STEM-ED Leadership Team
The ARC is an event run by the 501(c)3 non-profit — STEM-ED, inc.
STEM-ED Vision: "Inspiring a passion for STEM and illuminating the doors that it can unlock"
Tucker Hamilton
CEO, Co-Founder
Tucker founded STEM-ED in 2013 after seeing a need in his local community to support educators. His passion extended into wanting to provide an exciting and interactive high-school competition – leading him to co-found the Aerospace Robotics Competition (ARC). Tucker is a Experimental Fighter Test Pilot by trade and currently the Director of the Department of the Air Force – MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator. He has served his nation as an operational F-15C pilot, an Air Liaison Officer, initial cadre of the Intelligence gathering aircraft MC-12, F-35 program manager, F-35 test pilot/commander, and Director of the only dedicated Artificial Intelligence unit in the Department of the Air Force. He has more than 2,000 flying hours in the F-35A/B/C, F-15C/D/E, MC-12W, F-18, F-16, A-10, T-38A/C, T-34, T-6, and 20 additional aircraft. He currently lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife and four children.
Education
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado, 2002
M.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Tennessee, 2009
M.S. Flight Test Engineering, USAF Test Pilot School, 2012
Strategic Studies Military Fellow, MIT, 2019
Program for Leadership Development, Harvard Business School, 2021
Beldon Lin
COO, Co-Founder
Beldon helped create the Aerospace Robotics Competition by developing the competition challenges and choosing/ensuring the technologies used are accessible to high school students. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for STEM-ED, overseeing day-to-day operations of STEM-ED. Beldon works as an Operations Analyst with the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, delivering strategic and critical analyses to aid decision-making for both internal and external customers. Previously, Beldon received his Masters from MIT as a Draper Fellow while supporting concept studies and strategic systems programs at Draper Laboratory. In his free time, he enjoys any activity involving the California outdoors.
Education:
B.S.E. Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2018
S.M. Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020
Kathryn Shepherd-Kinney
CFO, Co-Founder
Kathryn was part of the team that developed the Aerospace Robotics Competition in 2015 and has loved being a part of STEM-ED since that time. She serves as STEM-ED’s Chief Financial Officer, focusing on keeping ARC affordable and accessible and growing the organization to continue introducing more students to the hands-on engineering principles that ARC teaches. Kathryn is a Product Engineer for Howmet Aerospace, an investment casting facility producing HP and LP blades and vanes for aircraft engines. At Howmet, Kathryn leads a cross-functional team of peers on the Rolls Royce Trent 84K and 97K programs, driving yield and cost improvement initiatives. She has also completed several temporary development assignments, including a staff level leadership role as Continuous Improvement Manager. Kathryn currently lives in Muskegon, MI with her husband and their dog Sophie.
Education
BS Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2016
MS Interdisciplinary Engineering: Systems Engineering Concentration, Purdue University, 2021
Executive MBA – Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Planned Completion 2023
Becky Hill
Secretary, Co-Founder
Becky has been part of the ARC team since its early stages in 2015 and loves sharing her passion for aerospace education and outreach as the education coordinator for ARC and STEM-ED. She is an aerodynamics engineer at Boeing Defense, Space & Security within the Vertical Lift division, currently working on the DEFIANT X and other future rotorcraft programs. In this role, Becky primarily performs detailed aerodynamic design and analysis for airfoils, propulsion systems, fuselage components, and other external elements of an aircraft. Prior to her current position, she was an aerodynamics stability and control engineer in Boeing’s commercial sector on the 737MAX program. Outside of the office, Becky loves cycling, hiking, reading, and adding new kinds of tea to an ever-expanding collection. She lives in Philadelphia, PA.
Education
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2018
M.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2019
Chris Reynolds
Director, Co-Founder
Chris Reynolds is a Hypersonic Technologies Research Scientist with Lockheed Martin Space Advanced Technology Center (ATC). Before this, Chris spent time with the famed Skunk Works in Palmdale, CA before relocating back to where he grew up outside of Philadelphia, PA. Chris received his Bachelor’s and Master’s from the University of Michigan. Outside of work, Chris enjoys volunteering in classrooms and talking about STEM. Chris has been involved with the Aerospace Robotics Competition (ARC) for over 8 years. In his free time, Chris enjoys photography (See picture to the right), cycling, and all things outdoors!
Education
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2017
M.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2018
Allison Tsay
Director
Allison is an electrical engineer by training, an aspiring private pilot, and most importantly, a drone enthusiast (14 CFR Part 107-certified). She first became involved with ARC in 2019 as a mentor in the Palmdale, CA region and has since relocated to Boston, where she spearheads the New England regional competition. Outside of her role as a Systems Engineer at Mercury Systems, she enjoys kayaking, cycling, dancing, and eating anything and everything with hummus.
Education
B.S. Electrical Engineering, Harvard University, 2019
STEM-ED Advisory Board
Michael Salter
Senior Advisor
Michael retired in 1999 after 40 years in the high tech/computer industry. His last position was based in Tokyo as VP/General Manager of the Asia Pacific for EMC Corporation.
Prior to EMC, he founded and was CEO and chairman of Technology Financial Services Corporation, a financial tech consulting company which grew to fifty employees. He held roles of increasing responsibility at Raytheon and Informatics Corporation and Computer Sciences, which he joined after serving in the military with the 101st Airborne Division and the 77th Special Forces Group. His military experience also included a special project assignment as a contractor in Vietnam in 1968.
Following his retirement, Michael has been engaged with several corporate boards, as chair of Media Logic, executive chair of Lifecycle Partners and advisor to the Stephen’s Group.
His charitable endeavors included three years as chair of the Saint Anselm’s Center or Ethics in Business and Governance (past), vice chair of Easterseals NH (past), chair of Easterseals Maine (past), a founding member of both Easterseals Seniors Count and Easterseals Veterans Count, as well as a founding member of the Red Sox / Mass General Hospital Homebase Program for Veterans and families suffering the invisible wounds of war.
Michael was the first recipient of the Union Leader Granite State Legacy Award (2012), along with Dean Kamen, Jack Middleton, Lew Fedelstein, and received the General John Sullivan Service Award (2013) from the National Guard Association. He received the Founders Award (2012) from the Nashua Chapter of Easterseals Veterans Count.