The Elevation Science Institute Staff
Every member of our exceptional, experienced staff is dedicated to, and personally invested in, fulfilling the Elevation Science’s mission. We have worked together as both a team and as a family for several years, building the organization into what it is today.
We believe that science is an adventure!
Jason P. Schein
Executive Director
Jason Schein is a paleontologist who founded Elevation Science Institute (formerly known as the Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute) in 2017 and the organization has thrived under his leadership ever since. In his extensive professional experience, including ten years as Assistant Curator of Natural History at the New Jersey State Museum, he has developed a diverse slate of engaging educational programming in the fields of natural history, geology, and paleontology for audiences of all ages, specializing in creating unique, hands-on experiences to help people experience the power of science.
His scientific research projects have led him across the globe, from Alabama to Montana and even to Argentinian Patagonia, to study an array of fascinating creatures, including modern echinoderms, ancient foraminifera, fish and turtles, mosasaurs, and of course dinosaurs! Jason’s love of our planet’s history continually leads him to explore a vast range of subjects, including Mesozoic (primarily Jurassic and Cretaceous) vertebrate marine and terrestrial faunas, paleoecology, paleobiogeography, faunistics, taphonomy, biostratigraphy, functional morphology, sedimentology, and general natural history.
Jason is also a writer, Master Naturalist (Montana), and outdoorsman. When he isn’t working, you can find Jason exploring his current city, Philadelphia, or hiking, hunting, fishing, and generally sharing his love of the natural world with his family.
Read more about Jason Schein’s background, research, and professional experience.
JSchein(at)ElevationScience.org
Devon Francis
Director of Development
Devon Francis is the Director of Development at Elevation Science Institute, where she leverages her extensive background in marketing, program development and fundraising to advance paleontology and geosciences education and community engagement. With a passion for connecting people to the wonders of science, Devon spearheads initiatives that bring hands-on scientific experiences to the public. Her expertise in building strategic partnerships and securing funding is pivotal in supporting Elevation Science’s mission to inspire curiosity and a love for natural history in people of all ages.
Please contact Devon today to discover how you can support Elevation Science in making amazing experiences in paleontology and natural history accessible and exciting for everyone.
DFrancis(at)ElevationScience.org
Dr. Richard Schmidt
Director of Educational Programming
Dr. Rick Schmidt studied education and geoscience from Penn State University and eventually earned an Ed.D. from Drexel University. He has excelled in his career, becoming a nationally renowned innovator and leader in the field of geoscience education. He taught in the Upper Dublin School District in suburban Philadelphia for more than 30 years and has been a leader within the Elevation Science Institute's field teams since 2013. Dr. Schmidt is also the primary professor for our ERTH 491 Field Paleontology course.
Read more about Rick here.
RSchmidt(at)ElevationScience.org
Image from Cincinnati Magazine (Jeremy Kramer), 2024
Katie Hunt
Manager, Paleo Prep Lab
Katie Hunt came to Elevation Science Institute from The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, where she worked as a fossil preparator puzzling together fossils from the Jurassic Morrison and Cretaceous Hell Creek formations. Prior to her experience in the paleo lab, Katie was a museum educator who wore many hats. She managed a museum-based Out-of-School Time program for K-12th grade students, designing and leading hands-on STEAM activities and project-based learning experiences. Museum education is her passion, and she thrives on meeting with the public and sharing her love of science!
Before making her way to paleontology, Katie focused her research on archaeology and studied the Paleoindian time period and human interactions with Ice Age megafauna. She honed her excavation skills at Big Bone Lick State Park with the University of Cincinnati, then went on to Northern Arizona University where she worked in a zooarchaeology lab contributing to research on fauna of all sizes from across the Southwest.
Katie lives in Cincinnati with her husband, Evan, and her cats, Shrimp and Crabcake. She is digging in on tons of fossils excavated in prior years by Elevation Science Institute’s crew; you can observe Katie and volunteers preparing fossils at the Paleo Prep Lab in the Dinosaur Hall of the Cincinnati Museum Center, so be sure to follow her at @katewhoexcavates on Instagram for sneak peeks of lab projects and cat photos!
Check out Katie’s curriculum vitae here.
KHunt(at)ElevationScience.org
Skye Walker
Science Communication Manager, Field Technician
Skye is a passionate field paleontologist and science communicator dedicated to making paleontology accessible (and fun!) to all. With a background in geology and a focus on fossil excavation, museum operations, and outreach, she plays a crucial role in Elevation Science’s mission to engage the public with hands-on discovery. Whether she's down in the dirt or crafting engaging science content, Skye thrives at the intersection of research and education.
In addition to working with fossils from iconic groups like dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, sharks, turtles, and ammonites, Skye specializes in turning scientific discoveries into stories that inspire. She documents fieldwork in real time, creating media that connect thousands of people to the science as it happens. From the quarry to digital platforms, her work helps bridge the gap between the field team and the broader public.
Her communication style blends accuracy, clarity, and creativity, making complex paleontological research accessible to diverse audiences. She frequently collaborates with museums, schools, and libraries, where she delivers interactive presentations, develops outreach programs, and shares the wonder of natural history with communities of all ages. Skye’s work has also been featured in podcasts, documentaries, and educational media.
Through her storytelling, field expertise, and creative outreach, Skye ensures that paleontology is not only studied but shared, helping future generations see themselves in the science and sparking curiosity about Earth’s ancient past.
SWalker(at)ElevationScience.org
Image by Skye Walker, 2024
Jason C. Poole
Field Expedition Crew Chief, Paleontological Anatomy Specialist, Educator
Jason Poole is the Elevation Science Institute’s Fossil Preparation Consultant, Field Crew Chief, and resident Paleo-artist, and has helped lead our annual Field Expeditions since Elevation Science Institute’s founding. Jason was the Manager of Dinosaur Hall and head Fossil Preparator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for 27 years. It is here that he honed his teaching skills, developing and leading countless natural history and live animal classes, and eventually became an Adjunct Professor for Drexel University, teaching Dinosaurs and Their World.
Jason provides expertise in many diverse fields to the Elevation Science Institute. He was educated at the Antonelli Institute of Commercial Art and Photography. His art has been featured in numerous publications, including National Geographic, as well as several documentaries and scientific publications. His teaching, art, and scientific interests have led him around the globe, from Patagonia to Egypt and Mongolia, and gave him the opportunity to work on three dinosaurs that were new to science: Paralititan, Dreadnoughtus, and Suuwassea.
Jason was born and raised in Philadelphia but has relocated to Montana, where he primarily teaches art throughout the off season. If you’re in the Missoula, MT area, visit Jason at the Montana Natural History Center as he prepares Allosaurus and Camarasaurus fossils! You can read more about Jason Poole’s background, research, and professional experience.
JPoole(at)ElevationScience.org
Image by Skye Walker, 2025.
Daniel R. Dunfee
Field Technician
Daniel Dunfee is a returning member of Elevation Science’s field crew, starting out as a 2022 intern and rejoining the team in 2023 as a field technician. He graduated in 2022 from the Honors Tutorial College of Ohio University with a degree in Geological Sciences, a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, and a minor in paleontology. He worked on his undergraduate honors thesis in WitmerLab under the mentorship of Dr. Lawrence Witmer, and used complex 3D visualization software to study the change with growth in the skulls of a small herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of Utah called Dryosaurus elderae. He recently completed his master’s program in Geological Sciences at Ohio University, expanding on his undergraduate work on Dryosaurus elderae in WitmerLab.
When not in the lab, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife and cats, reading fantasy, playing video games, hiking, fishing, fossil hunting, and all things outdoors.
Read more about Daniel’s experience here.
Image by Skye Walker, 2023
Antonio G. Armagno
Program Assistant
Antonio began their journey with Elevation Science Institute back in 2021, as a student in the ERTH491: Field Paleontology course, while also enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Montana in Missoula. They graduated with a B.F.A. in Theater and a B.A. in Biology. Antonio fell in love with paleontology at an early age, and realizing a lifelong dream with ESI broadened their horizons and helped bolster their career prospects. Antonio volunteered for a week during the 2022 field season and was then hired as one of the 2023 Field Interns. After working all summer in the field, Antonio began a master’s program in Biological Sciences at DePaul University in Chicago, under the mentorship of Dr. Kenshu Shimada. In the Shimada Lab, they currently work on reconstructing the vertebrate paleoecology of the inland ocean that covered much of North America during much of the Cretaceous, the Western Interior Seaway.
When not in the lab or the field studying fossils, Antonio can also be found walking through any terrain, rain or shine, looking for a cool plant. One summer course at University of Montana exploring the local plant diversity was all it took for them to become fascinated with plants and all the quirks of their biology. Antonio hopes to explore plant identification and other natural history topics in their role with Elevation Science.
When not busy with biology, Antonio likes riding the ‘L’ trains in Chicago, going to the beach, watching movies with friends, and finding the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
Read Antonio’s CV here.
Image by Skye Walker, 2025.
Adam M. Johnson
2025 Field Intern
Adam Johnson is one of our field interns for the 2025 field season. He recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. His previous experiences with Elevation Science have inspired him to pursue a vertebrate paleontology graduate program after gaining more hands-on experience in the field. Adam first discovered Elevation Science through Jason Schein and Jason Poole’s appearance on the I Know Dino podcast, and he has volunteered in each of our expeditions since 2022. His passion for our ongoing dig sites is apparent and infectious, and he is thrilled to be sharing that excitement with this year’s participants.
Adam spent much of his young adult life as a veterinary assistant, working alongside his veterinarian father at a small family-owned animal hospital in Virginia Beach. He began his career in public science communication while volunteering at the Virginia Aquarium and later continued his volunteer work at the Virginia Zoo. In his time studying at ODU, he gained collections management experience while identifying and categorizing the natural history museum’s vertebrate material.
During the off-season, Adam enjoys beachcombing along the James River for fossil material that helps him better understand what the conditions of his home state were like millions of years ago. This passion behind his love for fossil-hunting also drives his fondness for thrift shopping, both activities centering around giving a new life to something that has outlived its initial purpose. On a day off you can find Adam reading science fiction, playing video games, and hanging out with his cat, Luna.
Read more about Adam’s experience here.
Image by Skye Walker, 2025.
Declan Fahy
2025 Field Intern
Declan Fahy is currently a senior at State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, New York and is working towards a major in biology with a minor in geology. Although it's his first time with the Elevation Science Institute, he has some previous experience in the paleontological field. He is part of a research lab with a resident paleontologist at Geneseo, studying forelimb morphology of Yutyrannus huali and will be traveling to Birmingham, UK this year to present his research at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) annual conference.
When he’s not in the lab, Declan enjoys skiing the scattered mountain tops of upstate New York and road tripping to hidden hiking spots. When he’s not outdoors (which isn’t often!), he likes spending time with family and friends and also eating lots of food.
Learn more about Declan’s past experience here.
Brandan in the Cincinatti Museum Center Paleo Prep Lab, 2025. Photo by Katie Hunt.
Brandan Miller
2025 Fossil Preparation Intern
Brandan Miller is currently a senior at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington, IN and is working towards a major in biology with a minor in earth and atmospheric science. Although it’s his first time as an intern for the Elevation Science Institute, he has been volunteering in the Paleo Prep Lab at the Cincinnati Museum Center since 2022. He also has field experience, being a part of the 2024 field crew for the Badlands Dinosaur Museum in North Dakota where he spent 8 weeks in Montana working on the famous “Liberty”, the first Lambeosaurus lambei in the United States. In addition, his experience in paleontology includes a capstone project on brachiopods of the upper Ordovician in Indiana, an independent field expedition to the Mattagami Formation of Ontario, Canada, and many years creating pencil art of extinct animals. While applying to graduate schools, he is looking to do research in areas such as paleoecology, sauropod morphology, and theropod hunting behaviors.
Outside of the lab, Brandan typically spends his time working on schoolwork, taking care of his two dogs, going to the gym, or going on the occasional road-trip to visit national parks. He also spends select weekends serving as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard, of which he has been a service member for almost 10 years. He’s traveled around the globe in his 20’s, visiting 38 U.S. states, Canada, Bulgaria, Germany, Oman, Djibouti, and Kenya. Everywhere he goes, he takes the opportunity to learn about the region’s ecology and paleontology. Whether he’s in the city or 200 miles away from civilization, he maintains that mission so he can share what he’s learned with anyone he meets, as well as his love for conserving the living past.