Scientific Thinkers is comprised of a diverse and passionate group of volunteers led by the executive board.
2023-2024 Executive Board:
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President: Elly Yoder
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Vice President: Mia Wang
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Treasurer: Payton Breedlove
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Mansion Day Chair: Zoe Henke
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Events Chair: Helena Ronnebaum
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Parkmoor Chair: Davis Ballard
- Advisors: Dr. Nandini Trivedi and Michelle Richard
Meet Our Executive Board!
Elly Yoder – President
Major: Biomedical Science
Rank: Senior
About Elly:
“My name is Elly Yoder and I’m from Toledo, Ohio. I have loved my experience at Ohio State so far, especially in the biomedical science program! I love how easy it is to get involved and meet new people on campus. From going to all the football games to tutoring underprivileged and homeless youth in the area through Pass the Class, there are many memorable and rewarding experiences available at Ohio State.
I stopped by the Scientific Thinkers table during the Involvement Fair my sophomore year and thought it sounded like such a fun and fulfilling concept that I wanted to be a part of. Science was always my favorite subject growing up and I knew I wanted to pursue a STEM career, so I would love to have the opportunity to apply my interests in science in a positive way for younger generations. I tutored at an elementary school all throughout high school and always enjoyed the experience, so I’m grateful to be a part of the club this year and can’t wait to get more students excited about science!”
Mia Wang – Vice President
Major: Environmental Engineering
Minor: Science, Technology, and the Public Interest
Rank: Junior
About Mia:
“My name is Mia Wang and I am from Columbus, Ohio. I have always been a big buckeye and could not be more thankful for the experiences I have had at Ohio State so far. I have wanted to pursue an education in STEM since I can remember and as I started high school, I knew I wanted to study engineering. I landed on environmental engineering because it combined my passion for the environment and helping people with my love for science and problem solving.
Payton Breedlove – Treasurer
Major: Environmental Engineering
Rank: Senior
About Payton:
“My name is Payton Breedlove, and I am a 4th-year student from Charlotte, North Carolina. I am majoring in environmental engineering with a passion for civil design and plan to graduate in the spring of 2024. Outside of the classroom, I am on the Ski Team for Ohio State, and I enjoy giving engineering tours to prospective students. I love working with children and look forward to an awesome year with Scientific Thinkers!”
Helena Ronnebaum – Events Committee Chair
Major: Civil Engineering
Rank: Junior
About Helena:
“I’m from Columbus, Ohio and have been a buckeye since birth. I chose the civil engineering path after a growing appreciation for physics during my senior year in high school, causing me to chase down a future in STEM. I knew OSU was the school for me, with a renown engineering school in my backyard growing up. The culture at Ohio State is amazing, with such diverse and intelligent students that add so much value to our community. There are so many opportunities offered here that I knew I could not pass up the chance to attend this university.
I was brought into Scientific Thinkers by our incoming vice president. She explained what the club stood for, and I loved the idea of showing my love for science to the younger generation. I joined as a member in the fall of 2022, and I am super excited to help this club inspire young children to fall in love with science just as I did!”
Davis Ballard – Parkmoor Committee Chair
Major:
Rank: Senior
About Davis:
Zoe Henke – Mansion Day Committee Chair
Major: Applied Mathematics, Computer and Information Science
Rank: Sophomore
About Zoe:
“Hi! My name is Zoe Henke and I’m from Evanston, Illinois just outside of Chicago. I come from a family of buckeyes, so I’ve always wanted to attend Ohio State. At OSU, I study Math and Computer Science and am involved in Scientific Thinkers as well as the Outdoor Adventure Center. Growing up I was always interested in science and math. After taking Calculus in high school and loving it, I decided to study math in college, which led to me becoming an Applied Math Major at Ohio State. I tried a Python coding class my first semester at OSU, and really enjoyed it, so I applied to be a CIS double major. An integral part of my interest in STEM subjects was from outreach groups, like Scientific Thinkers, coming to my elementary and middle schools to involve students in fun STEM-related activities. This is what inspired me to join Scientific Thinkers during my Spring semester of freshman year. I want to be able to provide kids with the same experiences I was given that sparked my love for STEM.”
Michelle Richard – Advisor
Director of Education and Outreach for the Center for Emergent Materials
Educational Psychology
About Michelle:
“I’m from Vine Grove, Kentucky. Growing up I always wanted to be a doctor, so I began school as a chemistry major. As I continued in school, I realized that I really enjoyed outreach and teaching chemistry, so I pursued education instead. Since finishing my Master’s, I’ve had the opportunity to work with two National Science Foundation (NSF) funded interdisciplinary science centers working with their education program. As my career has evolved, I’ve developed an interest in undergraduate and graduate students’ sense of belonging in their programs, and how that impacts their retention in their major, and have recently begun a Ph.D. program in Educational Psychology at OSU to further study this phenomenon. What I like most about OSU is the community and support that you receive across multiple departments and the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration. Scientific Thinkers is a great example of this interdisciplinary community.
This program began my first year working at OSU. It has been amazing watching it grow and evolve over the past 10 years! Science Day at Innis has always been one of my favorite events. It’s so much fun to see an entire school devote the day to science and also the many volunteers that come out for the event. It is a huge team effort, but well worth it each year. As the advisor, I often don’t get the opportunity to interact with the students, but on Science Day, I am often at one of the stations and it’s so rewarding to see the kids’ enthusiasm about science.”
Executive Board Applications
Applications for executive positions are available each Spring semester and are sent to all current members. Expectations and requirements for all executive positions are updated and sent out with the application.