The Faces of CAPE
Experience
Education and Outreach Specialist
Maryland Science Center
Instructor at Astrocamp
Guided Discoveries, Inc.
Bachelors of Science in Astronomy
University of Maryland
Becky Willis
I consider my love of science an aspect of never quite growing up. I continue to ask Why, Why, Why until I find a sufficient answer, and when
​no ​answer​ is known​, I am captivated. Growing up under a clear night sky, I ​experienced such intrigue​ with astronomy at a young age. The vastness of the cosmos, the unobservable universe, dark energy and dark matter: I was hooked. I loved realizing that humans did not know everything. But more-so, I loved realizing that by careful observation, persistence, and ​a bit of problem solving​, we could expand our knowledge to an unlimited degree.
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CAPE’s mission is to inspire the same wonder I held as a child. Utilizing exciting demonstrations and experiments, we bring the spirit of scientific pioneering into the classroom. By asking avid learners to make observations and reconcile them with their knowledge and
​understanding of the ​world, we cultivate inquisitive thinking. And by gaining inquisitive minds whether young or old, we gain a world of problem solvers and innovators. I could not be more excited to be working with CAPE on such a mission.
Experience
Assistant Program Director at Astrocamp
Guided Discoveries, Inc.
Chess Instructor
The Usdan Center
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Bachelors of Science in Physics
McGill University
Max Schmitt
My love of science started early, I remember visiting a science center or museum during almost every family trip we took. For a while I was obsessed with dinosaurs because they seemed so incredibly big, and so incredibly old. Then I started learning about the planets and the solar system, and my mind was blown. I couldn't comprehend the scale of what I was learning about, and I was very excited about it. This passion carried me all the way through college at McGill University where I studied physics and took part in research in the field of cosmology, the study of the origin of the universe.
After graduation I started working at Astrocamp, a science education camp in Southern California, eventually working my way up to Assistant Program Director. I loved teaching kids and sharing my passion for science, so when my time at Astrocamp was over I decided to come home to the East Coast and join CAPE. I'm so excited to be a part of building up this amazing organization with other amazing educators!
Experience
Astrophysics and Planetary Science Educator
American Museum Of Natural History
Assistant Program Director at Astrocamp
Guided Discoveries, Inc.
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Bachelors of Science in Astrophysics
University of California at Davis
Evan Ramm
Imagine you’re a nine year old kid from California who got to travel to Florida to see his astronaut cousin launch in the space shuttle from the Kennedy Space Center. How cool would that be? Well, I was lucky enough to be that kid! That event changed my life and kindled a passion for exploration and discovery in science. Now as the grown up version of that little kid, I get to use all that I’ve learned since that amazing moment to inspire the next generation of chemists, astronomers, physicists, engineers or general enthusiasts.
I received a degree in Astrophysics from the University of California at Davis (Go Ags) and have been teaching science in informal education for the past eight years. Over that time I’ve taught, mentored, trained, administered, developed curriculum, designed experiments, adventured, and done pretty much anything else you can do at a camp or museum.
I am so excited to be working for CAPE to continue inspiring young minds in STEM fields. Informal education has an ability to engage and motivate students in a way that formal education isn’t capable of doing. CAPE gets students to buy into the idea that science and space are cool. It’s ok to be smart and nerdy and to pursue scientific ideas. Who knows, maybe I’ll inspire a kid who will one day become an astronaut and fly into space.