Team

We have assembled an exceptionally talented and cost effective team that has a proven track record in establishing major community educational events on the scale of the USA Science & Engineering Festival. The team will be responsible for raising funds, developing a network of partner organizations, recruiting participants and exhibitors, developing all Festival programs, organizing key Festival events, and marketing and public relations. The team is composed of proven science educators, event planners, fundraisers, public relations and media experts and includes:

Larry Bock
Festival Inspiration and Executive Director

Larry is a successful serial entrepreneur who has founded, co-founded or financed the early stage growth of 40 companies in the life and physical sciences from inception to achieving an aggregate market capitalization in excess of $30 Billion. He was the inspiration and executive director of the Inaugural San Diego Science Festival which was the world’s largest science festival of its kind. He earned his B.A. in Biochemistry from Bowdoin College and his MBA in Finance from UCLA. Larry is responsible for recruiting major Collaborators and Sponsors and Public Policy initiatives. He and his wife have contributed $250,000 of their own money toward the effort. In addition, Mr. Bock is working fulltime on the Festival and is not drawing any compensation. Larry’s email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ruth Kiefer
Festival Co-Director

Ruth Kiefer has ten years of management experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on program development, project management, event planning and marketing. Ruth was part of the team that organized the Inaugural San Diego Science Festival. Prior to working for the San Diego Science Festival, she served as Program Manager for CONNECT, where she worked with entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, corporate executives and university administrators to create programs and events that foster collaboration and innovation in the San Diego science and technology community. She has a proven track record of delivering programs and events of the highest quality, and is well connected in the San Diego science and tech communities. She holds an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Bonn, Germany, and a Certificate in Marketing from UCSD Extension. Ruth is responsible for coordinating Festival programs, recruiting partners and exhibitors, creating communications, and managing special projects. Ruth can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Diane Birnie
Festival Media Relations

Diane is experienced in marketing, advertising, merchandising and promotions. While she was with Laguna Coast Publishing, producer of blockbuster trade shows Action Sports Retailer and Outdoor Retailer she pioneered the Performance Racing Industry trade show and its companion publication. Diane has served clients in packaged goods, travel, retail and fast food. She holds a B.S. from University of Southern California in Business with an emphasis in Marketing and Finance. Diane is working full time on the Festival and is not drawing any compensation.

Tasha Bock
Festival Graphics

Tasha is managing the graphics, brochure and program listings for the Festival. In the midst of attending the Bishop's School, 17 year old Tasha Bock also single handedly operates and maintains the popular givingyouthescoop.com website. She is responsible for its conception and development and aims the site towards young girls, encouraging and inviting them to help others, help themselves, and serve communities. Tasha has a strong passion and interest for both Journalism and Dermatology and is certainly considering both career options. Tasha is working part time on the Festival and is not drawing any compensation.

Kelley Gillespie
Expo Operations Manager

Kelley Gillespie brings to the Festival twenty years of event and conference planning experience. She has planned Inaugural events, parties for 12,000 guests, marches on DC for 100,000 people and even small but intimate dinners for 20 executives in exclusive locations. She has won several international awards for her work, including 2009 Best Team Event from the International Special Events Society and 2008 Best Incentive Event from the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives. She is past president of The DC Chapter of International Special Events Society and Communications Chair for the chapter board of the March of Dimes Maryland/Metro DC chapter. Kelley loves the creative aspects of the special events industry and brings that enthusiasm to her job every day!

Sue Jeon brings to the Festival nine years of experience of successfully managing, organizing, and coordinating a diverse range of special event productions, conferences, and exhibits. These special events have been for association, government and corporate clients throughout the United States and Asia and have ranged in size from 25 to 15,000 participants. Ms. Jeon's extensive quality production and event management experience are evidenced through consistently positive client feedback as shown by multiple industry awards.

Aimee Stern
Communications Director

Aimee Stern is president of Stern Communications and is a 20 year veteran of the marketing communications, journalism and education fields. She is dedicated to furthering public understanding of science and strongly believes that our nation must do more to educate and grow its next generation of scientists and engineers. She has worked with the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and AAAS, among others, on outreach campaigns to further this effort. Aimee's writing is published in over 100 newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Fortune's Small Business, Money and Business Week. Her first book, which helps parents and educators explain the science of how alcohol affects adolescents, will be published by the education directorate of AAAS in 2010.

Stacy Jannis
Kavli Science Video Contest Coordinator

Stacy has nearly 30 years experience producing and designing high-end film, video and media projects for commercial, broadcast, museum, and government clients. Stacy's special interest is using video to communicate complex biomedical and science content. She was recently honored by the AAAS and NSF 2009 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge for "Inside the Brain: Unraveling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease", produced for the National Institute on Aging.

Joanna Pool
Social Media Outreach Coordinator

Joanna is an industrial scientist with a passion for making science accessible to everyone. She has been actively involved in scientific outreach for the past seven years.  She is especially committed to events that emphasize giving the public the chance to try things out “hands-on” – after all, that’s how real laboratories work!  Joanna holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Washington. As a graduate student, Joanna co-directed and revamped the curriculum for ASPIRE.  ASPIRE is a program through NSF’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Massachusetts that brings high school students into the lab to make and study polymers.  Joanna organizes, edits, and writes for the Festival’s blog.

Dany Kitishian
Sponsor Outreach

Dany Kitishian brings years of business development experience in non-profits to the Festival.  He runs a boutique consulting firm, Kitishian Consulting, in San Diego, California with a focus on business development, specifically fund-raising, and marketing.  His business development skills have positioned him to chair the UC San Diego Entrepreneur Challenge.  Dany's ability to raise significant funds and establish appropriate relationships for university programs and non-profits will prove to be valuable for the development of our Festival.  Dany earned an MBA from the Rady School of Management at UCSD and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University. Dany is responsible for assisting Larry with developing relationships between the Festival and its partners.

We have also established a broad, deep and very talented volunteer network that includes more than 300 undergraduates, Ph.D. students and people with advanced degrees in the life and physical sciences.