The Action Potential Advisory Committee
Raven Baxter, Ph.D. - Molecular Biologist
Fun Fact: I went to Space Camp and found out that I was afraid of heights, which led to me studying earth-based biology instead of venturing into the cosmos!
Bio: Dr. Raven has a gift for turning complex scientific concepts into clear, captivating stories that resonate. Equipped with a degree in Molecular Biology and a PhD in Science Education, she has spent over 15 years making science accessible and engaging for learners of all backgrounds, including coaching other scientists. Through her unique teaching styles and technical expertise, she helps break down advanced scientific research into everyday language that anyone can grasp, creating those “aha” moments that feel like magic. This ability has established her as a leading voice in science communication.
As the Executive Director of The Science Haven, she’s not just sitting behind a desk. Dr. Raven is in the lab cultivating an energetic community of curious science enthusiasts, she helps to lead groundbreaking science outreach programs.
Dr. Raven’s use of storytelling, music, and comedy in teaching has earned her recognition in Forbes 30 Under 30, Fortune Under 40, and the EBONY Power 100. Blending these innovative methods with her scientific expertise allows Dr. Raven to consistently find new ways to engage, inspire, and educate diverse audiences. Companies seeking to refine their science communication and create memorable brand experiences turn to Dr. Raven for her distinct ability to connect with audiences and deliver impactful results.
Ronald Gamble, Ph.D. - Theoretical Astrophysicist
Fun Fact: I learned German so that I could read astrophysics texts in their original language.
Bio: Dr. Ronald S. Gamble, Jr is an award-winning Afro-Latino Theoretical Astrophysicist, Science Communicator, & Artist researching relativistic jet emission theory from Supermassive Black Holes utilizing General Relativity and astroparticle physics. He is currently a CRESST-II Visiting Assistant Research Scientist and Cosmic Origins Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland—College Park. In addition to his research, he is the Director of the NASA Cosmic Pathfinders Program focused on early-career STEM professional development at NASA. He is a former Postdoctoral Scholar of Theoretical/Mathematical Physics for the National Strategic Research Institute and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s RD-NTE division. He is a recipient of the NASA Agency Honors: DEIA Medal and Group Achievement Award (NASA SMD (MOSAICS) Bridge program organizing committee), and A New Day Foundation’s Achievement In STEM & Service To Youth. Dr. Gamble facilitates national STEM initiatives as the Director of Programs for the nonprofit, The Science Haven. He received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics (2017); M.S. in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics (2014) and B.S. in Physics, with a minor in Fine Arts (2012), all from the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. While there he held a HBGI Doctoral Fellowship, completing the first physics-related dissertation at North Carolina A&T State University entitled: On Gravitational Radiation: Nonlinear Wave Theory In A Viscoelastic Kerr-Lambda Spacetime. Gamble has been invited to speak at numerous prominent venues, events, and institutions that include the White House National Space Council Office of Science & Technology Policy, The Institute of Physics, American Astronomical Society, and the National History Museum of African-American History & Culture. With 7 years in academia teaching and designing physics, mathematics, biomedical engineering, and computational science courses/curricula; his experiences span multiple industries including higher-education, space, and defense.
Meg Mindlin, B.Sc. - Molecular Biologist
Fun Fact: I interviewed the band Dirty Heads about their new beer while I was still in high school.
Bio: Meg Mindlin is a science communicator and molecular biologist studying the underpinnings of octopus novelties. She earned her Bachelors in Science in Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2021 and will earn her Masters in Science in Biology from Walla Walla University in 2025, studying the effects of ocean acidification on RNA editing Octopus rubescens. Outside of academia, Meg educates the public via social media about Cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish, nautilus) and their biology from a macro level (ecology) to a micro level (molecular, cellular, and developmental biology).
Kristen Tillman, M.S. - Zoologist
Fun Fact: I went to Narnia (I was an extra in the movie, also was an extra in the TV show VEEP, and the movie Game Change, and the movie Safe House.)
Bio: Kristen Tillman is a zoologist, with a main focus in animal behavior having a love and passion for marine life, but all animals really, except maybe snakes (sorry snakey people). She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (main focus animal behavior), from Virginia Wesleyan College, in Norfolk, VA; Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology/Biology), from Towson University, Towson, MD; and her Masters in Zoology/Tropical Biology from James Cook University, QLD, Australia. Her research was studying the predatory behavior of pygmy squid (Idiosepius pygmaeus). She also studied the genetic linkage through the spatial distribution between artiodactyls and cetaceans. Her real love is elasmobranchs.
Kristen is a certified rescue SCUBA diver, and has been diving since she was 15. She’s been diving in various locations around the world, but the best dive experience was diving with Rodney Fox, one of her childhood idols, and the Great White Sharks in South Australia. She had the privilege of meeting another one of her childhood idols, Dr. Eugenie Clark, when she worked at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, FL. She also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas, established by renowned shark expert Dr. Samuel Gruber.
Kristen has worked in various AZA and ZAA accredited public aquariums and zoos in the US and Australia to continue building her knowledge of animal behavior, conservation, and educating the public about the animals. Her 20+ years working with a variety of animals, whether vet clinics in the US or Australia, stables with horses and ponies, nature centers, aquariums and zoos, there is always something to learn and never enough time.
Jessica Vélez, Ph.D. - Geneticist
Fun Fact: I graduated with my first Bachelor degree before I could legally drink.
Bio: Jessica M. Vélez, PhD, is a liberal arts major with a STEM PhD. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004, her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) in 2014, and her PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from UTK in 2020, studying population genetics and heavy metal resistance of the fungal species Cenococcum geophilum. During her 20+ year career journey, Dr. Vélez has worked in retail, the financial industry, federal research facilities, and the nonprofit sector. Jessica’s passion for science communication and outreach led her to her current role as the Membership Engagement and Early Career Programs Manager for GSA’s Engagement Department. Amongst her many achievements and awards, she is aNational GEM Fellow.
Emma M. Rhodes, Ph.D. Candidate - Ornithologist
Fun Fact: I volunteered one summer on a nesting seabird island for monitoring and research.The island would occasionally have a surprise visitor from one of the program's sponsors, Glenn Close.
Bio: Ornithologist and South Alabama native, Emma Rhodes has been an avid birder from a young age and began participating in science outreach as a teen at a public bird banding station in Coastal Alabama. In 2019, she became one of the youngest Master Bird Banders in North America and has worked with and studied a variety of avian taxa, from hummingbirds to birds of prey. Emma has worked alongside various conservation organizations in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Colorado, Maine and the Bahamas. She has also worked with both state and National Audubon chapters and is an instructor for the Hog Island Audubon Camp where her purpose is to educate and inspire the next generation of conservationists and scientists. Emma received her BS in Biology, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems, at the University of South Alabama and is currently a PhD candidate at Auburn University where her thesis work is focused on studying the physiological underpinnings of bird migration. Her PhD work entitled “Mitochondria Power the Evolution of Bird Migration” received prestigious awards from both the National Science Foundation (Graduate Research Fellowship Program), the Society for the Study of Evolution, and internal awards including the Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship and the 2024 Dean’s Award. Apart from her graduate work, Emma is a co-founder of Banding Coalition of the Americas (BCA), a non-profit organization focused on better understanding migratory birds using banding and advanced tracking techniques in addition to using banding as an outreach tool. BCA was featured in the New York Times in Nov. 2023 in an article titled “9 Days, 527 Birds, 55 Species”.