Lalitha Murali – Co-Chairwoman
Hi! My name is Lalitha Murali, and I am excited to be teaching the Gifted and Talented classes as well as ESL classes at Glen Hills Middle School, Glendale, WI. This is my 10th year teaching at this district. I have taught in every grade level from K5 through eighth. I am very excited about teaching GT and ESL!
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Physics with Math and Chemistry and a Masters‘ degree in Public Administration from India. I also have a Bachelor’s degree in Education with TESOL and Special Education from Carroll College, MT and a Masters’ degree in Bioethics and Public Health from the American
University of Sovereign Nation, Arizona. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Cultural Diversity. I am honored to serve as a board member for the WATG (Wisconsin Association of Talented and Gifted) and also for the WiSEF (Wisconsin Science Education Foundation). I love working with students on various projects like Project Citizen, Science Fair, and Future City. I also volunteer as a Girl Scout leader and as a judging chair for the Waukesha Regional Science Fair. I was recognized by the Wisconsin Project Citizen Board to receive the 2015 Teacher of the Year Award. I also received the Citizenship Award from Carroll College, MT for my work with students in Helena, MT. I believe that every student can learn. I also believe that learning should be fun and I want my students to become lifelong learners. I am a resident of Shorewood Village and the mother of two wonderful daughters. My husband is a Project Manager. Both my daughters are in the accelerated medical program as they want to be doctors. I love being a teacher and working with children!
Cynthia Koffman – Co-Chairwoman/Vice Chair
Cindy is a retired Clinical Laboratory Scientist from Ripon, WI. She graduated from Winnebago Lutheran Academy and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been a leader in her local 4-H chapter and an active member in Alpha Chi Sigma, Alpha Mu Tau, and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) for nearly three decades. She was the President of the Wisconsin Chapter of ASCLS from 2003-2004.
Brant Holeman – Treasurer
Brant is a 2006 graduate of The University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and works as a consulting engineer in the HVAC industry. Brant has been a member of The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) since 2004 and has participated on the Board of Governors for the Florida West Coast and Wisconsin Chapters. In 2010, he helped found Milwaukee Makerspace, a membership-based workshop and 501c3 non-profit organization. He was elected the Milwaukee Makerspace Secretary in 2011 and President for 2012 and 2013. Brant’s first involvement with BSSEF was in 2012 as a volunteer judge. He continued each year and in 2016 he was elected to WiSEF.
German Diaz, PhD – Secretary
I work as a Javits Teacher-coach in the Milwaukee Public School District (MPS). I am a native of Colombia who is passionate about education, social justice, and multiculturalism. I have been working with the district for about fourteen years. My teaching experiences include working with Latino students and immigrant communities in urban areas, as well as international experiences working with native and local populations in areas of conflict. In. my current role I serve as a teacher mentor in the training of teachers and the implementation of STEAM practices for gifted students, I hold a doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. My area of interest and research is gifted education, especially on the issue of the underrepresentation of Latino/students in gifted programs, twice-exceptional learners, and gifted services for diverse gifted populations.
John Hammond, PhD – SRC Chairman
Dr. John Hammond is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Marian University in Fond du Lac, WI.
https://www.marianuniversity.edu/staff/john-hammond/
Anto J. Verghese, PhD – At-Large Member
Dr. Anto J. Verghese is an Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Verghese has previously taught at the University of Houston (Ranked #48 in Part-Time MBA as per US News rankings) and at Texas Christian University ( Ranked #2 in Faculty Quality across the Globe as per Rankings released by the Economist). Dr. Verghese teaches Production and Operations Management, Logistics & Transportation Management, Demand and Supply Integration, Supply Chain Strategy, Quality Management, and Supply Chain Analytics.
Ronald W. Jodat, PhD – Past Chairman, Advisory Role
Ron received an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering in 1961. He received a M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Marquette in 1964 and 1970, respectively. During the 60’s he was an Instructor in Electrical Engineering at Marquette.
After graduation, Ron became chief engineer of an IPO start-up company in medical systems located in the Chicago area. He worked in automated and remote recording of medical data. Upon the sale of the company Ron returned to the Biomedical Engineering Department at Marquette. During this time he was a consultant to the Advanced Concepts Department of Eaton Corporation, to the legal profession on matters of medical device failures and to Cairo University in Egypt for the development of a Biomedical Engineering Program.
Ron left the university to become President, CEO and later Chairman of the board of Maritime Savings Bank. During his banking career he served as the Chairman of the Wisconsin League of Savings Institutions and later as a Director of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. He was a member of their Governmental Relations Delegations to the U.S. Congress and the Wisconsin Legislature.
When Ron retired from banking, he developed a course in financial concepts for engineers and teaches that course part-time at Marquette University. Ron currently serves on the boards of the Birnschein Foundation, IndependenceFirst and the Milwaukee Curling Club. He is also a volunteer Educator and Crew Member on board the DENIS SULLIVAN, a three-masted Great Lakes Schooner.
Prasenjit Guptasarma, PhD – At-Large Member
Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
https://uwm.edu/physics/people/guptasarma-prasenjit/