Our Program Office

The Program Office serves as the administrative home for the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE), providing technical assistance, developing resources, and supporting program sites and participating teachers. The Program Office manages communications and outreach and works alongside the Amgen Foundation to advance the ABE program.

The ABE Program Office is based at Education Development Center (EDC), a global nonprofit organization located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.edc.org.

For general inquiries about ABE, email ABEInfo@edc.org.

For implementation support and lab technician troubleshooting, email ABEImplementation@edc.org.

Meet Our Team

  • Rebecca Lewis

    ABE Program Office Director

    Rebecca provides leadership for the ABE Program Office, overseeing all aspects of the program and managing Program Office staff. She is responsible for the conceptual leadership of the program, and for ensuring that Program Office activities meet the needs of the Amgen Foundation and ABE program sites. She manages program expansion and partner relationships, including finances.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Leadership
    • Partner Relations
    • Program Expansion

  • Jessica Juliuson

    ABE Professional Learning and Networking Director

    Jessica supports the ABE Program Office in overseeing professional learning experiences across the network, and supporting sites to engage in a global community of practice to innovate and improve the ABE program worldwide.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Development of cross-network experiences
    • Strategic planning for professional learning
    • Capacity building for sites

  • Silvia LaVita

    ABE Program Office Coordinator

    Silvia supports the ABE Program Office in the overall coordination of the program. She tracks program site information, coordinates updates to promotional materials, and she also coordinates legislator visits to ABE schools.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Program coordination and planning
    • Promotional materials
    • Legislator visit coordination

  • Kerry Ouellet

    ABE Managing Editor

    Kerry supports the ABE Program Office in communication and outreach efforts.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Program outreach, including newsletters and social media
    • Website design and management
    • Coordination of the ABE Volunteer Program (connecting ABE teachers and Amgen volunteers)

  • Sophia Mansori

    ABE Evaluation Director

    Sophia leads the evaluation efforts and activities of the ABE Program Office, supporting the Program Office and sites in documenting, understanding, and communicating the impact of ABE on teachers and students. Sophia works with staff to design and manage data collection on program implementation and outcomes, and to analyze and synthesize those data to support continuous program improvement.    
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Program evaluation
    • Continuous improvement

  • Jennifer Jocz

    ABE Evaluation Research Associate

    Jennifer supports the evaluation efforts of the ABE Program Office by helping to document and support the overall program evaluation as well as the evaluation activities of individual ABE sites. Jennifer can answer questions about data collection, reporting, and sharing of program outcomes.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Program evaluation
    • Data collection
    • Outcomes sharing

  • Kristen Bjork

    ABE Content Development Director

    Kristen is the lead content developer for ABE. She provides research, teacher professional development, and instructional design.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Biotechnology content knowledge
    • Curriculum development
    • Technology integration

  • Libby Boghossian

    ABE Resources Manager

    Libby is designing and developing multimedia resources to support teachers and lab technicians across ABE sites, in addition to writing the curriculum for the ABE Precision Medicine pilot program. Libby can answer questions about the curriculum, pedagogical best practices for implementing it, and about any ABE-related resources.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Curriculum Development
    • Teaching

  • Jennifer Yurof

    Online Resource Development Specialist

    Jen supports the ABE Program Office in the development and coordination of online resources to support and enhance the curriculum.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Assist with conceptualizing, developing, and disseminating curriculum and professional learning resources to support capacity building for international ABE sites and communities
    • Support online communities of practice in virtual environments
    • Coordinate alignment and development of ABE resources with Harvard University's LabXchange program

  • Leana Nordstrom

    ABE Coordinator

    Leana supports the ABE Program Office in coordinating global and regional network meetings and events. She is the liaison with vendors and the SAM Program. She is also part of the team of web developers and designers that maintain and update the ABE website.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Event Planning
    • SAM Program and Vendor Liaison
    • Design and Website Work

  • Amy Uluyurt

    Senior Administrative Assistant

    Amy provides administrative support to the ABE Program Office. She maintains records, makes travel and meeting arrangements, and processes invoices and reimbursements.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Primary contact for the ABEInfo email account
    • Administrative support
    • Event planning and logistics coordination

  • Nevin Katz

    Technical Lead

    Nevin is the lead web developer for ABE. He applies both his programming and project management knowledge towards the development and maintenance of the ABE site, and helps the team make key decisions about ABE's web presence. Additionally, Nevin has helped to develop and facilitate two rounds of an ABE online course for AP biology teachers, which is geared towards helping them become acclimated to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Web Development
    • Technical Project Management
    • Online Course Design

Consultants

  • Tara Bennett Bristow

    Implementation and Technical Coordinator

    Tara assists new ABE program sites with implementation and technical support. Alongside the MLTs, she works to optimize ABE laboratories and is available to consult with new program sites on the design and implementation of PDIs and development of their regionalized ABE kit loan program.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Program Implementation
    • Technical Support
    • New Site Mentoring

  • Sara Großbruchhaus

    Master Lab Technician

    Involved in the German ABE team since 2019, M. Ed. Sara Großbruchhaus is lab technician and module developer of the ABE Germany site. She focuses on developing curriculum and module adaptations that support contextualized implementation in the European region. Within her PhD studies, which address program evaluation, she is responsible for adapting modules to align with teacher feedback. Alongside Dr. Patricia Schoeppner, she coordinates the European ABE implementation support.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Technical Support for European ABE sites

  • Kristina Han

    Master Lab Technician

    Kristina is the current site coordinator, lab technician and module developer for the ABE Canada site. Kristina works alongside fellow Master Lab Technicians (MLTs) to ensure that ABE lab technicians have the support, resources, and guidance to effectively implement the ABE program. Kristina also mentors new ABE sites to ensure smooth onboarding.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Technical Support
    • New Site Mentoring

  • Patricia Schöppner

    Master Lab Technician

    Dr. Patricia Schöppner has been site coordinator of ABE Germany since the start of the program in 2017. She executes professional development events, assists teachers in successful implementation at schools and develops new curriculum-relevant modules. In close cooperation with their CTA, Eveline Musiol, she coordinates the equipment loan. Being involved in strategic planning, she develops solutions to overcome challenges considering a simplified and sustainable growth of the ABE Germany site. Additionally, in her role as a European MLT she works together with other European ABE sites to ensure the best possible implementation of ABE with respect to local differences.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Technical Support for European ABE Sites

  • Karin Steinhauer

    Master Lab Technician

    Karin Steinhauer has worked for many years in the fields of quality control, public health and veterinary medicine. She began working on the ABE program in 2005, and is currently the Pierce College site coordinator and senior lab technician for ABE Los Angeles. Karin works with MLTs to ensure that ABE lab technicians have all the support, resources, and guidance they need to help their program sites implement the program effectively. Karin also mentors new sites to provide additional focused support during onboarding.
    Key Tasks and Areas of Focus:
    • Technical Support
    • New Site Mentoring
Total Student Participation
~850k
Teacher Participation for 2019-20 School Year
1,120