Meet the Team
EXECUTIVE TEAM
YAIR SAPERSTEIN
Founder & Executive Director
Yair Saperstein is a resident at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. As one of START's Founders, he has helped develop and lead over 40 modules, and has helped facilitate others in founding START branches.
ARI CUPERFAIN
Founder & Director of Operations
Ari Cuperfain is a first year student in the University of Toronto Medical School. He is one of START’s founders. He started as a member of the YU ACS Chemistry Club in 2010, and served as Assistant Director during START’s inaugural year. He has been involved with developing and participating in modules ever since. Ari is an avid 49ers fan and during his free time, he can be found playing archaic N64 games, reading a good book, or both simultaneously.
LEEDAN COHEN
Founder and Director of START Science Canada & President at York University
Leedan Cohen is working as a research coordinator for the Maternal Fetal department of Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto. In her free time, she loves water skiing, listening to '80's music and foreign travel. As a module leader in New York, Leedan developed and facilitated numerous class lessons. Her passion for START inspired her to expand the program internationally, founding the York University chapter. Leedan has forged relationships with numerous public schools in the Toronto region and is continuing to increase START's reach.
KNOWLEDGE CHIKUNDI
START African Continent Director
Knowledge is an undergraduate young scientist and inventor at the University of Zimbabwe with a burning passion and ambition to see the impactful promotion of STEM education in Zimbabwe. He played a huge part towards the launch of the START Science in Zimbabwe last year, and was the driving force behind Zimbabwe’s first-ever science fair.
AKIVA SCHIFF
Director of Media
Akiva is a student in Yeshiva University, working towards a degree in chemistry and music. He started participating in START Science in his first semester, and continues to be excited by the opportunity to teach and learn from the amazing students that he has met through START. He hopes to assist START Science develop a web presence as it continues to grow around the world.
SHIRA OSDOBA
Assistant Director of Media
Shira is a student in Sy Syms School of Buisness currently studying marketing. She looks forward to educating students and showing them how fun science can be! START not only teaches the students science but also allows them to do hands on activities which really involves the students directly. She looks forward to a great year!
BRANCH LEADERS
ERICA HASTEN
President at Einstein Medical College
Erica Hasten is a PhD student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine currently studying heart development and defects in the genetics department. She hopes that she can better the Bronx community by teaching young students how much fun science can be.
HANNAH MONDAY
Vice President at Einstein Medical College
Hannah is a Ph.D. Neuroscience student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that underlie learning and memory in the brain. While working as a teaching assistant during her undergraduate, she realized her passion for teaching science. As vice-president of the Einstein START chapter, she develops and leads biweekly science modules for Bronx public school students.
Vice President at Einstein Medical College
Batya Edelman is a student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and is in charge of developing START modules for kindergarten classes. She love seeing students get excited about science and is looking forward to help expand START Science to other Bronx public schools in near future.
BATYA EDELMAN
AMANDA BERGMAN
Vice President of Curriculum at York University (Canada)
Amanda Bergman is a Biomedical Science student at York University. Passionate about all things science-related, she has been involved with START Science for three years. With a love of working with kids, her goal is to create fun, exciting and memorable experiences for students that will ignite their interest in science and promote future STEM careers.
Shaili Perez is a biology student at York University, and is the Vice-President for START Science Canada. She has always had a passion for science, and is very excited for yet another year of spreading excitement for science among young kids. Along with her team in Toronto, Shaili has helped expand START Science in Toronto, as well as develop modules consistent with the Ontario curriculum. She is looking forward to continuing to make a positive impact for kids with START Science.
Vice President at York University (Canada)
SHAILI PEREZ
AKIVA SCHIFF
Akiva is a student in Yeshiva University, working towards a degree in chemistry and music. He has been involved with START Science since his first semester and continues to be excited by the opportunity to teach and learn from the amazing students that he has met through START. After graduation, Akiva hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
President at Yeshiva University
TALIA EDELMAN
President at Yeshiva University
Talia is a student of neuroscience at Yeshiva University, and aims to follow her dream to work as a physical therapist. The third leader of START Science in her family, Talia is excited to apply her background working with youth in informal edcuation to the START Science classroom. She particularly enjoys teaching and enjoys sharing that opportunity with other members of her campus community.
JOSHUA YAMINIAN
President at Queens College
A first year student at Columbia University's School of Dental Medicine, Joshua Yaminian is an enthusiastic young adult who loves giving back to his community. He helped expand START Science to Queens College and is still actively involved with the Queens College chapter executive board. Aside from START, Joshua loves teaching and has taught and tutored since middle school. He has always tried his best in aspiring adolescents to develop a passion for STEM subjects and will continue to do so as he progresses through dental school.