Staff
Lois Whitehead(she/her)
Executive Director
About Lois
Lois Whitehead has over 30 years’ experience in not-for-profit and association-based organizations. Her educational background in psychology, non-profit management, and community economic development, combined with experience and training in strategic planning, facilitation, and human resources, has helped to make her a leader in the nonprofit world. Lois has served as the Executive Director of Science Atlantic for over 20 years. In this time, she has successfully led and grown the organization’s footprint in the region, including increasing the membership, realigning services to a redefined mission, and rebranding (twice!).
In her spare time, Lois is a news, charity, professional development, and tech junkie.
Jessica Trigo(she/her)
Full-Stack Developer
About Jessica
Jessica is a Computer Programming graduate from Fanshawe College. Her background volunteering with various mental health advocacy groups sparked her interest in nonprofit organizations. She is excited to learn more about the structure and function of not-for-profit organizations while working at Science Atlantic. In her role, Jessica is responsible for updating the design and accessibility of Science Atlantic’s website, developing and maintaining full-stack web applications, and optimizing database performance.
In her spare time, Jessica enjoys playing tabletop and video games, reading, and spending time with her animals.
Mikayla Hanlon
(she/her)
Communications and Member Engagement Assistant
Conference Support
About Mikayla
Mikayla Hanlon is joining the team as the Communications and Member Engagement Assistant – Conference Support for the remainder of the summer.
Mikayla is looking forward to using the skills she developed as a Volunteer Student Organizer of the 2024 Science Atlantic Psychology Conference to help update our Conference-in-a-Box website and other resources to better support conference organizers. Mikayla will be entering her third year of a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Saint Mary’s University in the fall, and she plans to graduate in 2026.
Outside of work Mikayla loves to read, listen to music, and do theater.
Sabrina Sgambati
(she/her)
Communications and Member Engagement Assistant
About Sabrina
Sabrina Sgambati is returning to the role of Communications and Member Engagement Assistant, a position she held during the Winter 2023 and Summer 2024 terms. She’s excited to tackle new projects this term including managing membership, and she’s looking forward to sending our bi-weekly newsletter, The Minute. Sabrina received a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology with Co-operative Education and Applied Options from Acadia University, and she just completed her first year at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law.
Outside of work, Sabrina enjoys walking, reading, and taking pictures of the sunset.
Isabelle Ferdais
(she/her)
Communications and Member Engagement Assistant
(Co-op)
About Isabelle
Isabelle Ferdais is joining the Science Atlantic team as a Communications and Member Engagement Assistant (Co-op). She is excited to gain hands-on experience and learn as much as she can in this role. She will be involved in multiple areas this summer, including the Fundraising Committee and grant and sponsor research. Isabelle recently finished her second year at St. Francis Xavier University, where she is working towards a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management and Leadership through the Co-operative Education program.
Outside of work and school, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing the piano, and exploring the outdoors around her home on Cape Breton Island.
Zarish Jawad
(she/her)
Communications and Member Engagement Assistant
About Zarish
Zarish Jawad is joining Science Atlantic as a Communications and Member Engagement Assistant. She is looking forward to taking on Science Atlantic’s social media and assisting with grant opportunities. Zarish completed a Bachelors of Honours in Medical Sciences from Western University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Fredericton. With a passion for science communication and community/student outreach, Zarish hopes to advance Science Atlantic’s goals and mission while expanding her knowledge and skills.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, her golden retriever puppy Milo, travelling, and exploring new restaurants.
Day Mackay
(she/her)
Administrative Assistant and Communication Coordinator
About Day
Day MacKay’s responsibilities touch almost all components of the organization’s operations – she does a little bit of everything. She supports the Science Atlantic Team and the Executive Director by executing a variety of tasks. She assists with post-event wrap-up processes, documentation/file/schedule management, orientation and training, and much more. Day’s position grows every day, and she appreciates the opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills with it.
The time spent studying at Mount Saint Vincent University and Saint Mary’s University has given Day unique skills, perspectives, and understanding that enable her to work effectively with this academic-institution-centered connection puzzle piece.
In her spare time, Day explores ways to express her passion for Autism advocacy, awareness, and education. She’s thrilled at any opportunity to collaborate with local neurodivergent-lead businesses, community-development advocates, and any kindred spirits looking to kick-start adventures to sow joy.
Maria Mannette
(she/her)
Business Development Assistant
About Maria
Maria Mannette is joining the team in the newly created position of Business Development Assistant.
Over the summer, Maria will showcase, and improve upon, her existing skills by helping to craft Science Atlantic’s value proposition, creating promotional and marketing materials, drafting a memorandum of understanding for the organization, and assisting in our fundraising efforts. Maria is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Commerce, with a double major in Computing & Info Systems and Management at Saint Mary’s University. She plans to graduate in Spring 2025 after returning to full-time studies in the fall.
In her downtime, Maria enjoys hanging out with her friends and walking her dog Buddy while away from work
Get in Touch
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If you’d like to contact a specific person, our staff directory is listed above.