He previously served as the MEF Treasurer. Brian holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering and is a Professor at Virginia Tech. Brian’s academic career has focused on the conservation and restoration of water resources. Brian is also a faculty advisor to Service Without Borders and has led five student teams that worked at the Engaruka
Rebecca Caldwell, along with Essra Kibler, were the first to meet with Martha Olemisiko and learn of her vision for EEMPS. Rebecca has a B.S. in education from the Univ. of Tennessee, and a M.S. in special education from the Univ. of New Mexico. She taught in public schools for over 35 years working with children
Jarek Campbell joined the MEF Board in 2025 and is the Sponsorship Committee Chair in 2025 after serving as an advisor for Service Without Borders for two years. Jarek works as the Assistant Director of Recruitment for the College of Natural Resources and Environment, Virginia Tech, where he received his BA and MS in Geography. He
Steve Conner, P.E. joined the Board in 2021. He is the current MEF Treasurer and chairs the proposal review committee. He is a Principal Engineer for Schnabel Engineering, LLC in Blacksburg, Virginia. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and over 36 years experience as a professional engineer. His primary
Theo has a PhD in Engineering and is a Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech where he taught and conducted research for 30 years. Theo served in the Peace Corps in Morocco, worked in Guam and Micronesia for two years, did a one-year Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Mauritius, managed approximately $25 million in development
Isabella Munson joined the MEF Board in 2025 as the chair of the Social Media Committee, and she now additionally serves as the MEF Secretary. She works as a water resources engineer for transportation at Whitman, Requardt & Associates since completing M.Eng. and B.S. degrees in Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. While at school, she
Karen Scalf-Benham holds a M.S. Degree in Family Nurse Practitioner from Old Dominion Univ. Karen has extensive experience as an oncology & geriatrics primary care provider . She has participated in annual medical clinics in Haiti since 2010. Karen is an Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker & enjoys international travel to developing countries. She has visited the
Margie Lee, D.V.M., Ph.D., joined the board in April 2020. Margie is the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM). She obtained her BS degree in Biology from Virginia Tech, her D.V.M. from Virginia Tech and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology from the University of
Audrey Spielmann is the MEF liaison to the Maasai Education Society. Audrey is a Diagnostic Radiologist in North Vancouver, Canada. She completed her B.S. in Zoology and Biology, her medical degree, and her Diagnostic Radiology Fellowship at the Univ. of British Columbia. She is an academic Diagnostic Radiologist at Vancouver General Hospital and the University Hospital
Randy Stith earned his BA in Radio/TV from Miami University and his MA in Communications/Film from The Ohio State University. After serving in the Peace Corps in Mali, working in television, and teaching at Central Michigan University, he became Director of Visual & Broadcast Communications at Virginia Tech for over 30 years, responsible for the university’s
Nina Tarr joined the MEF Board in 2021 after working as a MEF volunteer for several years while a student at Virginia Tech. She is currently the special assistant and executive officer to the president and CEO at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she oversees operations within the Office of the President
Jen Sporl earned her B.A. in Political Science and Communication studies from the Univ. of San Diego. She has volunteered for Ocean Discovery Institute (a Presidential award-winning STEM organization) in development and organizational capacities for the past seven years. Jen is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and the former Director of Business Transformation at