Our Team
Suzi Taylor, Director
408 Reid Hall
Ph. (406) 994-2336
Suzi Taylor is Director of the Science Math Resource Center. She has a long history of leading outreach programs for Montana State University, including serving as MSU lead for Montana NSF EPSCoR's Track 1 projects, and partnering with faculty on programs funded by NASA, USDA, the Department of Energy and other agencies to create outreach projects that support the citizens of Montana. Suzi has a special interest in reaching youth in Montana's smallest and most rural communities, and some of her favorite projects have included working with 40 Montana classrooms as they virtually followed an MSU geology expedition to Mount Everest; helping to launch Science Action Clubs all over Montana; and leading a statewide geocaching project tied to the Montana Climate Assessment.
Suzi also serves as co-leader of the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative, a statewide network of adults who collaborate to engage and inspire girls, and serves on the advisory board for The STEM Effect, a National Science Foundation-supported project that examines the long-term impacts of STEM programs for girls.
Dr. Fenqjen Luo, Associate Director
118 Reid Hall
Ph. (406) 994-5950
Madison Boone, Project and Communications Lead
Madison Boone serves as a Project and Communications Lead with the Science Math Resource Center. She supports communication, outreach, and coordination activities for SMRC and its partners, including the current Montana NSF EPSCoR Track-1 project, the Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems (CREWS). In her position, Madison is especially interested in science communication, education, outreach, and how she can help community-researcher partnerships flourish.
Before coming to SMRC, Madison was the Program and Communications Manager for the Montana Institute on Ecosystems at MSU and a Big Sky Watershed Corps member with One Montana and MSU-Extension in Gallatin County. In addition to her SMRC role, she is also a Ph.D. student with Dr. Sarah Church in the People-Places-Water Lab at MSU.
Dr. Jeannie Chipps, Educator Professional Development Lead
412 Reid Hall
Jeannie Chipps facilitates professional development at the Science Math Resource Center. As a former high school science teacher and after school science team coach/makerspace director, she enjoys working with teachers to create learning environments that support diverse learners. She has been leading professional development for the Next Generation Science Standards with a focus on environmental chemistry since 2017.
Jeannie completed her Doctorate in Education from Johns Hopkins University in the summer of 2022, with an emphasis in Mind, Brain & Teaching.
Kayce Williams, Instructor Sensing for Science
230C Linfield Hall
Ph: (406) 994.7463
Kayce Williams is an MSU instructor in Technology Education and Industrial Technology where he teaches Materials and Processes, Computer-Aided Drafting and Manufacturing, Electrical and Power Systems, Construction Technology. Kayce helped develop and teach an Arduino-coding workshop at the 2022 STEM Summer Institute that he then developed into a self-paced online video-based course for teachers as part of Montana NSF EPSCoR's Sensing for Science program. Teachers who complete the training can receive STEM equipment for their classrooms. Learn more about the Sensing for Science program
Jill Joyce, Program Coordinator
412 Reid Hall
Ph: (406) 994-7476
Jill moved to Montana from Vermont in 1989 to earn her Civil Engineering degree from Montana State University. Upon graduation, seeking a more hands-on experience than an office environment, Jill learned the trades of log building and timber framing; crafting with chainsaws and chisels for nearly a decade in the booming ski town of Big Sky.
As a single Mom of three, Jill launched a STEM children’s program with LEGOs™ and managed a small business in Bozeman. Jill brings to the SMRC a Jill-of-all-trades approach with talents in marketing, management, team building, hospitality, project development, technical writing, and more.
When not in the SMRC office, you can find Jill at the master's alpine ski race circuit, volunteering for a myriad of her children’s activities, or enjoying the vast Montana landscape in her restored vintage camper.
Student Interns
Addie Rohlman, Science Olympiad
From Addie: Growing up, I always had an interest in science; however, living in rural Montana, there were very limited opportunities for students like me to explore science outside of the classroom.Science Olympiad was an amazing opportunity for me to understand a true sense of science, and I am grateful for the experience I had in the program at Corvallis High School. When I heard about the opportunity at MSU to become a student intern for Science Olympiad, I was thrilled with the idea of helping high school and middle school students in Montana experience Science Olympiad as I had.
As a student at Montana State University, I am majoring in Medical Laboratory Science with the goal of attending medical school after my undergraduate degree. I am a student of the Honors College and am also considering a minor in Hispanic Studies. In the few moments of spare time that I have, I like to read books, binge-watch TV shows, and try to convince myself that I enjoy running.
Chloe Moreland, Citizen Science
Chloe Moreland is from Snoqualmie, Washington, and is currently a Senior pursuing degrees in Cell Biology & Neuroscience and English. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, climbing, reading, and skiing. Last Spring, in tandem with the SMRC, she received one of the seven seed grants awarded by MSU’s Outreach and Engagement Council to promote outreach and engagement between the university and the community. This specific project is called Engaging Montana Youth in Citizen Science. They will be partnering with the Montana Afterschool Alliance, Eagle Mount, and Aspiring Educators of MSU. The grant supports the creation of adaptive and engaging techniques to communicate and involve MSU youth and young educators in citizen science. The main goal is to be more inclusive and create adaptive lessons involving citizen science for varied audiences while also allowing aspiring educators to gain teaching experience and expand their STE(A)M teaching tools.
Savanah Olson, Science Communications Intern
Savanah is a senior at MSU studying environmental science and land rehabilitation. She is from Tacoma, Washington. Savanah enjoys crocheting and skiing in her free time. She would love to work with the Forest Service in the future, but she said, "Whatever I do I want to be working to help others!"
Drew Burke, Science Communication Intern
My love of science and writing initially guided me to MSU as an aspiring science journalist. However, as an undergrad, I've slowly fallen in love with health, medicine, and the innate beauty and sophistication of the human body. I now plan to attend med school after college. Med school is daunting, yet, I find solace in the challenge and the conviction that, although the problems plaguing people are complex, and I don't pretend to have answers, I won't back down from trying to provide people with tools to grapple with the adversities of the human condition.
My love of science and writing persists, and I feel privileged to scratch that itch by working at the SMRC. I can't wait to highlight the research, programs, and people at MSU and beyond that are changing lives and inspiring a new generation of people in STEM.
In my free time, you can find me binging games on chess.com, reading, enjoying nature, or having existential dread about getting into med school.