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CSME Team Members

Our team is always ready and willing to assist with questions about the Center for Science and Mathematics Education including upcoming events, guest speakers, learning assistants, and more.

CSME Team


Karie Christopher
Education Director
(801)581-6958
karie.christopher@utah.edu

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Ricardo Gonzalez
REFUGES Afterschool
Program Coordinator
ricardo.gonzalez@utah.edu

Kimi Heimsoth
REFUGES Afterschool
Program Coordinator
kimberly.heimsoth@utah.edu

Joseph Kiflom
Research Assistant

Tino Nyawelo
Director of Diversity & Recruitment
(801) 581-5306
nyawelo@math.utah.edu

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Jody Oostema
USEF Program Manager
(801) 585-9109
jody.oostema@utah.edu

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Kendall Van Horssen
Program Manager, CSME
(801) 581-7203
kendall.vanhorssen@utah.edu

Student Staff


Jaden Achen
Office Assistant

Divyam Goel
USEF Special Awards Assistant

Jonathan West
Office Assistant

Karie Christopher
Education Director
(801)581-6958
karie.christopher@utah.edu

Contact Karie with Questions About:

Learning Assistant Program

About Karie:

Karie received a Bachelor of Arts in General Mathematics, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University. She received a Master of Mathematics from Utah State University where she helped research and build a new curriculum regarding mathematical modeling for pre-service teachers. Karie has always been passionate about math and science education and has taught a variety of math education courses at the Secondary and Postsecondary level. Providing opportunities and support for students to succeed in science and mathematics is one of her passions. She currently serves as the director of the Learning Assistant Program and teaches the Science of Learning course for new learning assistants.

Jody Oostema
Program Manager, University of Utah Science & Engineering Fair
(801) 585-9109
jody.oostema@utah.edu

Contact Jody with Questions About:

University of Utah Science & Engineering Fair (USEF)

About Jody:

Jody is an Academic Program Manager who has been at CSME since 2010. Her effort is dedicated to managing the University of Utah Science & Engineering Fair (USEF). Since taking over USEF in 2005, Jody has more than tripled the number of student finalists, created a Student Advisory Board, and mentored over a hundred high school students. The fair achieved official University of Utah status in 2017. USEF is unique among regional science fairs in the number of outreach programs it offers and is proud to have several top winners at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Jody’s area of expertise is organization and program management. Before bringing USEF to CSME, Jody managed the science and engineering fair at The Leonardo, where she traveled with Leonardo on Wheels. She has also worked with at-risk youth at an online mentoring company and was previously employed by a local private school.

Tino Nyawelo
Director of Diversity & Recruitment, CSME
Assistant Professor (Lecturer), Department of Physics & Astronomy
(801) 581-5306
nyawelo@math.utah.edu

Contact Jody with Questions About:

REFUGES Afterschool Program

REFUGES Summer Bridge Program

Physics & Astronomy REU and SURP Programs

About Tino:

Tino Nyawelo, an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in the University of Utah’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been at the U since 2007. In 2012, Tino founded the REFUGES program which supports underrepresented students through an after-school program (grades 7-12) and a summer science “bridge” experience for incoming college freshmen. Tino also coordinates the Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

In 1998, Tino obtained his master’s degree in theoretical high energy physics at the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Free University of Amsterdam in 2004. His main area of research deals with (quantum) field theory, supersymmetry and gravity.