Meet the Staff

Valerie B. Brown-Schild, Ph.D., is the Director of the Kenan Fellows Program for Curriculum and Leadership Development, affiliated with the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science at North Carolina State University. Dr. Brown-Schild most recently served as Vice President of Business Development with Topics Education an education outreach/marketing firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to her role at Topics Education, Dr. Brown-Schild held positions at RTI International, in the Center for Research in Education and the Wake Education Partnership, an independent public school advocacy organization located in Wake County, North Carolina.. Dr. Brown-Schild holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from UNC- Chapel Hill and has extensive experience regarding education issues. As a former teacher, she has the practical and relevant background regarding teacher professional development that guides the development and implementation of the Kenan Fellows Program.
e-mail: valerie_brown-schild@ncsu.edu

Cynthia M. Malecha is the Assistant Director of  Finance and Event Administration for the Kenan Fellows Program.  Ms. Malecha holds an A.A. in accounting from Citrus College, Azusa, California, and a B.S. in Business Administration, cum laude, from the University of LaVerne, LaVerne, California. She received departmental honors for her senior project entitled "The Availability of Opportunities and the Sources of Success for Women in the Academy". She served on the Leadership Team of the Council on the Status of Women at NC State University, and chaired the 1999 professional development conference for women at NC State sponsored by the Council. She has also served as chair of Chancellor's unit Award for Excellence committee. Prior to joining the Kenan Institute in 1994, she served for fourteen years at the Claremont Colleges, Claremont, California leaving the position of Assistant to the Vice President and Treasurer of Pomona College.
e-mail: cmm@ncsu.edu

Susan Parry is the Kenan Fellows Program’s Assistant Director of Partnerships and Resource Development. She is primarily responsible for building strategic alliances and securing resources for this elite Fellowship that targets outstanding K-12 public school teachers from across North Carolina. As an elected member of the Wake County Board of Education from 1999 to 2007 Ms. Parry was involved in efforts to guide and build public and corporate support for a large, high quality urban/suburban school system. She served as Vice Chair for two years and as the board’s Chair from 2003-2005. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Lawrence University and an M.S. in Education from the University of Utah. Ms. Parry formerly worked as Assistant Curator of Education for the New York Zoological Society. She has extensive experience as a volunteer in community and civic organizations in North Carolina.
e-mail: susan_parry@ncsu.edu

Danielle M. Seneschal is the Assistant Director of Program Operations for the Kenan Fellows Program at the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science. Ms. Seneschal started with the Institute in October 2004 and currently manages the education programs for the Kenan Fellows Program for Leadership and Curriculum Development as well as the NASA Specialized Center for Outreach and Training: Adventures of the Agronauts online curriculum. Prior to working with the Kenan Fellows Program, Ms. Seneschal lived in Wilmington, NC. She received her Environmental Policy degree in 1999 from UNCW and began working for the grassroots, non-profit organization, Cape Fear River Watch. As the Volunteer Programs Coordinator, Danielle developed outdoor environmental education programs for students and the community at large. In 2002, Danielle was instrumental in the reopening of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, where she worked as the Volunteer Coordinator. She also served four years on the Earth Day Alliance of the Lower Cape Fear, a networking program for environmental groups from the coastal region.
e-mail: danielle_seneschal@ncsu.edu

Tom Knott is the Technology and Communications Specialist for the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science. In that capacity he works as tech support, preparing presentations, writing press releases and staff photographer. He was a teacher for twenty years; the last ten teaching Cisco Academy courses at a magnet high school. He is also an author for Cisco Press and has worked on numerous curriculum projects for the Cisco Academy Program. He has a unique experience among the staff at the Kenan Institute: He was a 2004-2006 Kenan Fellow which gives him perspective from the teacher's side. Prior to being a Kenan Fellow he was a Semiconductor Research Corporation Fellow, spending a summer at several companies in the Research Triangle Park.
e-mail: tom_knott@ncsu.edu

Shelley Sutton is the Administrative Support Associate for the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science. Ms. Sutton provides support for all members of the staff, systems and equipment. She is experienced and successful in sales and marketing, office administration, network support, accounting, budgeting, client/vendor relations, and small-business startup. Ms. Sutton began her career in Raleigh, NC working for Wakefield Development Company, the land development company known for neighborhoods such as Wakefield Plantation and Bedford at Falls River. After Wakefield, Ms. Sutton continued her professional career with HomeVestors in Colorado before returning to North Carolina.
e-mail: shelley_sutton@ncsu.edu