Scientific Thinkers is comprised of a diverse and passionate group of volunteers led by the executive board.
2022-2023 Executive Board:
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President: Audrey Zinn
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Vice President: Elly Yoder
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Treasurer: Manali Nayak
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Mansion Day Chair: Samantha Chrin
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Events Chair: Sydney Collins
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Parkmoor Chair: Davis Ballard
- Advisors: Dr. Nandini Trivedi and Michelle Richard
Meet Our Executive Board!
Audrey Zinn – President
Major: Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics
Rank: Senior
About Audrey:
“I am from Orange County, California. I fell in love with physics when I took AP Physics C in my senior year of high school. I added the Astronomy major after going to the Green Bank Radio Telescope with the Astronomy Club at OSU. I love how welcomed I felt coming to Ohio State, even though I had no previous affiliation with the school. Stepping onto campus fall of my freshman year, I knew I could not have made a better choice for college.
During the student involvement fair freshman year, I stopped by the table for Scientific Thinkers on a whim. I also loved teaching children and being around them, so I really loved what the club did. I have volunteered at Mansion Day for 2 semesters, and I look forward to the next year being able to work even closer with the kids.”
Elly Yoder – Vice President
Major: Biomedical Science
Rank: Junior
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!”
Manali Nayak – Treasurer
Major: Physics
Rank: Senior
About Manali:
“I’m from Pune, India and just moved to Ohio last year. I’m a Physics major with a keen interest in biology (science in general, really!). Physics, according to me, forms the fundamental basis of many phenomena around us, and I believe it will help me have a good understanding of any field I choose to delve into further!
I am extremely motivated about education – I enjoy getting school students excited about learning! I run an outreach program for students in Pune and am glad to be reaching out to students in Columbus through Scientific Thinkers. I’ve had a great time so far – and I look forward to more!”
Sydney Collins – Events Committee Chair
Majors: Biology and Art History
Rank: Senior
About Sydney:
“My name is Sydney Collins and I’m from Lancaster, Ohio. I’m a biology major with plans to go to pharmacy school after graduation. I’ve always been interested in the medical field and drug management and development. On top of this, I am majoring in art history because of my love for art. While this doesn’t exactly match my plans and career goals, art history is a passion of mine that I’ve had for a long time, and am glad I have a chance to further nurture. I joined Scientific Thinkers in my sophomore year because of my love for science and for the great opportunity that this group gave me to interact with the community and help teach topics I love to kids who are excited to learn about them. Also, I am part of the Law and Society Scholars, which focuses on societal, legal, and political issues in the Columbus, Ohio, and US communities. My interests vary a lot, so I am active in a lot of different communities that don’t always relate to each other. ”
Davis Ballard – Parkmoor Committee Chair
Major:
Rank: Senior
About Davis:
Samantha Chrin – Mansion Day Committee Chair
Graduate Student:
As a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, my current research is focused on the synthesis and applications of cell-penetrating peptides. Essentially, I’m part of a team effort to further understand how peptides can be used to transport medicinal drugs across the cell membrane and reach intracellular drug targets.
About Samantha:
“Hello, everyone! My name is Samantha Chrin, and I’m a chemistry graduate from Cleveland, Ohio. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University, and I’m currently a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Ohio State University. My undergraduate research focus was in organic synthesis and cancer drug research, but after graduating, I decided to go down a different route with my scientific background: I worked at a science museum for a couple years and helped coordinate and put on fun STEMM-based activities for kids of all ages. Though I’m back in school for research-based chemistry, I still wanted to be a part of making science fun for kids. That’s when I came across Scientific Thinkers, and I jumped at the opportunity to continue the work I did at the science museum here in Columbus with my OSU community. Science outreach and education has become a second passion of mine, and I can’t wait to be a part of that with Scientific Thinkers! ”
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.