Dr. Stephanie Serriere

Executive Director

Stephanie Serriere (Ph.D. Indiana University, 2007) is a Professor of Education in the Division of Education at IUPUC. Dr. Serriere is a former elementary classroom teacher who has taught in Italy, India, and in the U.S. Her interdisciplinary research interests are in the field of social studies education with a focus on youth civic engagement, investigating the ways in which youth, in and out of schools, are working to solve social, environmental, and economic challenges, engaging within civic and political arenas. Stephanie is over-the-moon about bringing the award-winning iEngage camp model to Columbus area youth!

Elizabeth R. Osborn

Co-Director

Elizabeth R. Osborn is the Director of Education at the Indiana University Center on Representative Government. She is a part of the team that created the award-winning free civics interactives Engaging Congress, Freedom Summer 1964, CitizIN and the Center’s latest project, Action Citizen. Dr. Osborn is responsible for the Center’s curriculum development, is the primary facilitator/presenter at workshops, and presents regularly at conferences. Dr. Osborn received her Ph.D. in U.S. History from Indiana University in 2004; her dissertation examines the influence of culture and gender on constitution-making in antebellum Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.  Before joining the Center, she was the creator of the Indiana Supreme Court’s nationally recognized education outreach program, “Courts in the Classroom.” In addition, she taught at several Indiana University locations (Bloomington, Columbus, and Indianapolis), served as a teaching consultant at Indiana University in Bloomington, and taught high school social studies in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Angela "Angie" Kirkham

Angie has lived in nine states and two countries. Her experiences as a biracial child and adult, living in various settings has developed her love of people, cultures, and travel.

She accepted the role of Multicultural Coordinator at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. Prior to that, she taught elementary grades for thirteen years, nine years at Clifty Creek Elementary. She has a dual license in ENL and is passionate about multicultural and social justice issues. Angie is a co-author of the chapter "Supporting 'Lived Civics'" in the book Real Classrooms, Real Teachers: The C3 Inquiry in Practice edited by Kristy Brugar and Kathryn Roberts. She was the Minority Affairs Chairperson for the Indiana State Teachers Association for two years and hosted Race & Unity: How can I be an Advocate for Racial Equity and continues to work with the state association by facilitating training on the topics of racial and social justice.

Dr. Karon LeCompte

Karon LeCompte, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Social Studies Education. Her research interests include civics education, technology and teacher preparation. She works with teacher education candidates and Texas teachers on civics education and law-related education and teaches classes in elementary social studies methods. In 2022, Dr. LeCompte and the iEngage team were awarded the Sandra Day O'Connor Award for the Advancement of Civic Education.

Marissa Betz

My name is Marissa Betz! I am 22 years old and a mother to a beautiful boy. I have just completed my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and I will be pursuing a masters degree in the fall studying Literacy, Culture, and Language Education.

Fun fact about myself: I am an extreme couponer! I have been couponing since 2020 for fun but the overall savings are a plus! I only coupon at CVS and I have saved over $4,000 since 2020.

Maddison Brittain

I'm Maddison Brittain. I currently am a Sophomore at IUPUC, I play softball here as well and my major is elementary education. I am from Brownstown.

Peyton Brock

I am currently majoring in Elementary Education at IUPUC. I have had experience before in leadership roles. I have had the opportunity to be able to help and be in the classroom. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. A fun fact about me is that I am a big basketball fan.

Yamileth Martinez

Hola! I am a student at IUPUC studying elementary education. I have lived in Columbus, Indiana for most of my life and it is here where I met my husband. We now have a toddler who has more energy than anyone I've ever met! If you asked me what my passion is, it would be to spread awareness and act upon topics that are important each of our lives; for me it's cultural diversity and immigration policies. I have done various work and volunteered in various places (Project Stepping Stone mentor, L.O.V.E. presidents, etc.) to support our Latinx community, specifically our Latinx student population.

I aspire to be a mentor that allows students to think liberally and freely in order to think beyond the walls of expectation and create positive change in our communities. I am here to support not only students, but families too because we're all in this together! Fun fact- I once got stung by a jellyfish in Florida.

Greicy Patiño

Hola - I am a Dual Language Latina Educator, Instructional Coach, and a proud Mexican-American! It is my goal to empower each and everyone of our students to become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural. A fun fact about me is that I student taught in Spain for three months with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders!

I am excited to embark on this fun journey with you!

Destiny Satterthwaite

Hi y'all! I graduated from IUPUC with an elementary education major. I have always had a love for working with kids. I've babysat, tutored, worked in a daycare, and I'm beginning my career as a third grade teacher in the fall. I am very excited to have this opportunity to show kids that no matter their age, they can positively impact their community by advocating how to better the community. A little fun fact about me is that I enjoy going on long walks with family.

Amy Warren

I am a sophomore in the pre-Education program. I have worked in elementary education for almost ten years, specifically as a teaching assistant for English Language Learning students. Working with students is always exciting and fun! I am looking forward to exploring iEngage camp and our civic community!

Joy Basa-King

Joy Basa-King is an Asian American Filipina who is originally from Seattle and holds an MBA from IUPUC.  She currently works as the Director of Engagement for United Way of Bartholomew County with a decade of experience helping people in the human social service sector.

Due to the nature of her work, she has an ample amount of experience working with diverse populations, including community members with physical and psychiatric disabilities, the elderly, families in need, single parent households, people of color, the working poor, and those who are affected by generational and/or situational poverty.

Through people, partnerships, and collaborations, Joy seeks to build a stronger and more equitable community by elevating voice and increasing representation to create community solutions that result in meaningful change.  Her current highlights in public service are Chair of the Columbus Human Rights Commission, Vice President of Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs – Indiana Chapter, Elder at First Presbyterian Church, Stewardship Chair of the Columbus Rotary Board of Directors, and Adjunct Professor at IUPUC.

Joy enjoys living in the perfect size city where an involved individual can make a great difference.  She has resided in Columbus for 15 years with her sons, Tyler, and Alex.

Frank J Griffin

Frank Griffin was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. A proud graduate of Crispus Attucks High School and also a graduate of Purdue University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He also has a MBA from Purdue Krannert School of Management. Frank has his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Theology from Calvary Midwest Bible College.

Frank has been blessed to work for Cummins Inc. for the last 17 years, and is currently a Program Director for the Cummins Foundation, in corporate Responsibility.

Heavily involved in his local community Frank is a member of several community groups and committees, one being on the board of SuCasa, also a member of the Bartholomew County School Corporation Diversity Council. Frank is also a member of the steering committee for the Council for Youth Development. He is also the leader of a philanthropic group focusing on equity inside of Bartholomew County, supported by the United Way, and supports several other local organizations inside of Columbus, Indiana. 

In 2010, Frank and family started Thy Kingdom Come Ministries, in Greenwood, Indiana. Currently he is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Community Church, in Columbus Indiana. Frank has been married to his beautiful wife Debra since 1990 and is the proud parent of two great daughters –Tabytha, Lauren and grandson Miles.

Grace Kestler

Grace Kestler began her term as Columbus City Councilor at-large in January 2020.

Grace is a Columbus native and small business owner. She brings her personal experiences to every aspect of her work and has a passion for volunteerism, inclusive urban planning, and community advocacy. Grace is committed to creating opportunity for all.

After attending St. Peters Lutheran School through 8th grade, Grace moved on to Columbus North High School, and then Depauw University, where she earned a degree in communications and anthropology.

Grace returned to Columbus to take a role with Cummins, Inc. where she was part of the team that developed the company’s first strategies aimed at hiring a diverse workforce, with specific focus on women, veterans and individuals with disabilities. While at Cummins, she also served as a corporate responsibility specialist focusing her work on community engagement and employee volunteerism.

In 2017 she finished her master’s degree in culture and conflict studies in Berlin, Germany, and returned once again to Columbus to establish Grace Kestler Consulting, where she works with small businesses and community groups to help them be inclusive and accessible. Grace also works as the Executive Director of The Arc of Bartholomew County.

Grace’s family has been a part of our community for generations. Her parents, John and Elizabeth Kestler, instilled in their children, Grace, Hannah and Noah, a sense of responsibility to serve others and be a force for positive change.

Grace loves living downtown with her Husband, Matthew Neville, and Step-son, Emmett.

Greg Pence

Greg Pence was sworn into office in the United States House of Representatives serving Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District on January 3, 2019, after a distinguished career in the private sector.

A proud husband, father, grandfather, Marine officer, and small businessman, the Congressman is committed to ensuring Indiana's 6th District continues its strong tradition of leadership in Congress.

Joining the Marine Corps in 1979 in his hometown of Columbus, Pence considers his role in Congress as an opportunity to serve the community, state, and country that he loves. 

Congressman Pence earned a Bachelor of Arts in theology and philosophy and a Master of Business Administration in 1983 from Loyola University Chicago. He earned a commission in the Marines in 1981 after receiving his undergraduate degree and served for five and a half years, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. In 1983, his battalion was stationed in Beirut, Lebanon.

After being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps, the Congressman followed in his father’s footsteps in pursuing his passion for the energy distribution industry. Congressman Pence worked at Kiel Brothers Oil Company, Marathon Oil Corporation, Unocal Corporation and Circle K Stores, Inc.

Congressman Pence currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including assignments on the Subcommittee on Energy and Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

When the Congressman isn’t spending time with his family or fighting for Hoosier values, he also enjoys hunting and fishing across the abundant scenery Indiana has to offer. The Pences are active members of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Columbus. The Congressman currently serves on the Board of Advisors for IUPUC and is a former Chairman of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.

Congressman Greg Pence is a native of Columbus, Indiana where he lives in the same home that he and his wife, Denise, raised their four children – Nicole, Lauren, Emily and John. They have nine grandchildren and a dog named Murphy.

Erica Schmidt

Erica Schmidt is a Southern Indiana native who grew up with parents that emphasized community service and hard work. She developed servant-leadership skills at a young age and has continued to expound on her skills through her education, career, and community involvement. Erica joined the Human Rights Commission in 2019 as the Deputy Director. She received her Master’s in Public Administration from Norwich University in Vermont and obtained an undergraduate degree in Political Science from New England College in New Hampshire.

Erica worked in the non-profit sector before moving to Columbus and joining the Human Rights Commission. She was the Executive Director of Washington County SOAR! Adult & Family Literacy, which provided free one-on-one tutoring to adults and families in her hometown of Salem, IN. She was also a Literacy Specialist for the Scott County Economic Development.

While Erica’s work title is Deputy Director, her favorite title is Aunt. Erica loves being an Aunt to her nephews and nieces. She lives in Columbus with her husband and their fur babies.

Shelley Arroyo

Shelley Arroyo is Assistant Director of Student Affairs at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus. She just had her one year anniversary at IUPUC in this role where she works directly with students on campus.

Shelley worked formally at IU Bloomington in Residence Life for 14 years, her hometown is Columbus, Indiana, and she is excited to be back in her hometown!

Shelley likes to walk and read in her free time, and is an active baseball Mom! Shelley Arroyo is a proud IU Alum and a single mom.

Stephanie Cunningham

Stephanie Cunningham attended Indiana University School of Social Work in Indianapolis, where she received a Bachelor of Social Work and a Certificate in Case Management in 2008 and a Master of Social Work and a Certificate in Addictions in 2010. During her social work education, Stephanie gained practicum experience in public policy, case management, intensive outpatient treatment for substance use, and individual therapy.

Stephanie has worked for Turning Point Domestic Violence Services since 2009. During this time, she has gained experience providing intervention services to survivors in residential and non-residential settings, as well as developing and facilitating prevention programming. In her current role at Turning Point, Stephanie provides programming about healthy relationships to youth and/or adults at the following organizations: IUPUC, Bartholomew Co. Youth Services Center, Bartholomew Co. Works, Volunteers of America Fresh Start Recovery Center, Turning Point’s Shelter, Bartholomew Co. Jail, Camp Atterbury Job Corps, and Columbus Behavioral Center. In addition, Stephanie is involved with the Bartholomew Co. Council for Youth Development and currently serves as the Chair of their Youth Empowerment Work Group, and she works to promote healthy relationships while representing Turning Point at local community events.

Prior to her time at Turning Point, she gained experience working with children and adolescents in a residential treatment setting.

Felicia Garr

Felicia Garr recently relocated to Columbus, IN from Louisville, KY in October 2022. She is currently the Black and Biracial Youth Initiative Manager for Community Education Coalition.

Felicia attended Jefferson County Public Schools until ninth grade.  She acquired her high school diploma from Our Lady of Mercy Academy.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Eastern Kentucky University.

Felicia’s work history is extensive.  However, her educational experiences include working for Jefferson County Public Schools as an Instructor III, Morehead State University’s Diversity Enrollment Specialist, Job Corps’ Business Community Liaison plus Goodwill’s Young Adult Job Developer. Her detailed work history is available on LinkedIn. 

Felicia takes great pride in mentoring and volunteering with youth.

Amy Linnemann

Amy Linnemann, the Executive Director at Beloved, lives in Columbus, Indiana with her husband and five children. For the past six years, Beloved has served kids in crisis and the adults who care for them in and around Bartholomew County. Amy and a fantastic team of volunteer leaders have worked hard to equip social workers throughout the state with support items that offer resources and comfort to children displaced by trauma. At the core of all of her efforts is Amy’s commitment to affirming the dignity of all people. To that end, she has worked as a university professor, a Methodist pastor, and an advocate for vulnerable children. A lifelong student as well as longtime educator, Amy is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary, bringing a new perspective to the ideas she honed in pursuit of her Ph.D. and M.A. in English and her Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy, English and Theater.

Luz Elena Michel

Hola - I am the Latino Education & Outreach Program Manager of TuFuturo. TuFuturo is a program to help Latino students and their families to understand the educational system, graduate, and continue their education. Our goal is to support the Latino community to improve their lives through education. I am from Mexico and will be presenting with my team Mariana Petraglia and Nadia Herrera.

¡Estamos muy contentas de ser parte de este proyecto!

George Towers

George Towers is a geography professor and Head of the Division of Liberal Arts at IUPUC. He also collaborates with the Columbus Education Coalition as a CivicLab Fellow. On behalf of CivicLab, Towers conducts geodemographic research designed to advance equity in our community.

Prior to joining the IUPUC faculty in 2013, Towers was a professor, division chair, and associate dean at Concord University. Of relevance to iEngage, Towers’ work at Concord included developing curriculum and professional development experiences for K-12 teachers through the West Virginia Geographic Alliance. The state-level Geographic Alliances were established by the National Geographic Society to advance K-12 geographic education.

Over the course of his career, Towers has taught across the geography curriculum and published research that contributes to faculty development, geographic information systems, political geography, historical geography, urban geography, environmental impact analysis, Appalachian studies, and U.S. – Mexico Borderlands studies.

Anne Bono

Anne Bono is the Director of Advocacy & Special Projects for IU’s Office of University Relations and serves as deputy director of the Center on Representative Government. Anne earned her bachelor’s degree and MPA from IU Bloomington. Prior to her role with IU, Anne was Vice President of Advocacy for the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

Valerie Peña

Valerie Peña is a decorated and certified senior executive with award-winning track record of driving non-profit and for-profit organizations to continually grow, thrive, and evolve as highly regarded brands, marketing and PR powerhouses, and pillars of local, national, and global communities.

Tennisha Riley

I am a researcher for iEngage interested in youths’ civic identity and development. I am an Assistant Professor in the Counseling & Educational Psychology department with an appointment in Human Development. I received my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University's Center for Research on Race and Ethnicity in Society.

I am an adolescent researcher with a focuses on understanding the emotional development of Black youth, examining how Black youth’s social context (family, friends, school) influence emotion expression and emotion regulation, as well as the role emotion expression and emotion regulation play in Black youth’s decisions to engage in both risk-related and prosocial behaviors. My research seeks to expand our foundational knowledge of adolescent emotional development and situate that knowledge within a sociocultural context for Black youth.

Jazlyn Rowan

I am a fourth-year student and graduate research assistant in the School Psychology Doctoral Program at Indiana University, Bloomington. I received my BS in psychology from Indiana State University, where I studied civic leadership and served as the Public Policy Intern for Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana. In my roles as a graduate research assistant, I work with Black adolescents to understand their experiences with racial discrimination, emotion regulation, and social justice in education.

I am also a member of American Psychological Association’s Global Psychology Alliance, in which psychologists and world leaders from 65 various countries collaborate to address racial inequality and equitable access to mental health care. I have collaborated with globally recognized professionals to develop a plan addressing the United Nation's sustainable development goals involving climate change, reducing racial inequality, and health and wellness.

My research interests include social justice advocacy, cross-cultural adaptations, educational experiences of Black and Latinx youth, and policies, practices, and procedures impacting life trajectories of Black and Latinx students. My experience in schools includes academic and behavior interventions, cognitive assessment, bullying, social and emotional learning, grief counseling, and educational law and ethics. My career goal is to disrupt barriers by connecting with the diverse group of youth within their communities.

Maggie Sears

Hello! I'm Maggie, and I am a part of the research and support staff. I just graduated from IUB with degrees in history and political science, and soon I will move to London, UK to begin my master's degree in history! Before I was an intern with The Center on Representative Government, I was an intern for the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, where I worked with the education department. In my free time, I really enjoy traveling, listening to live music, and finding new history museums.

Michelle Willhoite

Hi! My name is Michelle Willhoite. I am the project management specialist for the VP office of University Relations at Indiana University, and I am part of the Support Staff for the iEngage civics summer youth camp; “camp mom.” I am originally from Southern California, a mother of three, we have a small farm with miniature animals and I love to paint. I am excited to have the opportunity to help our campers enjoy their week :)

“Everything is Figureoutable!”