Staff Members
Staff Members
Carrie Jones
Franchise Owner
Carrie Smith Jones holds multiple degrees from MIT, a master’s degree from Harvard, and has spent 29+ years working professionally in IT. She is currently employed as an Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase bank. Additionally, Carrie spent 9 years working as a tutor in STEM fields and 15+ years serving as an independent school textbook evaluator for McGraw-Hill. After 14 years of service with Delaware County, Carrie recently retired as a dual foster/adoptive mother. She was privileged to add to her family five times through adoption with her late husband and co-founder, Robert Wesley Smith, and looks forward to being your family-friendly STEM learning provider.
Matthew Marsh
Center Director
Matt is a true renaissance person, holding degrees and certifications in Applied Technology, Ecotourism, Adventure Travel, Phlebotomy, and as an EMT. He has spent almost two decades teaching children in hands-on science and camp experiences, including children with special needs. Matt is constantly researching fun new ways to build and enjoy science and technology projects, which usually involves some sort of gloriously messy but well-controlled and -designed experiment in our lab. In his spare time he enjoys kayaking, climbing, Frisbee golf, building bicycles, and rehabilitating old houses.
Deena Fenske
Assistant Center Director
Deena has been a part of the Stemtree family since 2020, joining the Lewis Center location in October 2023, and has more than 10 years overall experience working with children! She graduated from Ohio State University in 2019 with her Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and again in 2025 with her Master's from Wright State University in School Counseling. Deena loves getting to know each and every one of the Stemtree kids and has a true passion and devotion to helping them learn and grow!
Roshan Batchu
Assistant Instructor
Roshan is a freshman at The Ohio State University, pursuing a biology degree on the pre-med track. He was an active member of HOSA, where he has successfully participated in Biomedical competitions, as well as serving as a dedicated volunteer at COSI and temple. Outside of academics, he plays cricket competitively for AYCA, and loves to hang out with friends and watch sports in his free time. He is passionate about science and healthcare, and loves encouraging others to explore the STEM field.
Sai Kondapalli
Senior Instructor
Sai is a third-year undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a focus on pre-med studies at The Ohio State University, where he has a growing interest in healthcare, research, and cardiology. Outside the classroom, he is actively involved in club cricket as well as the cricket team at Ohio State, which has taught him the value of teamwork, discipline, and resilience. He also has experience tutoring students in English and math, which has strengthened his communication skills and deepened his passion for learning and helping others. He is also part of other organizations through volunteering efforts at Red Cross, Mount Carmel, OSU Wexner, and Friendship Village Senior living.
Stella Seslar
Senior Instructor
Stella joins us as a sophomore from Delaware Hayes high school. She loves reading, crocheting, and being outside, and is an avid member of theatre club, as well as the swim and dive team. Our students really enjoy her kind heart and sense of fun.
Lii Whitaker
Assistant Instructor
We are delighted that Lii has returned to us for a third summer, after having recently completed their second year at the Oberlin College and Conservatory, where they are majoring in Biology and Mathematics, with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. Lii is a recipient of a National Merit Scholarship, as well as the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, and is currently researching modular arithmetic and its interactions with the Fibonacci sequence. Outside of academics, Lii enjoys playing the viola, hiking, and playing with their dog. They also spend a lot of their time making things by sewing, painting, and working in their carpentry shop. Lii enjoys working with students of all ages, especially when it comes to passing on their love for STEM subjects.
Mona Goel
Assistant Instructor
Mona holds multiple degrees, including Master of Commerce and Master of Business Administration from Jiwaji University. She is keenly interested in stock trading, and enjoys volunteer work such as Hindi language instruction at Sai Baba temple and cooking at ISKCON Columbus temple. She likes to play board games such as carom and chess, and looks forward to spending STEM time with our students.
Satya Velamurthy
Senior Instructor
Satya is a second-year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, where he is pursuing a degree in computer science and engineering. Alongside his academics he also plays cricket competitively, participating in many national and franchise tournaments. He has experience in leadership roles being a club officer for Hindu Club and Red Cross Club in high school and he also has experience as an assistant coach at the local cricket academy, AYCA.
