Our Staff

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Mary C. Krembs

Dr. Mary C. Krembs is an experienced technologist, researcher and educator (B.A. Mathematics with Music minor, Marist College; M.S. and Ph.D. Applied Mathematics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Dr. Krembs’ research interests include computational geometry (Voronoi Nets), computer graphics, software development methodology, human-computer interaction, and mathematical methods to compose and represent music. As STEM Associate in Bard's Institute for Writing and Thinking, Dr. Krembs travels the country and the world to lead professional development workshops for secondary and higher education faculty on integrating writing into STEM classrooms. She taught as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics for four years at Marist College, and has been teaching at Bard College since January 2007, initially in the undergraduate mathematics and computer science departments, an now also in the Master of Arts in Teaching program.  Dr. Krembs teaches the full range of undergraduate and graduate mathematics courses, in addition to Computer Graphics, Computational Geometry and STEM Teaching Methods.

Dr. Krembs spent the earlier part of her career working in the technology industry as a mathematician and developer for IBM, focused on Spline (NURBS and Bezier) applications within Geographic Information Systems, Human Computer Interfaces for load balancing applications within Parallel Computing and as a researcher in the Data Visualization lab at the TJ Watson Research Center. Dr. Krembs moved on to become Senior Vice-President of Technology for Harte-Hanks Interactive with a focus on new media primarily for large pharmaceutical clients as well as e-commerce sites. She holds the patent on “A Method to Detect the Closest Existing Point on a Spline or Polyline.”

Dr. Krembs has been the Director of the Bard College Citizen Science program since 2017, overseeing the “Human Microbiome” (2018) curriculum and in 2019, the full program revision to the “Water” curriculum when student choice of lab strand was introduced. Under her direction, the lab strands have been reimagined and revised, bothin number and content, to maximize student engagement and faculty expertise. Lab strands have included environmental water lab, communication, education, public health, data analysis and more.  Dr. Krembs lends her expertise in data visualization, pharmaceutical marketing and science education to lab srtrands such a Data Analysis, Communication and Education, but she relies on the expertise of the Citizen Science Faculty to oversee and develop the lab strand curricula.

In partnership with the Citizen Science Laboratory Manager and the Bard Center for Civic Engagement, under the leadership of Dr. Krembs, the Citizen Science Undergraduate Fellows program has expanded. This is a select program where qualified Bard students are trained to support the Citizen Science faculty and act as teaching assistants within the program.  For more information on these programs see the Citizen Science Laboratory Fellows page or the Center for Civic Engagement.

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Kate Huffer

Kate taught Citizen Science in 2021 and 2024 and teaches within the Bard Biology program. As Assistant Director of Citizen Science, Kate has the primary responsibility for the Citizen Science curriculum. Kate grew up in Green Bay, WI before majoring in Neuroscience and Biological Chemistry at Dartmouth College. They then earned their PhD in Biology from the National Institutes of Health-Johns Hopkins Graduate Partnerships Program, where they studied sensory ion channels in in the lab of Kenton Swartz, PhD, at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, MD. Kate is particularly interested in what the structure of an ion channel can tell us about how it works and which drugs it might be sensitive to. They enjoy knitting, spinning yarn, and biking.

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Rebeca Patsey

Before joining the Citizen Science team at Bard College in 2013, Rebeca was a Laboratory Manager for many years in several academic research laboratories. She is a scientist experienced several fields, including Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, and Microbial Disease.  She finds it rewarding to interact with, instruct, and support a diverse group of students at all levels of experience in the laboratory setting. Rebeca received her B.S. in Biology at the State University of New York at Purchase and in addition is ASCP certified as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Her laboratory experience is extensive and she has co-authored several scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. Rebeca oversees the Citizen Sciene Laboratory Fellows program, including co-teaching the Fall Lab Fellows training course. In addition she works with the Research and Water Quality faculty strand leads in support and development of their Citizen Science labs.