Who We Are

Meet Our Team

Neal Fox, Executive Director

Sierra STEM was launched in 2021 by Dr. Neal Fox (he/him), an interdisciplinary STEM educator, mentor, and researcher and an avid outdoorsman living in California’s Sierra Nevada east of Yosemite National Park.

Neal has spent hundreds of nights under the stars, including some three months on the Appalachian Trail, thousands of miles of hiking west of America’s Continental Divide, and backpacking trips around the world. He is passionate about introducing people of all ages to camping, backpacking, and other outdoor adventures.

As a high school educator, “Dr. Fox” designed unique courses centered around inquiry-based, experiential learning including: Evolution, Genetics, & Ecology; Data Analytics; Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology; and Advanced Topics in Biology. In the classroom, Dr. Fox was known for designing immersive weeks-long labs and projects that engaged students in creative project-based learning experiences.

Before becoming a high school teacher, Neal spent a decade doing research and teaching in academia. His scientific research focused on computational, neurobiological, and cognitive models of human speech perception and production. He earned his B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia, his M.S. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University, and was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. His research and training were funded by fellowships from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Brown Institute for Brain Science.

Neal lives and hikes with his wife, three kids, and cattle dog-retriever mix (Ginny!) in June Lake, CA.

Claire Landowski, Operations Director

Claire Landowski (she/her) joined Sierra STEM as Operations Director in 2024. She has been picking up pretty rocks in the mountains and rivers of the western United States for as long as she can remember.

As a budding geologist at the University of Arizona, an undergraduate research trip to Antarctica sparked Claire’s interest in glaciology. During her MS in Geology at the University of Wyoming, Claire worked to understand the mechanics of glaciers and how they move in her thesis, entitled Glacial Hydrology and Geochemistry of Meltwaters of the West Greenland Ice Sheet.

Since graduating, Claire’s work has focused heavily on science communication, including seven years with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Science Publishing Network and writing scripts for the popular YouTube channel SciShow. Pivoting to the nonprofit sphere in 2020, she served as the Office Director at the Mono Lake Committee for three years.

Claire brings a wealth of skills in project logistics and organizational administration, as well as science and education in the outdoors. When she’s not planning programs or managing office administration for Sierra STEM, you’ll likely find Claire outside – backpacking, riding bikes, hiking, or camping – with her husband, John, and their two dogs, Hank and Ruby.

Rose Nelson, Education Director

Rose (she/her) has many passions, but two near the top of her list are outdoor education and reveling in the beauty of the Eastern Sierra. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and worked in various research positions until she found her calling within the environmental education world. She worked as a naturalist interpreter for California State Parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains and then moved to Lee Vining in 2017 to work for the Mono Lake Committee, eventually becoming their Education Director. She has spent the past two years bicycling across South America and living in Germany with her husband. She is elated to be back in the Eastern Sierra and working for Sierra STEM.

Halle Jacobs, Education and Outreach Coordinator

Halle (she/her) is excited to return home to California and join Sierra STEM as the Education and Outreach Coordinator.

Halle grew up hiking, skiing, and reveling in the beauty of the Eastern Sierra. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she spent four years working as a field instructor across leadership schools, non-profits, summer camps, therapeutic programs, and independent schools. Halle’s passion for the outdoors as a catalyst for transformative personal and educational experiences has taken her on adventures throughout California, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Alaska. Witnessing students’ extraordinary growth through outdoor education inspired her to study human development in graduate school, where she established a strong theoretical understanding of how students learn best and why inquiry-based, experiential learning is essential to young learners’ development into empathetic, engaged individuals and community members. She also realized that she can do the most good, and is most deeply fulfilled, when teaching and learning alongside young people; Halle is excited to do so as a member of the Sierra STEM team.

Halle earned her B.A. in Sociology from Barnard College and M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, both at Columbia University in New York City. When she’s not leading backpacking expeditions or coordinating outreach for Sierra STEM, Halle enjoys hiking, making pottery, surfing, kayaking, collaging, and spending time with her dog, Archie.

Keller Friesen, Environmental Education Program Facilitator

Keller has a voracious appetite for anything Eastern Sierra, experiential, and adventurous. Fittingly, he has degrees in Adventure Education and Environmental Studies from Prescott College, which he is excited to utilize by facilitating outdoor learning experiences and, subsequently, supporting environmentally connected youth and a sustainable future. Outside of working hours you can and should attempt to locate him in a vaguely described location: on a rock, on the ground, on top of an engine, or in the air, but most likely not in the water. When he's not in the Eastern Sierra, Keller can be found roaming the broader American West in search of the next thing. He's not big on documentation; a month in photos is often a screenshot of a concert ticket and a fifteen minute video of the inside of his pocket which is still in the camera roll just for the memories.

Sierra Samways, Environmental Education Program Facilitator

Sierra Samways is thrilled to continue to pursue her passion for outdoor education in the Eastern Sierra as an Environmental Education Program Facilitator.

Originally from Moorpark, CA, Sierra grew up visiting the Eastern Sierra with her family. Hiking, fishing, and camping completely shaped Sierra's path and her perspective on the vital role nature plays in expanding a child's horizons while building foundational developmental skills. Having fostered this appreciation, she now hopes to empower the next generation of adventurers and to cultivate a shared love for environmental stewardship.

Sierra has extensive experience working with infants and young children, practicing a Montessori-inspired approach to early learning and development.

Sierra enjoys mountain biking, climbing, and summiting mountain peaks, and is pursuing a business degree online. In the winter, she works as a snow sports instructor at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and June Mountain. Sierra blends safety, education, and fun into every program—and she absolutely loves the opportunity to connect with students and the community in a job she truly adores.

Program Facilitators

In addition to our permanent staff, Sierra STEM hires skilled outdoor educators to help lead our programs. We have a diverse team of expert facilitators who work with us year after year, and we also occasionally recruit new program facilitators through our job postings.

Everyone who works for Sierra STEM has in common a passion for working with kids, a love of the natural world, experience in STEM fields, and a strong set of wilderness skills. We are proud that partner organizations, parents, and participants praise our facilitators as kind, thoughtful, capable leaders.

All facilitators are thoroughly trained on the curriculum for each particular program, and each person brings their own perspectives and expertise that enrich and add value to the experience for students. Every program facilitator is also trained on our extensive Risk Management philosophy, practices, and emergency response protocols, and lead backcountry facilitators are also certified in wilderness medicine.

Meet Our Board of Directors

Sierra STEM’s volunteer Board of Directors is charged with guiding the overall direction and long-term financial planning of our nonprofit organization so that we can fulfill our mission for many years to come.

Our Board’s membership combines deep expertise and diverse experience in schools (public and independent, as well as colleges and universities), outdoor education and enrichment programming, STEM fields, environmental stewardship, accounting and finance, legal fields and risk management, marketing and communications, fundraising and grant-writing, government and public policy, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership. We also ensure that our Board has geographic diversity, with members hailing from both our local community and throughout California and the United States.

  • Dr. Neal Fox, Ph.D., President and Executive Director

    Neal founded Sierra STEM in 2021 with the goal of offering experiential learning and community building programs for students of all ages. With a background in neuroscience, professional work as a high school teacher, and a wealth of experience in the outdoors, he brings a broad skill set and clear vision to the everyday operation of Sierra STEM.

  • John Buttram, Treasurer

    John is an engineer and founder of Tandem Building Solutions in Kansas City and has additional professional experience as a digital product developer. Always ready to think critically and creatively, John brings to Sierra STEM invaluable skill sets in process efficiency, organization, and logistics planning.

  • Melissa Renda, Secretary

    Melissa is a former technology marketing executive and an experienced nonprofit leader in Southern California who is currently pursuing an advanced certification in nonprofit accounting. Her wisdom is critical as we build and grow our financial management systems, bookkeeping procedures, and fundraising capacity.

  • Aaron Whitmore

    Aaron is the owner of Little, Molligan & Whitmore, LLC, an educational consulting firm in the Bay Area. As a student advisor with a background in teaching and coaching, he provides guidance on school outreach and partnership development, while also supporting the growth of Sierra STEM’s new programs and curriculum.

  • Emily Fox, J.D.

    Emily is Assistant County Counsel for our local municipality, Mono County, and has additional professional experience as a contract lawyer and litigator. She provides critical advice on legal, procedural, and policy decisions that affect Sierra STEM while also helping keep the Board of Directors organized and focused.

  • Jered Cherry

    Jered is a founder and former co-cowner of Positive Adventures, an outdoor education company based in Southern California. A seasoned outdoor professional and successful business leader, he brings a wealth of experience in organizational growth and leadership development, as well as invaluable industry-specific knowledge.

  • Kelsey Mooney

    Kelsey is a forestry program manager for the Sierra Nevada Alliance and has a background in environmental science and outdoor education. With a knack for resourcefulness and boundless motivation, Kelsey provides critical support to our fundraising and grant writing efforts.

  • Missy Larsen

    Missy is a local nonprofit superhero, having served on the boards of multiple organizations that support Mono County art programs, youth services, and civic functions. With a professional background in pediatric physical therapy, she provides important insight and sage advice on an enormous range of topics around our logistics, outreach, and short- and long-term planning.

  • Paul McFarland

    Paul is currently serving as Mono County Supervisor for our local district, and has a storied history of starting successful nonprofits and leading local organizations. He offers a depth of experience in public policy and community engagement, not to mention nonprofit operations and administration.