Pre-College Programs

Biography

Kate Ayers leads the STEMM Education and Outreach Program at St. Jude. Through intentional school partnership, Ayers works with school and science educators to co-create science learning modules that integrate cancer concepts into the classroom curriculum. In addition, Ayers established the St. Jude Science Ambassadors Program, which intentionally connects Memphis youth to diverse scientists to dispel misconceptions related to who scientists are and who can be a scientist.

Ayers also led the development of two after school clubs. The Afterschool STEMM Clubs are hosted in 24 elementary schools and serves over 400 5th grade students annually. The St. Jude Community Health Clubs are hosted in 4 middle schools and serve approximately 80 7th and 8th graders annually. In 2021, Ayers became a founding member and chair of the Memphis STEM in Medicine Ecosystem, a city-wide initiative aimed at addressing inequities in STEM education specific to the Memphis area.

Ayers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Union University, a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Research with an emphasis in Structural Biology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and a PhD in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Memphis.

Biography

Kyle Bichsel is a part of the STEMM Education and Outreach Program team at St. Jude. His primary focus includes the development of a new national online educational platform, the St. Jude Virtual STEMM Academy. The platform utilizes data generated in research labs at St. Jude as the basis for learning modules teaching scientific concepts and data literacy. This initiative is the first of its kind and aims to recruit previously underrepresented groups to biomedical research careers by leveraging the St. Jude Cloud data repository. He works to develop partnerships with educators and scientists to co-design meaningful lessons with real world applications.

Prior to joining St. Jude, Bichsel was an educator in Memphis dedicated to teaching multiple levels of science at the high school level. He also served as an examiner in Biology for the International Baccalaureate Programme and as an advisor to multiple student-led clubs.

Bichsel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Northwest Missouri State University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Sciences from Creighton University. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at Colorado State University and the University of Kansas where he earned an NIH-IRACDA fellowship. The IRACDA program promotes consortia between research-intensive institutions and partner institutions that serve students currently underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. As a fellow in this program Dr. Bichsel taught biology laboratory courses at Haskell Indian Nations University while working in a research laboratory in the Department of Molecular Biosciences.

Biography

Amanda Etherington is part of the STEMM Education and Outreach Program team at St. Jude. She is on the team helping create an online learning platform for high-school students to help address the lack of access to authentic STEMM learning. This platform will utilize St. Jude data stories to help students build data literacy, while also deepening their understandings of cancer biology.

Prior to joining St. Jude, Etherington was an educator in the classroom. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Southern Arkansas University, a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Southern Arkansas University, and a Masters in Instructional Design from Western Governors University.

Biography

Krisderlawn Motley is part of the STEMM Education and Outreach Program team at St. Jude.

In her current role, she is responsible for development and oversight of the STEMM Education Outreach Program afterschool programs and local outreach events. Motley identifies and establishes partnerships with Shelby County Schools and community organizations to further the program’s outreach efforts. In addition, she assists with the design and development of innovation cancer-focused educational content for the public.

Prior to joining the St. Jude staff in March 2018, Motley served as a Coordinator with Workforce Investment Network under the Careers and Technology Division with Shelby County Schools. While in that career, she excelled in recruitment, retention, and placement of at-risk youth in that program. She is passionate about encouraging, engaging, and empowering youth to reach their true potential and to lead a purpose-filled life.

Motley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health from University of Memphis and a Master of Art in Teaching degree from Christian Brothers University. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, traveling, mentoring youth and spending time with her son and family members.