Staff
Founder and Director:
Trevor Mendelow
Phone: 303-770-7660 x 299
email: trevorm@teens4oceans.org
Trevor Mendelow earned his Master's Degree in Molecular Ecology from Humboldt State University. He has 15 years of experience in education and administration, teaching college for nine years until finding his passion teaching high school.
He formed teens4oceans in 2008 at Kent Denver School with the hope that he and his school kids could engage the future generation in a stewardship mission to preserve their natural marine heritage. In two years, teens4oceans has made great strides, and a recent partnership with The National Parks Service has provided a portal for developing relationships with schools around the nation.
Trevor is the imagination and inspiration of T4O, starting the organization with a home-made website. With the success of the Goliath Grouper Research Project, Trevor has assembled a wonderful team of student ambassadors, a network of scientists, non-governmental organizations, and concerned citizens, who are working together to scientifically address conservation issues. As T4O expands, we hope to begin chapters in other regions, and Trevor will be the main liason between these chapters.
Trevor is also a skilled aquarist, and loves caring for fishes and corals with his students in the Marine Biology Club at Kent Denver School. These aquaria provide easily-accessible means for Colorado students to work with and enjoy marine fish and other organisms, and the aquaria webcams make the fish and the various experiments accessible over the internet.
Director of Field Operations and Project Management:
Mike Park
email: mikep@teens4oceans.org
culture, and captive bred livestock. It is through his business, that Mike first became acquainted with Teens4oceans. As a member of our organization, Mike was instrumental in designing, building, and installing the webcams, housings, and LED lighting for our programs. His knowledge about marine life and coral is extensive. His creativity and openness to new ideas, combined with an outgoing personality are the kind of leadership qualities students relate to easily. He enjoys spending time in the field and now dreams about establishing a small research station to support marine teaching activities. Mike is a pivotal member of our team, working countless hours on our program on top of working his full time job. He has traveled extensively with Trevor Mendelow and his crew, and recently accepted the position of Director of Field Operations and Project Management. He will work directly with students and mentor them on projects they develop, as well as contributing to the many aspects of the web page and database. Mike was originally from New York and now makes his home in Boulder, CO and where he earned his baccalaureate in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado.
Director of Information Technology:
Jeremey Lawrence
Phone: 303-770-7660 x 226
email: jeremeyl@teens4oceans.org
Director of Educational Outreach:
Kellie Mendelow
Phone: 720-352-8665
email: kelliem@teens4oceans.org
Kellie Mendelow graduated from CU in Boulder in 1998 with a BA in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology. Before attending CU, Kellie graduated with an associates degree in Business and 
Merchandising from Lincoln School of Commerce in Lincoln, NE. Kellie has worked in many different areas of science and in laboratories both within the academic setting and the private sector, including working with college students and in management. Kellie also has a vast experience in business, management and bookkeeping.
Kellie's main focus for the Teens4Oceans program is to bring students together from across the nation and to show young people, especially young girls, that science is not only exciting, rewarding and a key aspect for their future, but also that it is accessible to anyone. It is also her goal to create an extensive mentoring program to connect young students with active scientists in the field. Kellie has been raising her (and Trevor's!) three young children and has only recently been able to participate more actively in the program. She was able to join the team on their trip to the Virgin Islands last summer and she looks forward to being involved in the many exciting projects Teens4Oceans will have in the future. Kellie is very excited about (finally!) being able to contribute more fully in the program and is honored to have recently accepted the position of Director of Educational Outreach.
America's Ocean Challenge Liaison:
Soames Summerhays
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Soames Summerhays (left) and Trevor Mendelow (right) |
Director of Research and Scientific Oversight:
Dr. Laura Baumgartner
email: laurab@teens4oceans.org
Dr. Baumgartner has a strong background in aquatic science, including a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut. Additionally, Dr. Baumgartner has 17 years of involvement with education and outreach (from K-12 to adult) at both the teaching and organizational levels. She provides scientific oversight and review to both the formation of T4O and the review of projects for T4O funding.
Laura's primary charge is to oversee the research initiatives of T4O to ensure scientific merit and validity. While T4O is student-driven, the students will be conducting actual science, with useful questions and scientific design. As part of this, Laura will be expanding the network of scientists and non-governmental organizations who are supporting the T4O research projects.
As schools begin to develop their research projects, Laura is the primary contact for project proposal and research questions and support. To facilitate data sharing between the students in different clubs, Laura will be spearheading the development of the T4O database, which will allow students to upload and download data from their projects or from stations such as the Goliath Grouper Research Project remote station at Bahia Honda Bridge.
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