Meet the Team

Christiane Burkins

christiane.burkins@ncssm.edu

Christiane Burkins is the Director of Mentorship and Research for our Morganton campus. Before joining NCSSM in March 2024, she served as Internship and Partnership Coordinator at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology in Lawrenceville, Georgia. At the Gwinnett School, she managed a year-long, STEM-based internship program for 250+ seniors and also coordinated a quarterly STEM speaker series which hosted professionals from academia and industry. Prior to becoming an educator, Christiane held various director positions in communications, marketing and human resources. She earned her bachelor’s in English from Presbyterian College, and her Master of Arts in Teaching from Georgia State University. In her spare time, Christiane studies and writes about food anthropology, and enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family and dogs.

Sarah Shoemaker

shoemaker@ncssm.edu

As Director of Mentorship and Research in Durham, Dr. Sarah Shoemaker supports research and innovation for NC School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) high school students by working with NCSSM faculty and cultivating relationships with mentors at local universities and business/industry partners in the Triangle.  She has developed the Summer Research & Innovation Program, expanded the school-year Mentorship program, and developed curriculum to accomplish the learning goals of the programs. She serves as a strong support for the faculty and for our mentors from the community that work together to engage students as thinkers/makers/doers in an experience that requires the application of knowledge and skills to address challenges in the world beyond the classroom. Dr. Shoemaker is best defined by her passion for facilitating the success of others and promoting opportunities for the growth and development of young researchers and learners.  Prior to coming to NCSSM, Dr. Shoemaker earned her Masters in Zoology and her PhD in Neuroscience at Case Western Research University and continued studying axon regeneration as a postdoctorate fellow at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her training as a scientist and teacher is ideal for implementing programs to create an environment that promotes both students’ understanding and their effective communication of research both in and outside the classroom.

Mary Slawter

As Program Coordinator, Mary is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Political Science. She joined NCSSM in 2017 as the Coordinator for the Mentorship & Research office.  When she isn't at NCSSM, she stays busy with her three children and border collie. She welcomes you to stop by the Mentorship office any time to say hello!

Collyn Gaffney

Collyn Gaffney joined the NCSSM-Morganton team in June 2022 as an Instructor of Mentorship and Research. She began her teaching career in 2006 in Boise, Idaho. Aside from teaching core courses of history, math, and ELA, Collyn has enjoyed teaching Big History Project, morphology, improv, and coaching First Lego League, Science Olympiad, and Fishing Team. Prior to her 16 years in the classroom, she spent 13+ years in the radio, TV, and film industry in both North Carolina and Idaho. Collyn enjoys being on the NCSSM team and exploring western North Carolina. Her daughter is a NCSSM Class of 2013 alum.

Letitia Hubbard

Dr. Letitia Hubbard is a native of Huntsville, Alabama (home of NASA and the Space and Rocket Center!).  As a member of the engineering and research mentorship faculty at NCSSM for four years, Dr. Hubbard has developed and taught a variety of courses, both residential and online, including Honors Biomedical Engineering Online, a Mini-Term course called a Survey of Biomedical Engineering, and the cross-disciplinary course Biomechanics of Injury.  Through her affiliation with the Mentorship Program, she is also actively engaged in developing curriculum to prepare students for success in research. Letitia is an active participant with summer outreach programs to underrepresented minority groups, and currently serves as director of the NCSSM Step-up-to-STEM summer program. She also serves as Communications Coordinator for her department, faculty advisor for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Jr. Club, and is a member of the NCSSM Scholarship Committee. In 2020, Letitia was awarded a NC Board of Governor's award for Service to Students and was also named a National Winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. Prior to coming to NCSSM, Letitia served as a research associate in the Biomedical Engineering department at Duke University. Dr. Hubbard loves singing, traveling (road trips!), graphic design, and hanging out with her family, especially her 3-year son. 

Michael Limberg

Dr. Mike Limberg grew up near St. Paul, Minnesota.  After completing his B.A. at Gordon College in Massachusetts, he moved to Boulder, Colorado to complete an M.A. degree in History at the University of Colorado and then back to New England for a Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut.  His research focused on the history of American foreign relations with the Middle East, particularly during the early 20th century.  Mike also taught courses on U.S. history, foreign relations, and the history of human rights at the University of Connecticut for several years while completing his dissertation.  In 2018 he transitioned to work with high schoolers and moved to a school in Fayetteville, NC. where he taught history and research courses.  When not teaching, Mike enjoys board games, taking his dogs for walks in the woods, singing in community choir, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Bobby Warren

Mr. Warren is originally from Winnabow, North Carolina where he attended South Brunswick high school. He then moved to Chapel Hill and attended the University of North Carolina where he received bachelor's degrees in biology and music performance in 2015 and a Master’s of biomedical and health informatics in 2018 while working as a research assistant at Duke University. Mr. Warren currently serve as a microbiologist and clinical research coordinator for the Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention and as an instructor of research mentorship at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. His research is focused on healthcare environmental contamination, disinfection, and sterilization to prevent the spread of disease, particularly C. difficile. His ultimate goal is to eliminate healthcare-associated infections by engineering effective and consistent disinfection strategies. Outside of research, Mr. Warren continues to play euphonium in a semi-professional ensemble called the Triangle Brass Band, is a video game enthusiast and loves to fish. He lives in Durham with his wife and middle school sweetheart, Julia, his two dogs, Rio and Bear, and two cats, Lucy and Penny.

Zoe Loh

Dr. Loh recently earned her PhD from the Pathology Department at Duke University. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher and a veterinary student at North Carolina State University. She is originally from Toronto, Canada. A fun fact about Zoe is that she is also a fencer! Zoe worked in Dr. Ming Chen’s lab for her PhD research centered on the tumor suppressor PTEN, particularly its sub-cellular localization and how it influences cancer cell metabolism. Presently, she conducts research with Dr. Duncan Lascelles and Dr. Margaret Gruen at NC State’s Veterinary College focusing on osteoarthritis in dogs, chronic pain, and its impact on cognition and emotion. 

Travis Nelson

Travis Nelson joined NCSSM in June 2026 as a research coach. Before living in North Carolina, Travis grew up in Nebraska and South Dakota. He complete his B.S. in chemistry at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, which included taking a semester off of school to intern at the NASA Ames Research Center in California. He then earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where his research focused the development of a bioluminescent assay that could be used to discover new drugs for diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. After his Ph.D., Travis moved to North Carolina to work as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he did translational drug discovery and gene therapy research, with a focus on cancer. Since the fall of 2025, Travis has been teaching chemistry at a high school in Wake County. When not involved in research or teaching, Travis enjoys playing card games like Magic: the Gathering, going to sporting events, and listening to music.

Taylor Nguyen ('20)

Taylor Nguyen graduated from NCSSM (co' 2020) and Duke University with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology. She did summer research with the Mentorship program with the UNC Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology in Bob Duronio's lab studying the impact of histone regulation on high-grade pediatric glioma. In RHum, Taylor studied effects of standardized English education and generational loss of language in immigrants and was the head publication editor of the 2020 Fifth World. She was a recipient of the Bowman-Brockman Endowment in her junior and senior years as a 2019-2020 captain of NCSSM Rocketry Team.  She is currently working in the Floyd Lab in Duke University's departments of Radiation Oncology and Pharmacology & Cancer Biology studying the effects of BRD4/MYC on hypertranscription in pediatric medulloblastoma. She has presented at the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium and is a two-time Deans' Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. Outside of the sciences, Taylor enjoys sewing (semi-successfully) and appreciating cats (both up close and from afar). Ask her about her cat (and her research, but mostly her cat)!

Kevin Clatfelter ('20)

Kevin Clatfelter graduated from NCSSM (co' 2020) and NC State University (co' 2025) with a B.S. in Elementary Education. During his time at NCSSM, he participated in the Summer Research in the Humanities program. Throughout high school and college, Kevin developed a passion for fostering academic, social, and emotional growth through education. So, he served 2 years as an NC State resident advisor, 2 years as an NC State Peer Mentor for the College of Education, and 3 summers on summer staff at Lutheridge in Arden, North Carolina. During the academic year, Kevin is a 5th grade teacher, and he enjoys writing, watching movies, and spending time with friends and his cat, Ringo. 

Arianna Dwomoh ('20)

Arianna Dwomoh graduated from NCSSM (co' 2020) and Duke University (co' 2024) with a B.S. in Physics. She did research with the Mentorship program at the Duke Department of Physics in Dr. Dan Scolnic's cosmology group conducting Python-based data analysis to verify measurement consistency of galaxy redshifts. This work went on to support research on galactic observations and contributed to accuracy in cosmological studies. At Duke, she went on to explore a plethora of research areas under the umbrella of astrophysics at NASA Goddard and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She has recently returned to NASA Goddard as a CRESST Research Assistant, studying cosmic dust expulsions from galaxies. In her free time, she enjoys baking, playing tennis, and collecting Smiski blind boxes. 

Mary Ha ('21)

Mary Ha graduated from NCSSM in 2021 and UNC Chapel Hill in 2025 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Minors in Chemistry and Food Science. During her time at NCSSM, she completed Mentorship 1 at UNC in Dr. Matthew Redinbo's lab under Dr. Amanda Graboski, assisting in drug discovery for Chronic Kidney Disease through mechanism-based inhibition of tryptophanases to reduce indoxyl sulfate. She went on to intern at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, utilizing school infection data to address COVID-19 data gaps in the community. This led her to become a 5th and 3rd published author, respectively. Additionally, she conducted and presented research on NR3C1's effect on the amygdala and dorsal hippocampus for MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy in an Addition Neuroscience Lab. In her free time, she enjoys baking, sewing, and film photography.

Lillian Pitts ('22)

Lillian Pitts graduated from NCSSM in 2022 and UNC Chapel Hill in 2026 with a BSPH in Nutrition: Science & Research and Minors in Chemistry and Health and Society. As a student at NCSSM, she completed Mentorship 3 within UNC's Department of Psychology, working to disseminate psychological science to promote well-being in the community. At UNC, Lillian completed an Honors Thesis on the compliance of menu guidelines in North Carolina county jails. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, staying active, and being outdoors.