Our team has been growing and we are thrilled to announce 4 new faces that have joined us in our mission to bring STEM education to all Tennessee students. Please explore each of the interviews to learn more about Tamra Billings, Chelsey Guttery, Greta Knudson, and Brianna Young.
We are pleased to welcome
Tamra Billings, former CTE/STEM teacher with Maxine Smith STEAM Academy in Memphis Shelby County Schools, as a Relationship Manager. In this role, Billings will focus the Network’s initiatives furthering Career Exploration and Advising. Billings will also have a hand in the STEM Designation and Redesignation process.
Tamra began her career in education in Memphis Shelby County schools 15 years ago. Her time in the classroom began with 3 years teaching middle school science before being trained with PLTW and transitioning to teaching CTE/STEM in eighth grade for 3 years. The next adventure took Tamra to Maxine Smith STEAM Academy where she continued as an eighth grade CTE/STEM instructor while adding several leadership roles including over Robotics. Over the next few years, Tamra continued to grow as an educator and support her school which ultimately lead her to the Network. In 2022, Tamra received the 2022 Great CCTE Teacher Award for Achieving, a top honor in middle schools, for outstanding performance certifying students as Microsoft Office Specialists.
Billings has participated in furthering STEM education in her district. When considering the role of STEM education in our state, Tamra stated “STEM education bridges the gap for so many students by helping them to become critical thinkers and develop 21st-century skills that recruiters look for, even if our kids don’t want to pursue a career in the STEM field. I hope that my new role will foster more opportunities for Tennessee students to learn and apply those skills that will help prepare them for thriving careers.”
When asked about her passion for STEM education, Tamra enthusiastically responded to her goals for her new role. “One of the most important reasons behind a formal education is to get kids ready to take on an engaging and exciting career,” reflects Billings. “I am excited to be in this new role that will help promote career exploration, helping our students to see and be the workforce and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”
When she isn’t busy promoting STEM education, you can find Billings spending quality time with her family and friends or vacationing. We know that Tamra will be a powerful advocate for STEM education and a powerful addition to the TSIN team.
Tamra can be found via email at
billings@battelle.org.
We are pleased to welcome
Chelsey Guttery, former Science and Math teacher with Avery Trace Middle School in Cookeville, as a Curriculum and Instructional Specialist. In this role, Guttery will focus the Network’s initiatives furthering computer science efforts including working with the CS taskforce and CS Standards. Guttery will also continue her support of Code.org trainings.
Chelsey began her career in education in 2012 in Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools. Her time in the classroom began with 3 years teaching third grade STEM at Glenellen Elementary school until she moved to Morristown where she taught fifth grade STEM at Fairview-Maguerite Elementary School for the next 2 years. The next adventure took Chelsey to middle school at Lincoln Heights Middle School where she taught math until the computer literacy class opened the next year. This opportunity led Chelsey to revise the class to be a computer science class for middles school, the first in the county. Over the next few years, Chelsey continued to grow in computer science as she served on the PC 454 committee and became the Dean of Technology for her school and trained teachers to be Google certified. as an educator and support her school. In 2021, Chelsey moved back to her hometown which ultimately lead her to the Network.
Guttery has participated in furthering STEM education by leading PD for the state for years. When considering the role of STEM education in our state, Chelsey considers the changes she’s seen in her own classroom, “During the first two years of teaching CS in middle school, I saw a 36% increase of girls and minorities selecting the CS pathway in high school. I cannot wait to see this percentage grow as we work to increase equitable access for all TN students.”
When asked about her passion for STEM education, Chelsey speaks directly to the idea of CS for TN. “I have a passion for working with ELL, SPED, and the lower SES students by providing them opportunities that they might not get anywhere else,” reflects Guttery. “CS is foundational and teaches skills students need to be solution oriented in the workforce.”
When she isn’t busy promoting CS education, you can find Guttery spending time with her husband and daughter, or reading, baking, or attempting to crochet. We know that Chelsey will be an enthusiastic advocate for STEM education and a powerful addition to the TSIN team.
Chelsey can be found on Twitter @guttery_c or via email at
guttery@battelle.org.
We are pleased to welcome
Greta Knudson, former Instructional Coach with Croft Middle Design Center in Metro Nashville Public Schools, as a Relationship Manager. In this role, Knudson will focus the Network’s initiatives furthering computer science education including designing experiences and fostering the development of implementation of computer science projects and tasks. Knudson will also have a hand in the STEM Designation process, something she knows well after leading her own school successfully through Designation.
Greta began her career in education after moving to Nashville and graduating from Belmont University with a Masters in Teaching. Her time in the classroom began with teaching fourth grade before connecting with Vanderbilt Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach (CSEO) (formerly the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach) to be a part of their Scientist in the Classroom Partnership Program (SCP). Over the next few years, Greta began teaching middle school and eventually shifted roles to become a Science Multi-Classroom/Instructional Coach/Leader. This role would led her to Croft Middle Design Center where she taught Zoology and the became the STEAM Teacher Leader for 3 1/2 years and ultimately lead her to the Network and to numerous awards, grants, and accomplishments.
Knudson has participated in numerous TSIN programs from the STEM Designation process to the Innovative Leaders Institute to Defined Learning Camp. She reflected, “My involvement with TSIN has had such a positive impact on my growth as an educator and accelerated that growth, allowing me the opportunity to connect and learn from educators across the state and country.” Bringing her experience from working with partnerships and social emotional learning, Knudson offers a unique user perspective that will allow her to empathize with the educators growing through the events she plans and programs she supports.
When asked about her passion for STEM education, Greta speaks directly to the idea of STEM for All. “My biggest passion is making every learning environment as inclusive as possible,” reflects Knudson. “Every environment we walk into, whether as a student, teacher, coach, or administrator is an opportunity to learn and an opportunity to make everyone feel like they are a part of a larger community. STEM gives opportunities for all to learn, grow and succeed through design thinking.”
When she isn’t busy promoting STEM education, you can find Knudson spending time with her family and friends, enjoying a good read, or going on a road trip. We know that Greta will be a powerful advocate for STEM education and a brilliant addition to the TSIN team.
Greta can be found on Twitter @GretaKnudson or via email at
knudson@battelle.org.
Last month, TSIN was fortunate to welcome
Brianna Young as the newest Operational Development Intern. Brianna is a student Bowie State University pursuing a degree in Computer Science. She brings her enthusiasm, technical expertise, and ingenuity to the Network. We interviewed Brianna to learn what brought her to TSIN, about her role on the team, and what she’s interested in pursuing after graduation.
Tell us about the path that led you to this internship.
When I was a child, my parents imagined me in every possible occupation. They would say "Brianna could be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a news anchor, or this, or that", and I always thought "No, that just doesn't sound like me". When they said "Teacher" I always thought "Yeah, maybe", but never put much thought behind it except that it would be nice to be able to help others. Going through high school and even college, I observed my teachers. I realized I gravitated towards the ones who put in the extra effort to catch and grasp our attention, and even make learning fun. I enjoyed my Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes even more. These classes were the epitome of STEM. Upon graduating, and deciding to major in computer science, my thoughts of teaching were put on the back burner. When I came across the objectives of TSIN, and Battelle I was amazed at the thought of working with an organization that focuses on both STEM and the betterment of education.
What are your career goals after graduation?
This is a question I ask myself a lot. When I think about my career post-graduation, I simply require that I am happy with my position and that I am doing something where I can help others. I admire people who know that they want to become a software engineer or that they want to work for Google, but I never seemed to have a specific end-goal in this area.
How has it been working virtually?
I enjoy the convenience of working virtually, and how we can remain connected regardless of location and COVID restrictions. Though, I do miss the closeness of working in-person. Working virtually can get very similar to in-person working, but the dynamic is still different.
What is something that you've learned from this role?
This position with TSIN being my first real internship, I have never been a part of such a close-knit team that has immediately made me feel included. This role has shown me that programs that run smoothly in the end are successful because of the many moving parts operating and working together in the background.
What has been your biggest takeaway so far?
My biggest takeaway has been that everyone can be a learner. I absolutely love the concept of teaching a teacher and the domino effect it creates. TSIN provides our teachers with the materials to better reach our students.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I am an avid baker. Whenever I have downtime there's a good chance that I am either trying out a new recipe or perfecting one I've made a million times. My favorite things to bake are cookies and pastries.
What’s an interesting fact people might not know about you?
I am extremely family oriented. There's nothing I love and cherish in this world more than my family. Bonus fact: I have a twin brother. I am the older twin by 2 minutes.
Brianna can be found via email at
youngb1@battelle.org.
