Meet the JASON Team!

Dr. Smalley has overseen the evolution of JASON into a nationally-acclaimed STEM education organization reaching over 5 million students and teachers each year. Prior, Dr. Smalley served for 30 years in public schools, developing innovative, accelerated learning and zero drop-out models, and at the University of Virginia, cultivating strong leadership in education from the local to the state level.

Mr. Smith is an operations and technology leader with over 20 years of experience in for-profit and nonprofit environments. Previous roles include technology director with National Geographic, systems engineering consultant for several major nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurial e-commerce venture co-founder, and regional systems manager for an international technology systems manufacturer.

Charles H. Adams is an accomplished business leader with over 22 years of experience in executive roles, particularly within top public accounting firms and startups. His expertise spans in business development, restructuring, expert witness and receivership services, mergers and acquisitions, as well as financial and operational reporting across industries like manufacturing, not-for-profits, and construction. As the CEO and co-founder of Sentry Strategy LLC, an advisory firm specializing in cloud migration, automation, and deal management for small to medium businesses, Charlie has expanded the company’s reach to serve clients globally. His career highlights include significant roles as a turnaround specialist, the acquisition of companies in the construction, risk management and financial services space, and high-profile appointments as a court-appointed receiver and expert witness in Texas. A Texas A&M University graduate with a CPA designation, Charlie has also led extensive engagements during his time at PricewaterhouseCoopers, working with both public and private multinational clients.

Ms. Davis oversees all grant, proposal, and writing efforts at JASON. Her endeavors have enabled JASON to expand its operations and impact thousands more students and educators across the country. Ms. Davis has a strong background in research and writing, with a master's degree in communication from Virginia Tech and a bachelor's degree in public relations and business. While she primarily focuses on grant writing, she also works on blog posts, press releases, donations, and e-newsletters and oversees JASON's social media accounts.

Lori Bedsole joins JASON after 29 years in public education. She began her career as a teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, which fostered her love for integrating technology and curriculum. Once her family relocated to Virginia, she began her career in one of the largest school districts in the nation. She worked as an elementary teacher focusing on talent development and differentiation for high-potential learners. She then shifted to the role of specialist in the Advanced Academic Office in Curriculum and Instruction, supporting teachers through professional development and writing integrated curriculum for the full-time gifted program.

Ms. Sandrin creates the training materials based on the JASON curriculum and works with a national network of trainers and coaches to deliver that content directly to the classroom teachers implementing the curriculum. Ms. Sandrin has 15 years of science education experience, including 8 years leading science curriculum and instruction in the largest district in Wisconsin. Ensuring ALL students have access to high-quality science and STEM curricula and experiences from well-prepared educators drives her work at JASON Learning.

Ms. Cross joined the JASON team in June 2022. She serves as the executive assistant to Dr. Smalley, handling her correspondence, scheduling, and filling needs as they arise. She also works with the Marketing Team to develop promotional materials, has planned the 2022-2023 National ISRI Recycling contest, and is working to make public website edits and updates.

Ms. Sadiqui is in charge of many of the back-end operations for JASON, including processing payments and invoices, providing customer support, supporting conference organization, managing travel booking, organizing virtual professional development training, and more.

Jude Kesl is currently the JASON Learning Argonaut Expedition Leader and Adjunct Instructor at three universities in the Milwaukee, WI, area. Jude is also a Google Certified Innovator and Education Trainer. She has worked as a science teacher, literacy and technology coach, and university instructor in Milwaukee, WI, New York City, and other cities around the country. She has also been the K-8 science teaching specialist at the Milwaukee Public Schools district level. Jude is passionate about igniting a love for learning in students and teachers. Jude helped to write JASON Project Curriculum and was the producer for two online simulations for JASON. As the JASON Argonaut Expedition Leader, Jude has taken students and teachers on over thirty JASON Learning expeditions to various locations worldwide. Jude is responsible for ensuring that all JASON Learning participants have a safe and extraordinary learning adventure.

Anu Bidani is the founder and CEO of STEM Minds, a social enterprise that empowers youth to develop a love of learning through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education.

Anu founded STEM Minds in 2016 after trying to find STEM-based programs for her two sons. With a passion for technology and as a former executive at Scotiabank for 20 years, becoming their Head of eStrategy and Solutions, Anu recognized she could create unique STEM education programs for kids ages 4-18 to unlock their full potential. STEM Minds began in the summer of 2016 with just a handful of students and has now grown to international markets. With a dedicated teaching staff, a state-of-the art learning environment, an online academy offering cutting-edge programs, Anu is building a business that is truly revolutionizing STEM education.

Anu is a passionate innovator, leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience as a corporate executive where she witnessed the evolution and impact of accelerated technology changes on business. Anu has delivered large multimillion-dollar projects at a global scale—from system implementations to electronic platform product launches. With vetted expertise in the areas of strategy, product development, solutions development, project delivery, information security and auditing, Anu has developed a wealth of experience that she is proud to bring to STEM Minds.

Brian K. Burns III is a dynamic leader with a career spanning technology, media, and non-profit education. A Temple University graduate and former student-athlete, Brian launched his career at Apple Inc. on the Store Design Team in Washington, D.C., where his passion for business development and creativity took root. From there, he moved to United Airlines’ headquarters as a Lead Trainer across major aviation markets, setting the stage for a bi-coastal, multi-hyphenate career. As an entrepreneur, Brian integrates community engagement and production expertise to advance underrepresented communities. At Levl Studio, he bridges technology and workforce development, focusing on job creation in emerging fields like AI. Through Levl Studio’s Job Creation Program, Brian has facilitated more than 100 job placements across the D.C.-Metropolitan region.

In 2022, he founded Grand Horizons (GH) as an incubator for innovation and skill-building. GH’s initiatives, such as the Enrichment Summer Camp in Baltimore, aim to provide future generations with critical access to information and career opportunities.

Currently, as an Advancement Consultant for Jason Learning, Brian is redefining engagement through strategic innovation in partnerships like Playwatch Kids and Cubreic. Fueled by an unshakable passion for cutting-edge technology and storytelling, he remains dedicated to leveraging these tools to foster community growth and create new opportunities.

Charles Paret is a real estate professional with over seventeen years of experience in real estate development, master planning, historic preservation, and construction. His passion and focus is on revitalizing small town America and preserving historic communities and neighborhoods for future generations to come. In 2021 Charles founded By.Meraki as a platform to harness the energy of talented real estate professionals, innovators in hospitality, and design specialists to change the future of the way we live life and travel. He credits his accomplishments and experience to working as a partner with renowned designer Brook Rose for over 9 years who has developed some of the highest dollar per sq ft properties in Washington DC. The portfolio during his career with Brook can be found at www.brookrose.com.

Charles began his career with a specialty in historic preservation and construction. During his operation of this business, his company achieved a number of awards for it’s accomplishments in historic preservation in collaboration with the city of Washington DC and it’s office of Historic Preservation. As a partner in Brook Rose Development and other JV roles, Charles has participated in more than 50 multi family and commercial real estate projects as a partner tasked with managing
debt/equity relationships for projects, as well as responsibility for acquisitions, contracts, and sales totaling over 400M in the Washington DC region. He has recently helped oversee pre-development and construction of the EATON Hotel in Washington DC, a 200 Room Boutique Hotel for Katherine Lo and Langham Hotel Group. Among other current projects, he is a partner in developing a 173 key boutique hotel in the Union Market area of Washington, DC, a 200 wellness hotel in Whitefish, MT, and a 110 room boutique hotel in Shenandoah Valley, VA. Other large projects include, leading the master plan of a 2M square foot water front development in San Juan Puerto Rico, 500K square foot revitalization of urban street scape in Washington DC, and a 400K sqft re-purpose and adaptive reuse of light-industrial and historic buildings in Shenandoah Valley.

Charles graduated from Beijing University with degrees in Manufacturing and Production. Charles also attended George Mason University with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. He is actively involved in non profit and social impact organizations in the Washington Metro area, particularly those focused on veteran causes and social impact including Jason.org and Luke's Wings. He sits on the Mayor’s of DC Economic & Housing Commission for Ward 4.

Ms. Hill has been working for JASON Learning since July 2018 after retiring from a 27-year career in public education. As a Vice-President of Curriculum Development, her primary responsibilities include: collaborating with corporate and other non-profit partners to create STEM instructional resources that showcase the innovation and work of current STEM role models. Ms. Hill’s experience in public education as a Science Coordinator (Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, TX) and educator (Texas and Arizona) has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the practices and partnerships that influence and support effective educational systems and the development of STEM-literate students, citizenry, and communities.

Juliana Texley has taught STEM at all levels, from early childhood to graduate school, over the last four decades. She was a Presidential Awardee, science trade book leader, editor of The Science Teacher, and president of the National Science Teaching Association. She has also served on the Boards of the National Science Foundation and the Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS). Mrs. Texley has authored 11 books on STEM Education and one book of fiction, and she co-led one of the first research efforts in online education and teaches both education and technology at the college level. Her original work and Ph. D are in science (environmental) education, with an emphasis on assessment.

Grace Allstrom has worked with JASON Learning since 2017 to develop engaging PreK-12 STEM curriculum content, manage production timelines and writing/development staff, and publish content on our website for our student and educator users. She has helped JASON’s online curriculum offerings grow from fewer than a dozen to over 40 collections. Her previous experiences in classroom education and asynchronous technology-mediated learning, with a focus on building and supporting communities of practice, inform the emphasis – found in all JASON content – on effective pedagogy and approaches that uplift and celebrate students, teachers, and communities.