the elevation Science institute Board
Our Board of Directors is composed of a diverse group of men and women from across the country who are each leaders in their respective fields, and who embody the values and mission of the Elevation Science Institute.
Hannah Ransom
PRESIDENT
Hannah Ransom is a candidate for a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. Her academic pursuits at the Wright Institute reflect a commitment to providing culturally sensitive mental health services that support resiliency, recovery, and social justice. A lifelong dinosaur enthusiast - she was thrilled to embark on her first field expedition with Elevation Science Institute in 2018. Delighted by the experience, she eagerly returned in 2019 and has set her sights on joining the field season every year for the rest of her life. Hannah's enthusiasm for paleontology is matched by her passion for science education and discovery. She believes in the transformative power of education and strives to inspire others with the wonders of the natural world.
Timshel Purdum
VICE PRESIDENT
Timshel Purdum is Virginia C. Ellet Deputy Director of Education at the Science Museum of Virginia. At the Museum, she leads an amazing team of educators and volunteers to excite visitors of all ages in science! She has served as a peer reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and AmeriCorps foundations and is a founding member of the Philadelphia Museum Educators Roundtable. She has a B.S. in biology from the College of William and Mary, and a M.A. in Environmental Education from the New Jersey School of Conservation, Montclair State University. She’s had the pleasure of spending one week in the field with Elevation Science Institute for the last few years. She’s been in the science education field for over 20 years and will continue to do so until they nail shut her recyclable coffin. Her favorite color is blue, her favorite number is 8 (infinity y’all) and as far as she is concerned, cephalopods rule the universe.Read more about Timshel in this awesome profile: Bringing Science to Life
Kate Mellinger
Secretary
Kate Mellinger is an in-house attorney in the financial services sector, focusing on privacy and IT legal issues. Previously, she worked in the Philadelphia offices of two national law firms, where she litigated as well as advised on privacy and data security issues. Kate is also an adjunct professor teaching business law at The College of New Jersey.
Kate holds a J.D. from Villanova University and a B.A. from the University of Richmond in English. Most importantly, Kate is raising two little boys who are continuing the love for all things dinosaur, and can’t wait to go on a dig themselves!
Benjamin Stahl
Treasurer
Ben Stahl manages the corporate finance department at Public Financial Management, a municipal financial advisor and fixed income asset manager. Prior to joining PFM, Ben worked as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers focusing on financial service companies.
Ben holds a B.S. in accounting and a minor in music from the University of Richmond. He is a CFA charter holder and a Certified Public Accountant.
GUY GSELL
Guy Gsell helped launch Elevation Science Institute by serving as it’s Board Secretary for the organization’s first seven years.
An adventurer, teacher, and life-long dinosaur lover, Guy has produced educationally themed theater, live events, and exhibits in a career that spans thirty years and three continents. As the Founding Director of Discovery Times Square in Manhattan, Guy created sold-out workshops and ancillary programming for the famous “King Tut” exhibit as well as “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” and “daVinci’s Workshop”. He was a Producer at the 2011 World Science Festival and, for six years, Managing Director of the Two River Theater Company in Red Bank, New Jersey where he launched one of the State’s top theater education programs.
Guy spent twelve seasons touring the world’s theaters and classrooms with the renowned Paper Bag Players, America’s foremost theater company for children. He has taught at the high school and college level, acted off-Broadway, written two plays, appeared on Jeopardy!, and appeared at some of New Jersey’s legendary music venues as a singer-songwriter. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of Field Station: Dinosaurs, Guy is finally able to combine his serious dinosaur obsession with his love for family entertainment, hands-on teaching and working with children.
STEVE GIBBS
Steve Gibbs served as Elevation Science Institute’s Board Treasurer for the first seven years, helping the organization launch into what it is today.
Steve served as the Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller for The Home Depot from 2020 to 2023. He brings to the team a strong track record of financial governance and regulatory compliance, with experience in a number of different business models within large public brands including Tyson Foods, Keurig and Coca Cola, as well as public accounting experience with Authur Andersen and Deloitte and Touche. He is a certified public accountant and graduated from Florida A&M University. Steve has demonstrated significant transformational change leadership with the businesses he has served, bringing his experiences with mergers & acquisitions, integrations, systems implementations and reimagining operational processes to maximize enterprise value and optimize the customer experience.
WILLIAM J. SHANKLE
Bill Shankle was Elevation Science Institute’s Board President from 2017-2022, helping to launch the organization and grow it from a dream to reality. He is also an accomplished avocational paleontologist. He first joined the Delaware Valley Paleontological Society (DVPS) in 2006 and has led changes within the DVPS that helped to make it one of the most accomplished and successful avocational paleontological organizations in the country. He is also a Research Associate with the New Jersey State Museum's Bureau of Natural History, and was an invaluable member of the Bighorn Basin Dinosaur Project throughout its existence. These days Bill is a Collections Assistant in Invertebrate Paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Bill holds a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Computer Science, both from Michigan State University.