Meet Our Team

As the Director for IDEA Veronica has 15+ years of higher education experience with instructional technology and learning design, experiential learning, and developing strategic partnerships. Veronica emphasizes community-based design methods for working with communities ethically when engaging in generative problem-solving and innovation. She has a BA from Syracuse University, a MA from the University of Rochester and is currently a PhD student in Library and Information Science at Rutgers University.

Dr. Connie Pascal is a multi-faceted professional and scholar with a passion for information science research, experiential education, and entrepreneurialism. Her research interests and focus include the hemp industry, cannabis informatics, information practices of cannabis nurses, and knowledge management. She brings executive experience in strategic and operational roles in HR Technology and market research and is a successful innovator and entrepreneur in high-tech staffing, online recruiting, and talent management.

Jack Walsh is a Bonner student intern and serves as the student lead for the ScarletPitch Planning Committee. As the ScarletPitch student lead he coordinates social media and digital communications as well as reach out to faculty, staff, and student organizations for recruiting teams to apply.

Nicole Mendoza is a PhD candidate and first-generation student at Rutgers' School of Communication and Information. Originally from LA with Mexican roots, her research focuses on health communication, particularly the mental health of Black and Brown populations, inspired by growing up in an immigrant household where mental health wasn't discussed. She recently submitted an abstract on how older Latinos use social media to engage with cancer information. Outside academia, she enjoys hiking, reggaeton, and movies.

Michael Panchery is a student at Rutgers University currently pursuing a Master of City & Regional Planning (MCRP). His primary interest lies in using computational thinking to design and master plan the sustainable, climate-resilient communities of tomorrow.