to help teachers foster productive discourse in the science classroom and a
project funded by the National Academy of Sciences to develop environmental education
curricula with a focus on socio-environmental challenges for coastal communities.

Alan Hanstein serves as the Executive Director of the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee, the K-12 STEM outreach program of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. In this role, he oversees all aspects of the Center’s operations, including the IMAX Theatre, Planetarium, Education Programs, and Community Outreach.

Originally from a suburb of New York City, Alan developed a passion for science, discovery, and exploration at an early age through visits to the Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium. He saw his first IMAX film, To Fly!, at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum the year it premiered—an experience that sparked a lifelong love of aviation.

After a successful 30-year career in technology and event logistics, Alan joined the Challenger Learning Center as Director in 2022. He is a proud alumnus and Dean’s Laureate of the FSU College of Communication and Information. He is also the creator and voice of public radio’s STEM Minute and the host of the monthly podcast Launching into History. A frequent speaker on topics ranging from space and leadership to horology in space exploration, Alan is committed to making science and the cosmos accessible to all.

He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Amy, and their beagle, Buddy. They have two adult children.

William brings classroom experience to the Board of Directors having taught science both informally and formally for a combined 10+ years in Georgia and Florida. He is currently the “Teacher in Residence” at

Challenger Learning Center providing K-12 Educational Outreach to the Leon County School District. He also is the Director of Capital Regional Science and Engineering Fair (CRSEF) and as a board member of BLAST.

Tamya is the incoming president of STEMout, a student-run organization out of Rickards High School with a stated mission to give students in underperforming schools an opportunity to have STEM-related activities and materials at their disposal. STEMout members offer activities at Title 1 middle and elementary schools on a regular basis through the 21st Century after-school program. She serves as the STEMout representative to TSS and facilitates their shared projects.