Our Board of Directors has a wide range of backgrounds, but its commitment to New Mexico science is unrelenting.

Jayne Aubele - NM Museum Liason

Jayne is Senior Educator/Geologist for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. She has two masters degrees, one in geology and one in planetary science and is working on a long-overdue Ph.D. As a geologist, she has focused on volcanoes and has mapped and researched the geology of New Mexico and the southwest (in person) and of the Moon, Mars and Venus (remotely). Prior to coming to the Museum, she was a research scientist and Program Manager for NASA’s Space Grant Program at Brown University. She has published a large number of scientific papers, popular articles about science for the general public, and science curricula for K-12 teachers. She has taught earth and space science topics to K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and the adult public.  She was asked to write the entry on “Earth” for the MacMillan Encyclopedia of Space Science and has authored or co-authored chapters in books including Volcanoes of North America, The Geology of Mars, and the Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains. She was technical advisor and on-air geologist for the NM-PBS program, The Sandias.   She is past-President and current board member of the New Mexico Academy of Science, and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America
Lynn Brandvold - Director, Junior Academy of Science

Lynn recently retired after working 38 years for what was then the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, now known as the NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. My degrees are in chemistry and I managed the analytical laboratory at the Bureau. We did inorganic analysis of water and soil samples for general and trace constituents, metallurgical samples for metals, ore samples for major and minor constituents including silver, gold and platinum. My research interests were in ground and surface water analyses and environmental analysis. I published papers on inorganic arsenic in ground waters in Socorro County and a statewide database of ground water analyses. Research publications are available at 

http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/staff/brandvold/home.html 

I served on the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission as the Bureau’s representative for 33 years. I am a past president of NMAS and have served as the NMJAS Director since 1999.
Michaela Buenemann - Speaker Series

Michaela is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at New Mexico State University. Her research focuses primarily on integrating remote sensing, geographic information systems, and spatial modeling for the monitoring and assessment of land changes in drylands. She is particularly interested in quantifying the spatio-temporal dynamics of land changes and their impacts on land management sustainability. She has worked on research funded by the National Science Foundation, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and published in a diversity of regional, national, and international journals. Her teaching includes courses in the areas of geographic information science and technology, research methods in geography, human-environment relationships, and physical geography.
Jason Jackiewicz - Web Master

Jason is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at New Mexico State University. He studies the interiors of the Sun and stars using seismology, mostly from a theoretical approach. New Mexico is a wonderful place to observe the sky, as long as we make efforts to control light pollution and keep our dark skies intact. 

Jason is from the northeast of the country, and so has had to re-learn how to grow a garden in this desert climate. So far, he and his wife have had a hard time, but they will keep trying! They get lots of "help" from their dogs, cats, and chickens. 
Shanalyn Kemme - Member-at-Large

Shanalyn is a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories where she designs, models, and coordinates fabrication of micro-optics and diffractive optics.  Her development of a free-space optical transponder led to a prestigious R&D 100 Award.  Dr. Kemme co-authored the chapter “Diffractive Optical Elements” in the Optical Engineer’s Desk Reference (Optical Society of America, 2002), and is editor/author of the book “Microoptics and Nanooptics Fabrication,” published by Taylor and Francis on 2010.  She has authored over 80 publications, holds 5 patents, and was named a YWCA Woman on the Move for Professional and Community Leadership.  Shanalyn is an avid Denver Broncos fan, and is the cellist in several chamber groups.
Malva Knoll - Secretary

Malva retired in 2007 as a science teacher from the secondary chemistry classrooms of the Albuquerque Public Schools.  She was the NM candidate for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching twice during her career.  Ms. Knoll was the Director of Education at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque from 2007-2012.   

She received her Masters Degree from the University of New Mexico in Secondary and Adult Education in 1980.  She has been an active supporter of the New Mexico Academy of Science and served as President in 1995.  She has been on the NMAS board as Secretary for over 10 years.  She is also an active member of the NM Science Teachers’ Association.

Malva was co-chair of the NM State Math Science Advisory Council for the NM Public Education Department in 2013.  She served on an advisory committee for a $10 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant to NM for five years in the 1990’s and has given expert testimony to the NM State Legislators regarding Science Standards.

Malva continues to dedicate her efforts to projects bettering Science education for students and educators in New Mexico as she shares her knowledge about State and National Science Standards.
Deb Novak - Director at Large

I am the Director of Education, New Mexico museum of Natural History & Science – and I am proud to be a science geek.  I have enthused about science and the wonders of the great outdoors as a Mid-High Science Teacher, a 3rd grade Teacher, a school Science Coordinator, a Raptor Educator (the bird kind, not 
dinosaur), a National Parks Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, Africa and as a Summer Camp Instructor for various programs in Albuquerque and beyond.  I particularly enjoy interacting with outdoor life aquatic through snorkeling every travel chance I get.  (BS Ecology Ethology & Evolution U of Illinois C/U, MS Env. Ed. Lesley College AEI, K-8 Licensure College of Santa Fe, MS of Science Teaching New Mexico Tech in progress).
David Peters - Past President

David is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories in the Applied Photonic Microsystems organization. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Tech, followed by a Director of Central Intelligence Post-Doc at Sandia National Laboratories. Since 2004 he has been a staff member at Sandia, researching the theory, design, and modeling of diffractive optics, plasmonic devices, metamaterials, and nanoantennas with a focus on practical applications. He currently leads programs investigating metallic nanoantennas integrated with midwave and longwave infrared detectors. Outside of work David enjoys being behind a camera taking photographs of things near and far from home. He is also a car-guy with a love/hate affair with his aging M3. David is a wine enthusiast too: bring over a bottle and let’s talk science!

Past Board Members
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Dr. Kurt Anderson
Kurt is an Emeritus Professor of Astronomy at New Mexico State University. Until retirement in 2010 he was also Site Director for New Mexico’s Apache Point Observatory. He received his Bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from CalTech and joined the faculty at NMSU in 1974, teaching undergraduate and graduate astronomy classes, developing the observatories, and conducting research. Research interests centered mostly on galaxies, particularly active galaxies and quasars. Prior to retirement he developed an interest in geothermal energy development which metamorphosed into studies of groundwater hydrology, climate change, New Mexico’s water resources and Southwestern water law. He is currently the CEO and sole employee of New Mexico Geothermal LLC and also serves on the Board of Directors of Doña Ana MDWCA. Dr. Anderson has been a member of the New Mexico Academy of Science for a few decades and has served on occasion as its vice president and president. He’s been an Editor for the New Mexico Journal of Science (NMJoS) from 1995 to 2013. He resides with his wife Marcia and an assortment of cats and cacti just north of Las Cruces.
Hal Behl

Retired Aerospace Engineer. Design, Development, Test, and Operations of major Rockets, Missiles, Launch Vehicles, and Spacecraft Programs
Associate Fellow & Lifetime member emeritus, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Fellow, Institute for the Advancement of Engineering
Trustee Emeritus & Charter member, National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
Past President & Life member, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
Board Member, NM Academy of Science
Board Member, Cavalcade of Wings
US Army WWII Engineer on Manhattan Project (ABomb), Oak Ridge TN
Charming, Handsome, and Loveable!
World Traveler (Over 100 countries and all of the continents)