Pinheads come in many forms. We at the Pinhead Institute are grateful to have a Board of Directors with expertise in everything from finance to education to applied science. Our board members help to spread the word, and broaden the mission of the Pinhead Institute at home & outside of Telluride. We thank our Board Pinheads, in their many forms, for their generous contributions.
Andy Shoff
Andy Shoff is the Head of School at the Telluride Mountain School. Long fascinated with all things scientific like frogs, rockets, and magnets, and fortunate enough to be able to get his hands dirty doing science at a young age, Andy knew that science would play a central role in his life. He first found his way to Telluride on a field trip as an undergraduate student at Colorado College, where he earned a B.A. in geology. After teaching science for several years at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Arbor School of Arts and Sciences, both in Portland, Oregon, he returned to Colorado. He moved to Telluride in 2002 to teach math and science at the Telluride Mountain School, and quickly came to love the programs that Pinhead brought into the schools. Today, his two daughters love every opportunity Pinhead provides to work with “real” scientists and to dirty their own hands through the Scholars in the Schools and Punk Science programs. Andy holds a master’s degree in school leadership from Columbia University.
Peter G. Dodge
Peter Dodge is the Founder of Hanover Research, a global information services firm based in Washington, D.C. Ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in D.C. and as one of the largest market research firms in the world, Hanover provides knowledge support to more than 1,400 for-profit and non-profit organizations. Peter founded and sits as Chairman of GP Ventures, which provides funding to early-stage enterprises. He is also the Founder, Board Chairman, and President of The Peter G. Dodge Foundation, a philanthropic organization that is dedicated to helping people lead lives free from the effects of alcohol addiction. An alumnus of Washington and Lee University, Peter divides his time between Telluride and Maui.
Emily Durkin
Originally from the great state of Maryland! Love my Chesapeake Blue Crabs! I went to undergrad at Ursinus College where I majored in Environmental Studies and English. After college I spent two years in AmeriCorps where I got my first taste of education and teaching. After AmeriCorps I got a job (mainly because of my last name) at a Catholic school in Maryland, where my dad and his eight siblings went to grade school. I spent three years teaching middle school science there, before I realized that there was something missing from my teaching , and I was eager to improve my craft. I moved to Seattle, where I got my Masters in Education with an emphasis in Science Education. By sheer luck, someone in my program years prior (named Rex Lybrand) was leaving his job at the Telluride Mountain School and he needed a replacement. I was climbing on the North Shore of Superior with Outward Bound when I got the call, packed up my belongings and drove to Telluride two weeks later. My responsibilities at the Mountain School have evolved over the past 10 years. I am currently the Head of the Science Department and teach 7-12th grade science (sans physics), as well as being the Dean of Students and the International Baccalaureate Program Coordinator. I absolutely love the mountains, and grossly prefer winter to summer in Telluride. For the past few summers I have been packing up my bags and driving to the Outer Banks, where I guide eco tours in intercoastal waterways. I am extremely passionate about science and the outdoors and am excited to be joining the board of an organization whose mission is close to my heart.
The picture is of me and my partner in crime Tullamore Dew (aka Tully).
Colin Hubbard
After earning a degree in political science from Stanford University, chubbard spent time in Hawaii surfing, diving and exploring. These activities were, of course, more interesting than his temp job as an administrative assistant. This time ignited his interest in science which combined with his background in poli sci to underscore the importance of using data to make reasoned, evidence-based policy decisions. After earning his teaching credentials in 1994 he began his varied teaching career, which has included most subjects and grade levels – ranging from cute little 3rd graders to incarcerated high schoolers. Along the way, chubbard has also earned a Masters Degree in Biology from the Univeristy of Nebraska. This is his 19th year teaching science in Telluride!
Judy Klein
Judy Klein is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the UCSF-ZSFG Department of Emergency Medicine. She holds a BA and BS in American Studies and Biology from Stanford University and an MD from the University of California, San Francisco. She trained in both pediatrics and emergency medicine, but her primary interest is in the importance of nature and risky play in nature to the physical and psychological health of children. She is an editor for several journals, speaks at medical conferences around the country and has authored the chapter on “Children in the Wilderness” for Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine, the seminal text for outdoor and expedition medicine. She runs nature clubs for kids and teaches wilderness medicine and survival skills to people of all ages. She is an avid mountain biker, snowboarder, mother to an energetic 11 year old, and lover of all things that happen deep in the wilderness. She lives in Mill Valley, California with her husband Mark, son Dean and dog Cooper.
Becca Markley
Becca moved to Telluride seven years ago and immediately started making her mark on education in our region. She’s passionate about STEM, and is raising four children who have been involved with Pinhead as students and volunteers (including a memorable trip with her eldest daughter who presented at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum). Becca makes the Telluride community a better place with her involvement in climate action, the schools (public and private) and her robust network of connections.
Jojo Neumann
JoJo Neumann moved from Chicago to Telluride in the fall of 2016 with her husband, John, and two children, TJ and Lyssa. Both kids immediately started taking classes with Pinhead and have been involved ever since—leading TJ and JoJo to help Pinhead found Telluride’s first ever high-school robotics team in the fall of 2019. JoJo retains strong ties to Wisconsin where she grew up, serving on the board of the Pine Lake Sailing School and the Faye Gehl Conservation Foundation—a land conservation organization working in Wisconsin to promote regenerative agriculture as a way to help solve the climate crisis and other environmental problems. JoJo received a BA from the University of Notre Dame and a certificate in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin. JoJo loves to ski and sail and has been actively involved in promoting youth sailing over the past 10 years. She is always excited to get a non-sailor out on the water!