RIMOSA

The founding board members are uniquely qualified to bring this project to fruition. Among their other achievements, many of them are also parents. Their children range in ages from pre-school to post-college.

Bonnie Epstein received her undergraduate degree in Geology/Biology from Brown University and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. Her interests lie at the junction of science, art and education. As a principal investigator for the New England Aquarium (Boston), she helped develop, implement and evaluate programs and exhibits for informal scientific education for over seven years.  She also successfully wrote the Aquarium’s 2001 NSF grant-funded exhibit on jellyfish as environmental indicators (Amazing Jellies) and directed the New England Aquarium’s Newport Exploration Center – a small science museum in Newport, RI currently run by Save The Bay.  Her experience includes teaching at the elementary, high school and college level.  She currently teaches science at the Rhode Island School of Design.  She can be reached at bepstein(at)rimosa(dot)org.

Mary Rapien holds a BA in biology from Hiram College and a doctorate in Biological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. She has spent her career bridging the gap between science and education. She has developed and conducted interpretive, interactive science programs and field trips with students in grades K-12. As the New England Aquarium’s Newport Exploration Center coordinator, she has hired and managed paid staff, interns, and volunteers, tracked budgets, written grants and sought collaborative relationships with other local environmental education organizations. She is currently an adjunct professor at Bristol Community College in New Bedford, MA.

Karen Triedman received her undergraduate degree in American Studies from Brown University and Masters of Fine Arts from the State University of New York at Albany and the University of Chicago (painting). She teaches color, applied color, and the psychology of color, design, and visual merchandising in the Certificate Program at Rhode Island School of Design. She also consults in visual marketing and color design for clients including Swarovski Silver Crystal, Card$mart, Rhode Island Hospital, and Foxwoods Casino. She is a respected author whose books explore the power of color in graphic design.

Ulysses Gallman is an outstanding teacher who made science both interesting and exciting for middle school students for 33 years. He has received numerous accolades for his work in the classroom, including the 1994 and 2000 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the prestigious Milken National Educator Award. He is also a professional Disc Jockey and Videographer, who has owned his own company since 1982. He has been an “On-Air” personality for several local Rhode Island radio stations and is currently producing jazz instrumentals.

Pamela Crombie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Bryant University, and is currently studying for a Master of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Taxation at Suffolk University. She was previously an auditor, specializing in performing audits of non-profit entities in Rhode Island, and is currently a tax accountant in Boston for a national firm. Pam is also an avid photographer.

Ted McGuire is the President of Thames & Kosmos, a publisher and distributor of educational science toys headquartered in Providence, RI. He has authored and edited numerous award-winning science kits and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering/Product Design from Stanford University. Ted grew up in a science museum where his mother was the Executive Director. It was there he developed an intimate understanding of the promise and praxis of informal science education, first by participating in the exhibitions and programs as a child, and later by volunteering as a program instructor, exhibit installer, designer, and retail store manager. He has worked as a software user interface designer for Adobe Systems, as a magazine designer, and as a member of an artist collective in San Francisco that produced publications and performances. Ted also serves on the board of ASTRA, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

Wendy Lawton has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master of arts degree in journalism from New York University. She worked as newspaper reporter in Massachusetts, Colorado and Oregon for a decade, and spent most of her career writing about K-12 education. After leaving journalism, she took a job publicizing science and medicine at Brown University, then went on to raise money for Brown science and technology projects. Currently, she raises money for research at Lifespan. She is a parent, poet, naturalist, runner and arts junkie. She is active in the PTO at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in Providence and serves as an advisor to Pecha Kucha, WRNI and Wooly Productions. Working with RIMOSA allows her to blend her chief interests – science, education, and art. Which, when done well, all require creativity.

Ray Gennari is an accomplished musician and craftsman. Since becoming a professional musician at the age of 18, Ray has played bass, guitar, trombone, and keyboard in groups spanning the whole range of musical genres. He is founder, engineer, and producer of the Rockatorium of Love Studio in West Kingston. Ray creates one-of-a-kind fine furniture and his artwork has been shown at the Providence Anthenaeum and Aldrich Contemporary Museum of Art. He also designs and builds many of RIMOSA’s exhibits.

Marc B. Gertsacov, Esq. received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Skidmore College and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Marc’s interest in art was encouraged at an early age as his mother was an art teacher and his father bought and sold scrap metal. He has fond memories of painting with pudding, creating pasta sculptures at the dinner table and making mobiles from machine parts. While he was in college, Marc briefly attempted to major in art, but his 2D Professor, after viewing his work, wisely encouraged him to seek another major. Now, he is an attorney with the Law Offices of Ronald C. Markoff and primarily concentrates his practice in real estate matters and counsels a wide variety of small corporations. When Marc is not at work or with his wife and three children, he also volunteers his time with the International Charter School, the Jewish Alliance for Greater Rhode Island and Touro Fraternal Association and loses many golf balls at local courses. Marc can be reached at marc@ronmarkoff.com

Amy Lovera is a multimedia artist whose narrative work explores the interplay between biography and fiction. Her work has been exhibited and published both nationally and internationally, including a recent screening at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston. Amy has received awards from the LEF Foundation and the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts and is currently on the faculty of Roger Williams University. She has also taught at the Massachusetts College of Art, the Rhode Island School of Design and Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art in France. Amy is a founding member of the Clever Girls Collaborative, a film-making collective with a handmade, hands-on approach and an emphasis on spontaneity and play. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design and makes her home and work in Providence, Rhode Island.

Andy Russ is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in time-based media – music, dance, theatre and film (though he may have recently caught the photography bug.) After graduating from Oberlin College and Conservatory, he spent 10 years in NYC developing his own work as well as helping others develop theirs.  In 2005, he moved to Rhode Island to become the Artistic Coordinator of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project.  Recent creative highlights include the Grammy Nominated CD Off the Map with the Silk Road Ensemble; a multimedia performance in NYC’s Central Park involving over 400 6th grade public school students; and an ongoing collaboration with RI expat choreographer, Jordan Fuchs, on the dance Strange Planet. An amateur scientist and philosopher, (ie. he spends way too much time online) he is interested in the interconnection of perception, language, and memory.  He currently lives in Providence with his wife and daughter, and is thrilled to be part of the RIMOSA team.

Valerie Taylor has spent the past fifteen years enjoying the best job in the world: working with museums to create engaging and educational experiences for visitors of all ages. She has developed exhibits, programs, and media installations for clients including the National Museum of Australia, the National Infantry Museum, the Boston Children’s Museum, the National Park Service, and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. An experienced museum planner, she has helped a number of start-up museums to define their mission and goals and to craft their overall interpretive approach. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University. Valerie is also an accomplished photographer, exhibiting at venues including the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. She lives in Providence with her husband and two young scientist-artists.

Lily Benedict has a BA in anthropology from Cornell University. She currently works as the Education Curator at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Providence, RI, where she spends her days teaching students of all ages about science, culture, and the natural world. She also coordinated daytime activities for Wooly Fair 2011 and serves as a youth mentor for Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education (RISE). She lives in Providence with her husband, a ceramic artist and software engineer.

Kipp Bradford has a passion for creating new products as well as finding new applications for existing technologies.  He is the Senior Design Engineer and Lecturer at the Brown University School of Engineering, chair of the Rhode Island Entrepreneurship Faculty group and serves on the boards of The Steel Yard and AS220.  He is also on the technical advisory board of MAKE Magazine and is a Fellow at the College of Design, Engineering and Commerce at Philadelphia University. In 2008, Kipp was honored as one of the “40 Under Forty” by Providence Business News, and one of the “10 people changing Providence” by Providence Monthly Magazine. His current company, KippKitts, LLC, is an open source hardware manufacturer making an array of tools for engineers and designers. He was the founding CTO of a number of start-ups in the fields of transportation, consumer products, HVAC, and medical devices, and holds numerous patents for his inventions. Kipp co-founded Revolution By Design, a non-profit education and research organization dedicated to empowerment through technology and co-organizes Rhode Island’s mini Maker Faire.  In his spare time, he races bicycles as a semi-pro road cyclist and plays glockenspiel in an activist street marching band.