STARBASE Staff
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Ian Berry
Director
Ian is a retired educator and the current Director of STARBASE Wright-Patt. He has been teaching for years. He has traveled to many parts of the world including China, Japan and many European countries. While he is a US citizen, he views his forever home as Scotland, where his mother was born and raised. He has never been in the armed forces, but he did train to be an officer through the Air Force JROTC and ROTC programs. He was a Cadet Major (squadron commander) through high school and a Navigation Cadet in college. He and his wife have four children ranging in age from to . His call sign is TiggerOne because he is so bouncy and also because he is THE ONLY ONE. In his free time, he loves to read, write, build, and fix things.
Shawn Warren
Deputy Director
Shawn Warren, call sign “Sensei” or “The GOM” (Grumpy Old Man), depending on who you ask, is now the Deputy Director of STARBASE Wright-Patt. He has been working at STARBASE since 2018. He has held many different jobs and titles before landing at STARBASE, including, but not limited to: manager of an ice cream parlor, traveling carnival worker, automotive mechanic, disc jockey, karate instructor, roller derby referee and coach, author, and most recently, classroom teacher. Shawn loves flying his powered paraglider, playing and designing games of all sorts (card, TTRPG, video, board, etc.), and spending time sailing with his family.
Melissa Diskete
Instructor
Melissa Diskete has lived in the Dayton area her whole life. She graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education. She is a mom to two boys, ages and , who keep her busy and bring so much joy. She also has four bonus children whose ages range from -, and a bonus granddaughter who is almost years old, who Melissa loves and adores. Melissa loves traveling and has had the opportunity to visit quite a few National Parks. She also loves fishing, spending time in nature, and, of course, visiting the beach – her absolute favorite place to be! She absolutely loves teaching at STARBASE and seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces as they explore through hands-on experiments. She says there is nothing better than watching the students’ expressions when they have that “aha!’ moment and realize something for themselves. Her call sign is Sunrise because it represents a new day and a new start, and to Melissa, a sunrise creates a feeling of hope and joy.
Alexis Barth
Instructor / STARBASE Advanced
Alexis Barth is an Instructor at STARBASE and she also runs the STARBASE Advanced Program. She first came to STARBASE in 2010 as a fifth grader from Monticello Elementary! She started working here in 2023 as an assistant. She immediately fell in love with the program and knew this was where she belonged! Teaching and working with kids has always been something that she is passionate about. Previously, she worked as a counselor at Camp Joy and was a phlebotomist at Dayton Children’s Hospital. Her favorite part about this job is seeing the students become inspired by STEAM. She especially loves creating and hosting elaborate summer camps. She truly believes there is something for everyone in STEAM; you just gotta find it! Outside of work, she likes to spend time with friends and family, including her two dogs -Rex and Remi. She loves playing games, baking, and reading.
Jill Case
Instructor
Jill Case, one of our instructors at STARBASE Wright-Patt, is a licensed educator in the state of OH. She has been a teacher for over years. She is married and has a son in middle school and 4 stepchildren, as well as 5 grandchildren! She loves animals and has 2 mini dachshunds and a calico cat. Math is her favorite subject, and she sees it as another language. She loves to show students that there are many ways to solve any problem. In summers, she loves going to the ocean, swimming and finding shells and sand dollars.
Sam Davison
Instructor
Sam is one of our instructors here at STARBASE Wright-Patt. She has a background in traditional and digital art but her main passion is teaching. STE(A)M has always been something she was interested in, so STARBASE sounded like a perfect place to be. Her call sign, Dragonfly, comes from her favorite TV show “Gilmore Girls.” Dragonflies also symbolize light and transformation, reminding us to embrace the change and find a little bit of joy in everything that is new. When she is not working, you’ll probably find her reading, drawing, or hanging out with her friends and family.
Lena Magee
Instructor
Lena, our newest instructor, chose her call sign to be Alani, her favorite energy drink. This is her th year in education. She has had the privilege to teach in various sectors of the educational field such as private, public, charter, homeschool-based learning, and overseas. She has taught all subjects 3rd-8th grade as well as Algebra 1. Out of all the subjects she has taught, Math and Science are her favorites. She is a single Mom of two amazing sons ( & ) as well as two dogs (Willow – golden Retriever and Piper- Black Lab Mixed) and two cats (Torpedo and Tigger). She and her family absolutely love to travel both nationally and internationally. Last year, she taught in the Beavercreek School District and decided that she wanted a change of pace. That’s how she found STARBASE! She is looking forward to exploring STEM education this year.
Codi Jackson
Instructor Assistant
Codi is an instructor assistant at STARBASE Wright-Patt. She is new to STARBASE but incredibly excited to represent STEM education. She possesses a well-rounded professional background and is passionate about inspiring the next generation to become STEM professionals. Coming from a big family of teachers, she has a natural love for working with children. She is also the spouse of a USMC and Army veteran, and they have been married for years. Her call sign is Lyric, because she loves singing and can memorize song lyrics with ease.
Kate Mossop
Instructor Assistant
Kate is excited to be part of the STARBASE Wright-Patt team. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Wright State University and has spent 18 years working in customer service and sales, followed by three years in nonprofit development and education. Her connection to STARBASE is especially personal. She first learned about the program through her -year-old daughter, who attended STARBASE and came home excited about what she had learned. Kate never imagined that her daughter’s experience would eventually lead her to become a part of the STARBASE team!