Jesse Banwell - Cesar Chavez Middle School

Jesse Banwell has taught 8th-grade science in Santa Cruz County for the past ten years. He obtained a chemistry degree from UCSC in 2011 and worked in an organic chemistry research lab. He currently lives in San Juan Bautista with his wife and three sons and enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking.

Kieu Pham - Milpitas High School

My name is Kieu Pham, and I teach biology and chemistry at Milpitas High School. I am passionate about delivering relevant, hands-on, project-based curricula to my students. My goal is for all of my students (regardless of whether or not they pursue STEM in the future) to gain a basic understanding of the scientific method and experimental design, as well as strong critical thinking skills. The most fulfilling part of my job is when students who formerly did not like science tell me that they love the subject by the end of the year. , cook, and rock-climb in my free time.

Adrian Altawil - Berkeley High School

My name is Adrian Altawil, and I am a 9th-grade physics teacher at Berkeley High School. I am originally from Los Angeles, but I moved up north for college and ended up falling in love with the Bay. I earned my B.S. in Physics Education and my M.A. in Science Education at UC Santa Cruz. This coming school year, I will be leading a small school of four teachers and 120 students. I will also co-lead the physics department, which consists of seven aligned physics teachers. I hope to implement what I learn in the SJSU RET program into my curriculum and the curriculum shared with the rest of the physics department. Outside of my professional life, I love playing video games, hanging out with friends, and spending time with my partner and our dog in our garden. We have over 50 plants, and we live in a studio!

Sam Fung - Homestead High School

Prior to working in education, I was in private industry for ten years. I plan to leverage this experience and my education training, majoring in instructional design, to make chemistry classes exciting and relevant to the students. For example, when students learn about acids and bases, I can enrich them with the knowledge of how the industry processes electronic components using them. Further, by knowing the pH of the wastewater, we can reuse the water to save money and protect our living environment. I believe that my technology experience, my expertise in process engineering & technical writing, and my passion for teaching will all contribute to the students’ achievement.

Ally Landreth - Pioneer High School

My name is Ally Landreth, and I have taught high school chemistry and biology. I grew up in the Bay Area, graduating from San Jose State with a degree in Biological Sciences and soon after completing the Credential Program at SJSU. I am eager to develop new lab skills & techniques along with designing a corresponding and engaging curriculum. Outside of the science world, I love dancing, cooking, and hiking in my free time. I am also a plant nerd and a dedicated cat enthusiast!

Madeleine Swift - Aptos High School

I am Madeleine Swift, a self-professed nature nerd and educator of high school biology students (both general and AP). I am interested in providing students with hands-on, field-based classwork that helps build a relationship between students, the environment, and their learning. In my work with RET, I am excited to build on my own field-based experience and develop a curriculum that may provide similar opportunities for students at the classroom level.

Johnson Huynh - Leland High School

My name is Johnson Huynh. I’m a Physics and Engineering teacher at Leland High. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2021. This summer, I am working with Dr. Oh to synthesize battery interlayers for safer, more sustainable batteries. I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge with my students and making science more accessible for all students. You can find me playing video games or running when I'm not busy doing work.

Shy Lavasani - Andrew P. Hill High School

My name is Shy Lavasani, I’m a chemistry teacher at Andrew P. Hill High School, and I love teaching chemistry! I am also a track coach at Andrew Hill, and I love seeing my athletes succeed and be their best.

Michele Kerr - John F. Kennedy High School

Six years ago, happily teaching math and history, I realized that my school, JFK High School in Fremont, was far behind other district high schools in engineering offerings. My twenty years of pre-teaching tech industry experience allowed me to qualify for a CTE credential and start a program quickly. I now teach three engineering courses and run an after-school tech club, administer our rapidly growing maker space and lab, and advise our school’s MESA team. I always look for new knowledge and opportunities to pass on to my students. Regardless of their plans, I try to help students learn about new technology and empower themselves by learning to use it.

Isaac Pallone - Lynbrook High School

My name is Isaac Pallone; I teach biology and research classes at Lynbrook High School in San Jose. Each year I look forward to creating fun and engaging lessons to captivate, entertain and educate my students. My class isn’t just about content mastery; it’s about making science and research accessible to all learners and showing them that they can have fun while learning. I enjoy cycling, backpacking, scuba diving, and traveling in my free time.