Advisory
Board
Become a Leader that First Gen STEM Students Need
As an advisory board member of NEVE Project, you will do more help first Gen college student achieve their dreams. You’ll find reward in knowing you’re opening doors to more of life’s possibilities.
Your Role
This is an advisory board member you will provide strategic and financial direction to the leadership team, and they actively participate in fundraising and networking activities.
NEVE Advisory board members are also expected to fulfill some specific obligations.
The core functions of the Advisory Board include:
- Student Application review for scholarships
- Strategy development
- Assessment of organizational performance
- Partnership engagement, resource mobilization and advocacy
- Fundraising assistance and outreach
Rhyisa Armbrister, Ph.D.
BIOCHEMIST & PROFESSOR
Rhyisa Armbrister, Ph.D. is a biochemist and chemistry professor, currently conducting research focused on developing novel therapies for Friedreich’s ataxia. With expertise in gene-targeted therapies, she aims to advance treatments for this rare neurodegenerative genetic disorder.
Kate Demitrus
FOUNDER
Kate Demitrus is a distinguished professional with over two decades of expertise encompassing both labor and employment law and human resources. She has been a trusted advisor and strategic leader across diverse industries such as aerospace and aviation, healthcare, healthcare technology, insurance, and oil and gas. Kate’s executive-level experience spans organizations ranging from small local entities to Fortune 100 multinational corporations, where she has a track record in transforming and optimizing HR departments for companies going through significant growth and transformation. Her hands-on approach to developing HR frameworks and implementing innovative solutions underscores her commitment to driving sustainable success and excellence in both legal compliance and human capital management.
Kate is the founder and CEO of yeep hr, a human capital consulting firm. She is passionate about ensuring that all people have access to higher education. As the daughter of two deaf parents, she is also a member of the scholarship committee of CODA – Children of Deaf Adults – where she evaluates scholarship applications from around the world.
Tanya Knudsen
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP
Tanya, PhD candidate creative leadership (2024), is a complex problem solving facilitator and turnkey training expert for the creative process on teams and in education both online and in person. Tanya works from Seattle and teaches remotely in Madagascar and Pakistan for a vocational hospitality program aimed at lifting young adults out of poverty. It’s her purpose driven life centering on creativity that brings Tanya to Neve. In her spare time, Tanya paddleboards pristine lakes around the Pacific Northwest.
Lucas Nadolskis
MENTOR
Lucas Nadolskis is a PhD student at the Bionic Vision Lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara, under the supervision of Professor Michael Beyeler. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota in 2021, and later obtained his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
Lucas’s research interests focus on developing the next generation of bionic eyes for individuals with vision loss. His work aims to improve current technology based on his own experiences as a totally blind person for over twenty years. Additionally, Lucas is passionate about accessibility, with his efforts centered on enhancing access to STEM education for people with vision loss.
Coming from Brazil, Lucas is deeply committed to facilitating access to higher education for blind and low-vision individuals from developing countries. At NEVE, he began as a scholar in 2021 during his Master’s program at Carnegie Mellon. Following his graduation in 2023, he continued his involvement with NEVE as a mentor