Speakers

Meghan Anzelc, PhD - Keynote Speaker

Head of Data and Analytics

Meghan Anzelc is an executive leader in data and analytics product development and deployment.

Meghan Anzelc, PhD, is an experienced executive driving positive business impact through data, artificial intelligence, and technology. Previously Global Head of Data & Analytics at Spencer Stuart and Chief Analytics Officer at AXIS Capital, Anzelc is skilled at determining how existing and emerging technologies can be applied to business problems and providing jargon-free guidance to senior executives on technology, digital strategy, and decision trade-offs.  Read more...

Rob Krauss, DMP, DABR

Board Certified Medical Physicist

Dr. Krauss is a board-certified medical physicist who has supported radiation therapy services in Memphis for the past 13 years, the last 12 at St. Francis Hospital. He has been a medical physicist for nearly 16 years, with over 20 years of expertise in radiation oncology. Krauss is active within the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, participating in multiple committees including as vice-chair and chair, and being an invited speaker on topics related to linear accelerator quality assurance. His most recent publication, "MPPG 8.b.: Linear Accelerator Performance Tests" (2023), provides minimum guidelines for a medical C-arm linac quality management program. This year, he participated in the Help Ukraine Group (HUG)/AAPM lecture series for Ukrainian medical physicists switching from obsolete Soviet-era Co-60 treatment units to modern linacs, winning the "Best Educator" award. While not native to the Memphis area, he has called Tennessee home for over two decades, with all but four being in West Tennessee. He lives in Tipton County with his wife and four children. When he's not working, he is attending his kid's sporting, music, and dance events, hunting and fishing, supporting Memphis-area soccer, coaching rec and attending Tigers games (GTG!). 

Cecille Labuda, PhD

Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Mississippi

Dr. Labuda's research focuses on physical ultrasonics and the biomedical applications of ultrasound. This includes the ultrasonic properties of tissue, the development of tissue-mimicking phantoms, and wave propagation in complex media. Labuda currently studies brain tissue's ultrasonic properties, both directly and through a bone mimic. Learn more...

Bill Weppner

Associate Professor of Mathematics, Southwest Community College

Bill Weppner, a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, embarked on a distinguished career in aerospace and education. As a NASA flight controller, he actively participated in pivotal Apollo missions, including Apollo 8 – the first manned mission to orbit the moon – and the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Following his service in the United States Air Force, where he attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and earned a Master of Electrical Engineering, Mr. Weppner transitioned to academia. He currently serves as an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Southwest Community College.

Panelists

Matt Brantz

Sr. Director, Memphis Detachment at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Detachment

Matt Brantz is the Site Director at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Detachment in Memphis, where he manages the U.S. Navy Large Cavitation Channel. In this role, Matt leads a team conducting experiments focused on hydrodynamics and hydroacoustics to support the Navy’s operational needs. With nearly 15 years of government service, he is deeply committed to advancing technology that enhances the Navy's capabilities.  

Matt began his career in the steel industry at Nucor Steel before transitioning to NAVSEA in Washington, DC, where he worked as a submarine structural engineer. His diverse background in materials science and naval technology has given him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within government service.   

A 2006 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Matt is passionate about sharing the benefits of working in government with others. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys cooking, spending time with his family, traveling, and exploring his love for vintage audio equipment. 

Dorian Burnette, PhD

Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Memphis

Dr. Burnette uses a wide array of datasets from modern meteorology and climatology data to historical instrumental and documentary data to paleoclimate data from tree rings to investigate extreme weather and climate events at a variety of time scales.

Joji Castillon

Career Specialist - STEM, University of Memphis

Ms. Castillon provides career advising, as well as job and internship opportunities for students majoring in STEM.

Priya Devineni

Associate Clinical Study Manager, Stryker

Priya Devineni is an Associate Clinical Study Manager at Stryker, currently working to support 4 sponsor-initiated studies on the Clinical Operations team in the Trauma & Extremities division. Ms. Devineni obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a second major in Physics from the University of Memphis and recently obtained her master's degree in Applied Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University with a focus on biomechanics. Ms. Devineni's work involves checking study data remotely and in person, communicating with research staff and surgeons about studies, and working with her team to develop and improve processes. Through Stryker, Ms. Devineni has also supported the Memphis community in collaboration with organizations such as Girls Inc. of Memphis. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her many dogs and cats and listening to video essays on obscure topics.

Raghav K. Elayavalli, PhD

Assistant Professor of Physics, Vanderbilt University

Dr. Raghav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli is an assistant Professor of Physics in the department of Physics and Astronomy since the fall of 2023. The primary question of their research is to chart the space-time evolution of fundamental particles such as quarks and gluons from their liberation during the moment of high-energy collision to their metamorphosis into hadrons. Learn more...

Ashley Elliott

PhD Candidate, Department of Physics and Astronomy at Louisiana State University

Ashley Elliott is a PhD candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Louisiana State University. Her research focuses on studying exoplanet host stars using a technique called long baseline optical interferometry with the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA). She is in her fourth year of her program. She got her Bachelor’s of Science in Space Physics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott campus. Ashley has two cats named Super and Nova and has many hobbies such as crocheting, baking, and binging tv.

Ela Emami

Manager of Startup Services, Epicenter Memphis

Ela’s entrepreneurial journey began with the founding of Care2Manage, an online platform catering to caregivers, which evolved into a consulting practice. Her strategic planning ensures every project's success, guiding clients from inception to execution with precision and foresight. Drawing on her extensive experience in healthcare coordination, Ela identifies and nurtures promising innovators, while her active approach to community engagement amplifies Epicenter’s influence as a catalyst for entrepreneurial success. Ela holds an MBA degree in Marketing and Management.

A. Louise Ferris

Technical Resource and Outreach Coordinator, Fusion Energy

A. Louise Ferris is the Technical Resource and Outreach Coordinator for Fusion Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she specializes in fusion workforce development. In this role, she can leverage her technical expertise in plasma and fusion to work towards expanding and strengthening the fusion workforce. While in graduate school, she also engaged in public policy at local and national levels, helping to establish the Fusion Student Delegation, an organization that provides students the opportunity to advocate for fusion in Washington, DC, while learning about the ways that scientific research and public policy interact. She received a bachelor’s in physics and Spanish from Duquesne University and a master’s in nuclear engineering with a graduate certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside of her career, Louise enjoys rock climbing, birding, reading, and supporting her hometown football team, the Philadelphia Eagles

Whitney Hardy

Director, Crews Center for Entrepreneurship

Rebekah Herrman, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Dr. Rebekah Herrman is an Assistant Professor in the Industrial and Systems Engineering department at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics in 2020 from the University of Memphis with a focus in combinatorics. While there, she studied graph theory games and optimization problems on graphs. Aside from graph theory, her current research interest is quantum machine learning applied to combinatorial optimization problems. Learn more...

Jillian Kelley

Sr. Research & Development Technician, Aspen Aerogels

Ms. Kelley graduated with her B.S. in chemistry from Providence College in 2023. In her role at Aspen, Ms. Kelley uses her knowledge of chemistry to produce meaningful results using various analytical techniques such as ion and gas chromatography.

Brigitte Lefebvre

Research & Development Engineer, Aspen Aerogel

Ms. Lefebvre is currently working on new product research and validation, including exploring future uses for silica and cellulose aerogels. Ms. Lefebrve received her B.S. in Physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she also served as the Sigma Pi Sigma chapter's founding treasurer. 

Connor Merinder

Supervisor of Research & Development, Aspen Aerogels

Mr. Merinder leads a team of four highly skilled technicians, managing and coordinating their efforts to support the daily operations of cross-functional teams within the R&D department. His role involves overseeing material characterization, process optimization, and the execution of research initiatives that drive the development  of cutting-edge thermal insulation and energy storage solutions. He received a B.S. in Neuroscience from Trinity College-Hartford and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tufts University.

​

Mallory Molina

Assistant Professor of Astronomy, Vanderbilt University

Dr. Mallory Molina is currently an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University. They completed their undergraduate work at Ohio State University and their graduate work at Penn State University. Molina was a Ford Postdoctoral fellow at Montana State University and was an Eccles Astrodata Fellow at the University of Utah. Their work focuses on active black holes in dwarf galaxies, with an emphasis on understanding how black holes and their host galaxies interact with one another. In addition to research, Molina is interested in exploring new ways to make astronomy more inclusive, including creating and running the non-profit organization Towards a More Inclusive Astronomy, which has chapters across the United States.

Abby Parrill, PhD

Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Memphis

Professor of Chemistry, University of Memphis

Abby Parrill, PhD, currently serves as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis which includes over 33% of faculty as well as Departments and Programs offering over 45% of the student credit hours instructed at the University of Memphis.  Dr. Parrill served as Interim Provost of the University of Memphis from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. Dr. Parrill is a leading scholar in computational and medicinal chemistry.  She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, co-edited six books, and is co-inventor on six issued patents. Her work has been cited over 3500 times and has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the Elsa Pardee Foundation.  She was recognized by the University of Memphis Alumni Foundation with the Willard R. Sparks Eminent Faculty Award in 2017 and has been recognized for excellence in teaching by three different academic institutions. 

Ceecy Reed

Title IC Coordinator & Interim Director, Office for Institutional Equity, University of Memphis

Joanne Rhodes

Associate Professor of Teaching, University of Memphis

Ms. Rhodes joined the faculty of the Department of Physics at the University of Memphis and has been teaching classes in astronomy and conceptual physics here since 2009. In 2016, she received an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Briggs Foundation. She incorporates technology into her classroom in ways that are intended to improve students' educational experience. She has developed an online course for Survey of Astronomy and a traditional course, Astronomy II. She continues to enjoy sharing her passion for physics and astronomy with her students and highly values increasing student science literacy in the process. Learn more...

Natalie Ruiz

Education Program Manager, American Physical Society (APS)

Ms. Ruiz's program portfolio includes the APS Bridge Program and the APS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (APS-IDEA). In addition to serving administrative roles in these programs, Natalie serves as a community facilitator in an effort to promote diversity and inclusion in the field of Physics. 

Jennifer Skjellum

Associate Director for University Engagement, LaunchTN Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium

Jennifer Skjellum is the Associate Director for University Engagement at LaunchTN’s Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC). This organization aims to enhance access to technology transfer services, improve the visibility of university research, and boost commercialization outcomes throughout Tennessee. Additionally, she works as a commercialization counselor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, assisting faculty and graduate students in advancing research commercialization in partnership with the UT Research Foundation. Skjellum is a co-founder and President of Runtime Computing Solutions, a software and services firm catering to the defense systems and high-performance computing industries. With over three decades of experience, Skjellum is a seasoned entrepreneur, educator, and ecosystem builder. Her background encompasses founding and growing various software companies and designing educational programs for academic institutions and nonprofit incubators. Before her 2017 relocation to Tennessee, she significantly increased the number of technology-based startups. She helped elevate Birmingham's recognition as a leading emerging tech hub during her tenure as president of Tech Birmingham, a nonprofit aimed at nurturing the technology ecosystem in the region.

Andrea Vincent

Senior Data Analyst, Development Analytics ALSAC, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Ben Walters

Senior Engineer, Stryker

Ben Walters is a Senior Engineer at Stryker, specializing in the testing, designing, and simulating medical devices and instruments. He also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Physics Department at the University of Memphis, where he advises and assists students with their research projects. Mr. Walters earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis and his master's degree from the University of Tennessee, focusing on free radical research and the specialized technique of electron spin resonance. He has published numerous articles on the subject and continues to mentor others in this field.

How to use Slido

The keynote speaker session will use Slido for questions to the speaker. Once you download the Slido app, you will be provided an entry code unique to the session that will allow you to type in your questions to the speaker.