In honor of Women and Girls in STEM Day this Feb. 11, we asked our staff what it meant to be in STEM, recognizing that discovery is stronger when everyone is part of the conversation. From exhibit design to climate research to community partnerships, these women are shaping how we understand science, technology, engineering, and math, asking bold questions and building new ways to understand our world.
Lienne Sethna
Assistant Scientist, SCWRS
Alaina Fedie
Senior Operations Manager, SCWRS
“Being in STEM means using creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking to solve real-world problems. We use science to help protect the places and communities we care about.”
Melanie Wehrmacher
Actor + Writer, Science Live
“I use STEM in my work to inspire, engage, and entertain others, so that hopefully they’ll seek out and learn more after they have left the museum. To me, STEM is important because it’s how we make the world a better place…and also, come on, look at these pictures. It’s just cool!”
Miriam Samuels-Schwartz
Archaeology Technician
“The stories we tell about people from the past have great power to impact decisions we make today, so it’s important that we be able to back up those stories with data and demonstrate how we know what we know. In my work as an archaeologist at SMM I love being a bridge between our research and the public, making science accessible and relatable through our shared fascination with the past. Getting to dig holes in the sunshine is a bonus!”
Emily Stark
Senior Manager of Donor and Member Relations
“I love my job and feel privileged to help support the museum’s efforts to teach everyone about the power STEM has to change the world. I also try to live out our mission in my everyday life by inspiring curiosity in my six-year-old daughter. She loves to play STEM-related games like this Turing Tumble. Watching her excitement for learning new things and solving problems is one of the greatest joys I get to experience.”
Jasmine Koncur
Anthropology Research Assistant
“I use STEM in my job daily in the museum — in the archaeology lab, and out in the field doing research. I specialize in studying burned plant remains from cultural deposits at our archaeological sites. The inventories from the site of these plant remains help us understand the types of plants people were eating, and the charcoal can help us understand the local environment the site was in at the time of occupation.”
Caly McMorrow
Full Stack Developer
“I’m part of the team that creates experiences and exhibits, not just for the Science Museum of Minnesota, but for museums all over the US (and the world!) I write custom software and prepare computers for interactive exhibit components. I love the intersection of technology and creativity, and that I get to collaborate with so many parts of the museum. I work alongside subject matter experts, designers, fabricators, touring technicians, exhibit maintenance, scientists, and conservators. But some of our most important collaborators are museum visitors!”
Chloe Czaplewski
Senior Manager of Institutional Giving
“For me, being in STEM means strengthening the relationships and environments that make scientific discovery possible. In my role leading strategy for the Science Museum of Minnesota’s corporate and foundation partnerships, I work alongside values‑aligned partners to move resources to the communities that need them most. My work is all about cultivating trust, sharing power, and creating joyful spaces where transformation can take root.”
Emilie Stallnick, Viola El-Afandi, Jessica Holm, and Kirsten Meltesen
STEM Education Learning and Instruction Specialists
“One of the most meaningful parts of being a STEM educator is experiencing that lightbulb moment with our learners, when STEM goes from being an abstract concept to something tangible and exciting. We love giving students the opportunity to participate in engaging, hands-on demonstrations that they might not have been able to experience on their own, fostering curiosity and cultivating a sense of belonging in STEM.”
Layna Darling
Strategic Communications Specialist
“In school, I loved science. It didn’t love me back. I had to run to the restroom during the pig dissection unit in biology, and chemistry rules never made as much sense as grammar rules. I’m grateful to have found a career where I can admire scientific work up-close — and share its wonders with our audiences — without ever having to cut open an animal.”
Kelly McQueen
Regional President and Head of Corporate Banking, PNC Bank
“Working in STEM means applying the analytical mindset I honed while earning my math degree from Purdue University. During my career in corporate banking, it has empowered me to approach complex challenges with curiosity, precision, and a commitment to continual learning. I lean on that math mindset every day – asking sharper questions to make informed decisions — because behind every metric are people, customers, and communities. STEM isn’t just a career lane; it’s how I stay endlessly curious, honest with the data, and confident that thoughtful analysis can create tangible, positive impact.”
We are grateful to PNC Bank for their sponsorship of Celebration Days: Women and Girls in STEM.
