BEAM is a program of the Art of Problem Solving Initiative (AoPSI). Read more about the AoPSI staff and its board of directors here.

In addition to 160 summer staff, BEAM employs the following year-round staff. (Click on the location to expand the names.)

+ Headquarters Staff

Daniel Zaharopol

BEAM Founder and AOPSI CEO

Dan Zaharopol started BEAM to help students from all backgrounds find joy in math and achieve at a high level. Under Dan's leadership, BEAM has expanded to serve hundreds of students in both NYC and LA over the summer and during the year, with programming that starts in 6th grade and runs through college. In addition to his work at BEAM, Dan is on the boards of the Mathematics Foundation of America and the New York Math Circle. An award-winning teacher with experience teaching at MIT, the University of Illinois, the Boston Math Circle, and Canada/USA Mathcamp, Dan is himself a product of numerous enrichment math programs. He received an undergraduate degree in math from MIT and master's degrees in both mathematics and teaching mathematics from the University of Illinois.

Al Lutz

Manager, Program Training and Design

Al is excited to bring their passions for creativity, STEM equity, and data to BEAM’s Program Design department! After completing a BA in Mathematics with a French minor at SUNY Plattsburgh, they taught English through the Teaching Assistant Program in France. Their subsequent AmeriCorps service as a high school math instructor in Maine led them to earn another BA in Gender and Women’s Studies, where they researched the intersectional experiences of STEM majors. Al has worked in the tech industry, local government, and, most recently, at a community college facilitating academic support and creativity workshops for students. In their spare time, Al enjoys learning about data analytics, making art, and being in nature.

Allison Cuesta

Communications Coordinator

Originally from Northern Virginia, Allison Cuesta went to college at Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a BA in the History of Art. Allison is deeply passionate about building things and finding creativity in all places. While in college, she volunteered with after school STEM and reading education programs at local elementary/middle schools. She also designed costumes and helped paint sets for campus theatre groups. Prior to BEAM, Allison helped facilitate students' transitions from high school to university life as a program assistant at her college's orientation office. Outside of work, she enjoys watching sitcoms, reading all kinds of fiction, visiting museums, and eating dessert.

Anastasia SookbirSingh

Manager, IT Systems and Operations

Prior to joining BEAM, Anastasia SookbirSingh spent the last seven years working in a Philadelphia based healthcare fintech startup. This knowledge coupled with her experience traveling and volunteering, pushed her to transition into the nonprofit sector to dedicate more of her time supporting an organization whose mission revolves around diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an immigrant raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, she is passionate about building better pathways to success for those who have been historically left behind. In her current role, Anastasia is responsible for developing and implementing efficient protocols and systems that will allow the organization to securely scale the technical operations.

Anna Panzo

Grants Manager

Anna Panzo has worked as a writer, editor, and social worker. Her experience includes writing and editing diverse materials for non-profits, print media, and technology start-ups, as well as proposal writing and marketing in the engineering industry. Originally New York born and raised, she moved to Philadelphia for graduate school and stayed to serve the Spanish-speaking communities in North Philly. She is passionate about educational, socio-economic, and racial equity and has volunteered and advocated in multiple capacities alongside her Philadelphia neighbors. At BEAM, Anna manages all aspects of the grants process, from research and new applications, to tracking systems, reporting, and renewals. Anna holds an MA in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in English literature and creative writing from Columbia University. She enjoys reading (especially poetry), walking with/chasing her toddler around local parks, and eating ice cream. She is currently working remotely from the west coast.

Ashley Sachariah

Manager of Recruitment and Retention

Ashley brings over a decade of experience in supporting impactful and innovative organizations as a Human Resources/Recruitment professional. At BEAM, she partners with hiring teams in their recruitment efforts to ensure an inclusive/equitable process and other talent-related strategies. Ashley holds a Bachelors in Sociology with a minor in Art History from Wheaton College, a Masters in Organizational Psychology from William James College, and finally a graduate certificate in Positive Organization Development from Champlain College. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and art.

Barbara Ely

Senior Coordinator, Learning and Evaluation

Barbara Ely has explored math education from multiple perspectives. She helped found the National Museum of Mathematics, interacting with the public, managing the museum’s social media presence, and supporting exhibit content development. From there, Barbara entered the classroom as a Math for America Fellow. She taught math and led student advisory groups for three years at a public middle school in Long Island City, Queens. At BEAM, Barbara reviews course curricula, supports database administration, and manages NYC programs admissions and BEAM Discovery alumni outreach. Barbara has a BA in Mathematics and Drama from Vassar College and an MA with honors in Secondary Mathematics Education from the City College of New York.

Ben Blum-Smith

Mathematician-in-Residence

Ben Blum-Smith is a research mathematician with roots in K-12 mathematics education, where he has lived professionally for over two decades—first as a classroom teacher, then a teacher trainer, and now with BEAM. Prior to joining year-round, he worked as BEAM summer faculty and faculty mentor. In his current role, he leads a team of BEAM high school students conducting original mathematical research. Outside of BEAM, Ben is a postdoctoral fellow in applied mathematics at Johns Hopkins, studying symmetry and its use in data science. He holds a BA in anthropology from Yale, an MAT in mathematics teaching from Tufts, and a PhD in mathematics from NYU. He has taught courses at Fordham, The New School, Bard, and schools in Boston, Cambridge, and Manhattan, and has run workshops for teachers at Math for America and schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx, but BEAM is his all-time favorite place to teach.

Bruce Roman

Manager of Recruitment and Retention

Bruce is a native Californian who joined BEAM after a long career in the Technology sector. He's helped a variety of companies like Workday, Twitch and Google build world class products with diverse engineering teams. Prior to that he served our country in the United States Marine Corps as a Logistics Officer. At BEAM he works with our Programs teams to hire educators and faculty serving our Los Angeles and New York locations. Bruce has a BA in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When not behind a computer, you'll find him at a race track trying to shed a few extra tenths of a second in his lap times.

Don Laackman

Manager, STEM Enrichment & Program Operations

Don Laackman joined BEAM after finishing his PhD in Mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he worked in the area of theoretical algebra. Don has been teaching and organizing extracurricular math programs for over ten years, including at UCLA, Canada/USA Mathcamp, the Los Angeles Math Circle, and the Chicago Young Scholars Program. He has a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Mathematics from the University of Chicago. At BEAM, Don works on hiring, teaching, and curriculum development, and is supporting the expansion of programs to Los Angeles, including site directing the residential program.

Edson Leyva

Admin Assistant

Born in the South but raised in New York, Edson Leyva is a graduate of The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology and current attendee of the University of Southern California (USC) - School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) to major in film/television production. He hopes to one day found his own production company that focuses on stories in the Latinx community that often get overlooked by the mainstream media. He hopes to contribute to the evolving Hollywood industry that appreciates Latinx culture without appropriating it. Edson joined the BEAM community back in 2013 and loved learning about each person’s story of overcoming personal and social barriers, or how they even came to BEAM! Three years later, he joined the BEAM staff as a junior counselor. Along with teaching kids the fundamentals of mathematics and complex concepts, he also helped them enjoy learning about cinema and the arts. In his free time, Edson writes his own scripts, produces his own short skits, and edits upcoming filmmakers' projects.

Elaine Wong

Senior Coordinator, Advancement

Elaine Wong was born and raised in Brooklyn. She studied Mathematics at Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College. She finds joy in watching her students’ personal growth as they become more confident in solving new math problems. In the summer of 2018, Elaine joined BEAM as a counselor because it combined two things that she loved - math and teaching students! She also coached math teams at Brooklyn middle schools, preparing students for math team competitions. Currently, Elaine supports the Advancement team at BEAM.

Emily New-Cruse

Manager, Human Resources

Prior to joining BEAM as our first Human Resources Coordinator, Emily worked on the talent team at a graduate school of education. In her previous role, Emily's work included creating equitable hiring processes, maintaining internal systems, and cultivating an inclusive staff culture to set candidates, hiring teams, and staff up for success. She looks forward to building upon that work at BEAM and as a first-generation college student, Emily is passionate about the impact our programs have for underserved communities. Emily holds an MA in Political Science and a BA in International Affairs and outside of work enjoys expressing her creativity through cooking and crafting.

Javier Ronquillo Rivera

Manager, Learning and Pedagogy

Javier Ronquillo Rivera finished his PhD in Mathematics at Ohio University and worked as a college professor for two years. As an undergraduate in Guatemala, his home country, he worked as a coach for the International Mathematics Olympiad national team. From the US he continues supporting Guatemalan teachers and students as a founding member of Circulos Matematicos Totonicapán. Before he joined our team full-time, Javier worked with BEAM for five summers as part of the faculty in our summer programs. Javier is thrilled to have crossed paths with BEAM, where he has grown as an educator and fed his passion to share mathematics with underserved communities.

Kay Broussard

Assistant Data Processor

Kay Broussard (she/they) earned her Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from Saint Louis University in 2020 and worked on an NSF ADVANCE grant at Villanova University from 2020-2023, examining various aspects of underrepresentation in STEM and academia, as well as examining and developing tools to measure motivation for participation in EDI. She specializes in social identities, understanding prejudice, bias, stigma, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Kay is passionate about increasing equity and inclusion for historically minoritized and underserved groups, which led her away from traditional academia and into more volunteering and EDI-based work, including data analysis and consulting in EDI, teaching children to read; and volunteering in animal welfare, organizations serving unhoused people, baking for foster kids, and being a disability advocate with San Diego Pride.

Khassaundra Whitehead

Director of Institutional Giving

With over 12 years of professional experience in grant writing and nonprofit management, Khassaundra is a mission driven leader with a passion for educational equity and social justice. She specializes in corporate and foundation fundraising and has secured more than $14 million in grant funding throughout her career. Prior to joining BEAM, Khassaundra led institutional giving for Reading Partners, a leading national nonprofit focused on literacy tutoring and educational equity. At BEAM, Khassaundra provides strategic guidance and leadership for BEAM’s institutional giving team and serves as a member of BEAM’s senior leadership. Khassaundra has an M.A. in strategic communications from Washington State University and B.A degrees in Literary Journalism and Global Cultures from the University of California, Irvine.

Lynn Cartwright-Punnett

Senior Director, Program Design

Lynn Cartwright-Punnett has worked at BEAM for over a decade, serving as a founding programs staffer on the NYC programs team, a founding development staffer, and the organization's first Chief Program Officer. Now, she runs BEAM's Program Design department, which is responsible for graduating BEAM from early stage to codified programs, refining our services through iterative design processes to provide even stronger benefit to BEAM students and their families. Lynn's background in middle school math teaching, bilingual education, museum education, camp administration, and college admissions allow her to bring a wide ranging perspective to BEAM's program design process. Lynn has a BA with high honors in history and Spanish from Wesleyan University and an MS in Teaching from Pace University with a focus in teaching middle school math to emerging bilingual students.

Megan Ross

Director of Individual Giving

Megan Ross joined BEAM in 2023 as the Director of Individual Giving. Before joining BEAM, Megan contributed her expertise to Reading Partners and City Year, prominent education nonprofits. Her extensive background in the nonprofit field encompasses individual giving, major gifts fundraising, and board development. A graduate of Duke University, Megan holds an A.B in Public Policy and Spanish and actively participates on Duke's Annual Fund Advisory Board. Her dedication to education and social justice fuels her passion for her work. Outside of her professional commitments, Megan enjoys spending quality time with her family, dancing, taking yoga classes, and the great outdoors.

Melissa Gillis

Chief Advancement Officer

Melissa Gillis has worked as a writer, editor, teacher, and activist. Prior to working for BEAM, she consulted with various United Nations programs and nongovernmental organizations, including UNICEF and the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs. She has taught literature, expository writing, and gender studies at John Jay College and SUNY-Rockland. She holds an MA in interdisciplinary studies from New York University and a BA in English from DePauw University, where she graduated summa cum laude. Melissa has published books on women's and gender studies, and disarmament policy, as well as numerous articles. She is passionate about issues related to social justice and the intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality.

Rick Iandoli

Chief Financial Officer

Rick Iandoli joined BEAM in 2018 as the Director of Finance and Administration. Rick is a lifelong New Yorker who earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting at New York University. Most recently, Rick was the Chief Financial Officer at Great Oaks Foundation where he oversaw the finances for the central office and three charter schools. Prior to that, Rick was a department chair and classroom teacher at a Long Island high school for seven years where he taught students in grades 9-12. Rick is excited to be a part of the BEAM team and is looking forward to meeting and working with many of the amazing students we serve. Rick is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an MS in Theology.

Samir Bolar

Chief Programs Officer

Samir was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of FITGMR, a tech startup offering wellness programs and coaching for young esports athletes. Prior to his work at FITGMR, Samir served as the founding Executive Director of Training Grounds, Cloud9's esports academy focused on developing STEM career pathways and life skills through competitive gaming. He has also served as Chief Program Officer for Teach for America Bay Area, and prior to that, co-founded the nonprofit Mastery Design Collaborative (MDC) to support school systems in designing tech-enabled, personalized learning models. Samir started his education career as an Algebra teacher at Willowbrook Middle School in South LA. Prior to his work in education, Samir was a manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP, leading change management projects for clients undergoing M&As, tech adoption, or policy change. He earned his MBA from The University of California, Berkeley and has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Texas, Austin.

Talon Birns

Salesforce Administrator

A lifelong Vermonter, Talon graduated from Champlain College with a degree in Computer and Digital Forensics. Her work with computers introduced her to many types of programs and applications, including her current focus of Salesforce Administration. After a few years in the private sector, Talon realized that her skillset could be applied to something more meaningful, and was fortunate to get in touch with BEAM.

Tania Tiburcio

Chief Operating Officer

Tania Tiburcio joined BEAM in 2020 as the organization's first Chief of Staff. She began her work in New York City’s nonprofit sector at the New York Public Library, where she worked while pursuing a B.A. in Urban Studies at Queens College. For more than a decade, her work has been defined by her commitment to expanding opportunities for marginalized communities coupled with her interest in advancing the financial sustainability of nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Tania worked at the New York Hall of Science where she launched a community engagement program designed to increase access to the museum and support the community’s interest and participation in life-long learning. She also led the museum’s visitation-related earned revenue departments and oversaw ongoing visitor experience research. Prior to the museum, Tania worked for The National Association of Social Workers, NYC Chapter where she helped organize a public policy forum addressing the social policy and service needs of Latinos, and was instrumental in helping the chapter increase its revenue streams.

Tina Glisic

Senior Manager of Finance and Administration

Tina joined BEAM in 2023 as the Senior Manager of Finance and Administration. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a MS in Accounting from Michigan State University. Prior to joining BEAM, Tina took time to raise her family, including living abroad. Preceding that, she worked as the Director of Accounting at the Michigan Humane Society. Her previous experience also includes work in the non-profit healthcare sector as well as public accounting. Tina is passionate about BEAM's programs and their impact on underserved communities. She now resides in Florida and enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling and exploring the outdoors.

Vincent Schiavone

Senior Manager, Learning and Evaluation

Vincent Schiavone has over a decade of experience in program evaluation, educational research, and learning outcomes assessment in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. His passion for the evaluation of educational interventions was sparked during his graduate studies, when he had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant on an evaluation of a national after-school program. Since then, he has led evaluations of programs in fields ranging from mental health and family services to education and workforce development. Most recently, Vince served as program manager for education support services at NASA Glenn Research Center, where he led a team of education specialists and program evaluators working in support of NASA's STEM Engagement programming. Vince resides in Northeast Ohio with his wife and two children.

+ BEAM National Staff

Carlton Lloyd

Schools Outreach Manager, Entry Points

Born In Phoenix, Carlton has moved 32 times and lived in 12 different states. Following high school, Carlton enlisted in the Marines and served as an intelligence analyst, in South America and the Levant, on a counter narcotics and counter reconnaissance team. After honorary completion of his service, Carlton attended the University of Colorado – Boulder and earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in geoscience. Carlton’s undergraduate honors thesis focused on rebuilding the evolution of a mountain range in Nevada while his master’s investigated STEM bridge program (i.e., BEAM) structures, administration, and evaluation and their impact on marginalized communities. Carlton’s time in the Marines was extremely influential on him as he realized the disparity in access to education for various children all over the world. Since 2017, Carlton has worked in education and bridge program efforts across the country. Carlton’s passion lies in serving underrepresented students and communities by providing access to educational opportunities that may otherwise be unavailable in the hopes of creating a better future for all.

Felix Flores Jr.

Chief Growth Officer

Felix is an executive social change leader with 20 years of experience in scaling organizational impact, implementing vision-based strategies, and heading efficient operations in the nonprofit, academic, and corporate environments. He is inspired to utilize his proven background in professional/leadership development and performance management for wide-scale positive social change and maximizing impact. He thrives in taking start-ups and turn-around business situations/teams to the next level of performance.
His passion to positively impact disadvantaged people of color through resource building and community empowerment derives from his upbringing in a low-income family and being the first in his family to graduate from college. Prior to BEAM, Felix served as Chief External Relations Officer at EdVoice, California's leading policy advocate for equity of opportunity in our public schools. Felix served as the Executive Director at iMentor Bay Area, the National Director for #YesWeCode, and the Director of Alumni Scholarships & Student Engagement at the University of California Alumni Association. He received his BA in Sociology from UCLA. Although originally from Southern California; Felix and his family proudly cheer for the Golden State Warriors.

Lia O'Bryan

Senior Coordinator, National Initiatives

Lia O’Bryan was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended the University of Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. During her time in college, Lia was involved in multiple student organizations that fostered supportive communities for marginalized students in the Physical Sciences Division. She also worked with several non-profits to broaden access to high-quality STEM education for underserved populations across Chicago. Lia began working with BEAM in 2020 as a TA and Counselor at BEAM Discovery. She found it incredibly rewarding to help students develop their identities as problem-solvers and to watch them grow as members of a larger community of mathematicians. Now Lia works as a full-time member of the National Initiatives team, where she supports teachers, students, and families in the Entry Points program

Ramya Ramaswamy

Senior Program Manager, National Initiatives

Since beginning her teaching career in 2013, Ramya Ramaswamy has explored her passion for education both inside and outside of the classroom. Originally from North Carolina, Ramya taught elementary school for six years in Washington D.C., where she also worked to recruit and select great teachers for DC Public Schools. In addition, Ramya pursued her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion: she interned with oneTILT, a leadership development organization focused on race equity, and volunteered with the DC Childcare Collective, an organization that provides childcare to social justice activists in the DC community. Ramya is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Westley Mildenhall

Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager

Originally from Illinois, Westley earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics at Bryn Mawr College and then moved to New York. Westley has been part of the math education world since middle school, when they started helping their classmates during math class to reach "aha!" moments. In 2016, they were part of the first cohort of the summer TEU for Math Education, teaching a group of mixed-age high school students with a focus on mathematical identity and problem solving perseverance. Since then, Westley has written math curriculum for ages 3-18, including for enrichment, Common Core, AP, and a summer camp!
Westley believes that everyone deserves positive experiences with math, and is excited to bring BEAM math to more locations and younger students through the National Team. When not doing or talking about math, Westley can be found crocheting, doing jigsaw puzzles, and staring adoringly at their two kingsnakes, Trig (short for Trigonometry) and Domino.

Zoraya Aranda

Coordinator, National Initiatives

Zoraya Aranda was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Anthropology at UCLA. Her drive for improving community health by building health equity and advocating for underserved populations came from her first-generation upbringing. Zoraya has first-hand experience with advancement programs that provided opportunities outside of the traditional classroom setting both as a facilitator and a participant. Additionally, she has experience working in the non-profit, education, and private sectors. Through her previous role as a community health worker, she was able to move to New York City and continue serving BIPOC populations in three boroughs. As a Program Assistant at EAM, she will work with the National Initiatives team to continue to grow and support the Entry Points program. Outside of work, you would find her exploring all the amazing things New York has to offer.

+ BEAM Los Angeles Staff

Josephine Ochoa

Director, Los Angeles

Josephine Ochoa joined BEAM during its expansion to Los Angeles in 2018. As an LA native herself, she is passionate about providing students from her community with an equitable and quality education and access to resources for success. At BEAM, Josephine has worked as an office assistant and counselor and has recently transitioned as a full-time staff member, working to transition BEAM to online programming and with the 9th-grade cohort. Josephine attended the University of Southern California where she obtained a BA in Anthropology and is completing her MAT in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Sarah Yoseph

Manager, Math Instruction

Sarah Yoseph started with BEAM in 2018 when it just landed in Los Angeles, where Sarah is originally from. She taught as a junior and senior faculty member in both Logical Reasoning and Creative Problem Solving courses for BEAM Discovery. As of 2023, Sarah serves as the Manager of Math Instruction to facilitate Saturday classes at BEAM in LA, support students in finding and joining great summer enrichment programs, and build a thriving environment for students during the BEAM summer programs. Sarah also teaches math classes at Los Angeles Community College in subjects such as Statistics and Calculus. In her free time, Sarah enjoys taking international dance classes and traveling to new countries (8 total so far).

Yesenia Luis

College Admissions Coordinator

Yesenia Luis, a South Central LA native, earned her BA in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley and MA in Education from Cal State Long Beach. Her experiences as a first-generation woman of color in STEM made her passionate about diversifying STEM fields and advocating for systemically marginalized students seeking STEM degrees. Prior to joining BEAM in 2023, Yesenia spent 7 years college advising at low-income high schools in Los Angeles. She enjoys building relationships with students and families while also supporting them through the college application process. She loves discovering new places to eat with her partner, hiking with her dog and spending time with her family.

+ BEAM New York City Staff

Alyssa Brasse

Coordinator, NY Programs

Alyssa is a Queens, New York City native with a passion for working with students. Her motivation for working to uplift marginalized students is influenced by the inequalities she witnessed as a student in NYC public schools. Prior to joining BEAM, Alyssa worked in community organizing and healthcare. She has a BA in Mathematics from Hunter College. She enjoys film photography, reading, and exploring new places.

Diya Moushahwar

College Advising Coordinator

Diya Moushahwar is an educator, artist, and advocate. Originally from southeast Michigan, they graduated from New York University with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in Disability Studies. Diya brings to BEAM a love of teaching and a dedication to ending systemic injustice within education and beyond. As the College Success Coordinator, they support students as they navigate undergrad and make the most out of their university experience. Diya enjoys dancing, playing games, wheel throwing, and singing folk music. They reside in Washington Heights with their partner.

Elyse Mitchell

Pre-College Programs Manager

Elyse Mitchell was born in Harlem but moved to the D.C. Metro area during her earlier years. She graduated from the Pennsylvania State University where she majored in Community, Environment, and International Development with a specialization in Civic Engagement. During her time in college she was Site Director with the Penn State Alternative Breaks Program, Planning Intern for the Fairfax County Zoning Department and a Research Assistant for MERAssociaties, LLC. At BEAM, Elyse supports the pre-college team with running programs for 8th to 12th grade students. She also leads the admissions process into New York's summer programs.

Fiona Stanton

Coordinator, High School Programs

Fiona Stanton has lived on both coasts throughout her life but spent most of her growing up time outside Seattle, WA. She graduated from Sweet Briar College with a BA in Mathematics. During her time at Sweet Briar, she also was part of the Education program and spent every week teaching in a variety of different classrooms. After a few years working in program management for a youth service nonprofit, Fiona received her MSW at New York University. At BEAM, Fiona will be supporting high school students and their families through their STEM educational journey. She will be coordinating Office Hours, running Saturday Programming, and ensuring BEAM is supporting students holistically.

Hector Miranda

College Admissions Coordinator

Hector Miranda was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami, FL. He has a BS in Applied Mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an MS in Mathematics from Lehigh University. Hector was introduced to BEAM in 2018 where he worked at BEAM Summer Away at Union College as a TA/Counselor. The following summer, he returned to BEAM as the Director of Student Life at Union. Now, as a full-time staff member, Hector supports our 11th and 12th graders throughout the entire college admissions process. In his free time, Hector enjoys playing video games, soccer, anime/manga, and salsa dancing.

Jacob Castaneda

Executive Director, New York

Prior to joining the New York program, Jacob was the founding executive director of BEAM’s Los Angeles program. He is passionate about transforming the mathematics trajectory of students from historically marginalized backgrounds. Under Jacob’s leadership, BEAM Los Angeles has grown to serve hundreds of students through summer programs and year-round academic advising. With over a decade of experience in education, Jacob has been a teacher, department leader, and active participant in student outreach. Jacob has a BS in Mathematics and an MA in Education, both from UCLA. He enjoys cooking, reading, listening to Jazz, and running.

Kelly Miraglia

Saturday Programs Manager

After graduating from Fairfield University with a degree in Communication and Politics, Kelly moved to Brooklyn to serve in a residential volunteer program. In the program, Kelly spent two years living with other volunteers while working as a high school teacher and Director of Student Activities. After serving as a volunteer, Kelly worked with the Corporate Work Study Program at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School. In that role, Kelly worked with high school students to prepare them for and place them at internships across the city. In addition to working with students on college and career readiness, Kelly developed and maintained relationships with corporate partners. Kelly is excited to bring her passion for youth development and educational equity to BEAM as the Saturday Programs Manager.

Tanasia Gordon

Enrichment Coordinator

Tanasia Gordon attended the University of Rochester and graduated with a BA in Anthropology. Born and raised in the South Bronx, Tanasia has always had a love for math and wants to show her students that math is not as scary as many make it seem. Tanasia is a BEAM alum and is a part of the 2013 cohort. In 2016, she returned as a counselor because she wanted to help mentor and guide the next generation of mathematicians. Her favorite part about working with young learners is seeing them take the problem-solving skills that they develop over time and apply them in the real world.

Taro Shima

Math Program Assistant

Taro Shima started at BEAM as a counselor, and felt excited about the supportive mathematical community that BEAM fostered. Ever since then, he has participated at BEAM as junior faculty, and has recently transitioned to a full-time BEAM staff member. He is excited to continue supporting students on their mathematical journey! Taro is a recent graduate of Brown University and is currently completing a master's degree in Mathematics at the City College of New York.

Teresa Savino

Manager of Program Operations, NY Programs

A New York State native, Teresa Savino was born in Westchester, grew up in the Hudson Valley, moved to New York City to attend New York University where she graduated with a BS in Marketing, and has been living here ever since.
Teresa began her career in production and inventory planning and management for various consumer goods companies. After years in the private sector, she made the decision to transition to nonprofit work. Prior to joining BEAM, she was the Director of Operations and Program Strategy for a growing children's non-profit organization.
Teresa brings her love of building, enhancing, refining, and implementing systems and processes to BEAM as the Operations Manager, New York Programs.

Adrianne Royal

Office Assistant

Adrianne Royal is a current student at Hunter College on the Upper East Side of NYC. She is pursuing her bachelor’s degree and certification in Accounting. Having always loved math, Adrianne is a part of BEAM’s alumni cohort of 2015 and has been an active participant since. She is excited to be working for BEAM and witnessing students grow as mathematicians (like she has). In her free time, Adrianne enjoys taking long walks and exploring New York City.