Meet The Scientists
What are materials scientists? Well, they’re scientists and engineers who work together to understand the building blocks of matter. They’re constantly trying to create new matter that can help save our planet and build better lives.
But who are materials scientists? Good question. They come from all sorts of different scientific backgrounds and interests. But beyond that, they’re also moms and dads, musicians and athletes—even foodies and movie buffs. Let’s get to know the team of scientists and engineers who helped to create these missions.
Alicia Altemose
Alicia comes from the “Christmas City,” also known as Bethlehem, PA. Though she’s a materials
scientist, she’s curious about archaeology and would love to visit the ancient ruins of Pompeii in
Italy someday. Crossword puzzles and playing soccer with friends keep her busy outside the lab.
Charles Bakis
Charles is a Pennsylvania native. He’s one of those people who’s interested in why things
break—and he’s probably tried to break more than a few things himself, just to figure out the
answer. He also loves being outside, especially on his bike.
Kathleen Gehoski
Kathleen lives in State College, PA, and often finds herself wondering how things work or why
they don’t work. She enjoys remodeling houses, baking, and tinkering with recipes in the
kitchen to make vegan-friendly food.
Chris Giebink
Chris is from Texas, and his curiosity about the world is even bigger than the size of his home
state. He’s a soccer player and a woodworker, as well as a scientist.
Frank Gomez
Frank lives, works, and plays in Southern California. His interests include a strong curiosity about life
itself. He relaxes by playing the piano, and loves to read.
Alan D. Graham III
Alan is a high school student at Philadelphia’s Science Leadership Academy at Beeber. In a
world driven by technology, he’s fascinated by how electronics work. He’s an artist and a writer,
participates in The Franklin Institute’s youth programs, and tries to stay on top of current events.
Albanie Hendrickson-Stives
Albanie comes from Western New York. She’s fascinated by one of the biggest mysteries of the
universe: black holes. It gives her plenty of big questions to ponder when she’s outside camping
or inside reading a book.
Susan Kempinger
Susan’s roots are in Kansas City, MO. She’s curious about how humans communicate—how we
use language and how we talk about science. She’s also got rhythm as a West Coast Swing
dancer and spends a lot of time working in her garden.
Dangela F. Lucarelli
Dangela goes to the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and
participates in youth programs at The Franklin Institute. She wonders how our family
dynamics—like doing chores or having a curfew—affect our choices about food. She also loves
horses: watching them, reading about them, and of course, riding them.
Timothy Pillsbury
Timothy, from Baltimore, often thinks about how new technology developed by materials
scientists will change the world we live in. He’s a scientist and an artist with a talent for oil
painting, and also plays tennis.
Alyssa Rosas
Alyssa grew up in Texas, but she’s learning Japanese so she can understand her favorite anime
series, One Piece. While she likes reading books about imaginary worlds that challenge our
ideas about the future, a good reality TV show helps her unwind after a science-filled day.
Ayusman Sen
Ayusman came to the U.S. from India early in his career. He’s interested in simple questions
with pretty complicated answers. How did life begin? How does our memory work? To find
inspiration for new questions, he enjoys tasting new foods and catching up on sleep in his spare
time.
Michael Shah
Michael grew up looking at the skyscrapers of Chicago, but his interests also go deep
underground. Someday he hopes to explore freshwater sinkholes in Mexico, sacred to native
tribes, to understand how they were formed and what kinds of life exist there. For now, he
enjoys building furniture, playing basketball, skateboarding, and reading.
Tahlia Smith-Kelley
Tahlia is a high school student at the Workshop School in Philadelphia and participates in The
Franklin Institute’s youth programs. She’s especially curious about the science of taste and
smell. Outside of school and work, she likes watching anime.
Chrislynn Suah
Chrislynn was born in Liberia and grew up in Philadelphia before going to Penn State for college
to explore her interests in materials science and engineering. She’s happiest hanging out with
friends and family and enjoys watching anime and YouTube videos.
Ben Tansi
Ben, originally from Massachusetts, can’t pin down what he’s curious about—“pretty much
everything,” he says. Playing ice hockey and riding his bike are his favorite activities away from
the lab.
Ritesh Uppuluri
Ritesh spent his childhood in Springfield, IL. He’s amazed by all the living things that exist on
Earth and explores different places through his travels to feed his curiosity. He lives his life
listening to a soundtrack of classic rock.
Lyanne Valdez
Lyanne wonders about how things work, and the science behind the world we see around us
every day. Growing up in New York City gave her lots of things to wonder about! She also plays
ultimate Frisbee, practices yoga, and loves hanging out with friends and loved ones.
David Vaughan
David spent his early years in the United Kingdom, where he started investigating the geology
and chemistry of minerals and large crystals. He likes to try and beat the stock market in his
free time while dreaming up his next travel plans to visit the rest of the world.
Richard Wiencek
Richard’s Chicago roots inspired his curiosity about what makes things work and behave the
way they do. Like the rest of us, he likes to relax and hang out with friends. When he’s looking
for more adventure, you’ll find him out kayaking.