Education Unlimited believes in small-group, immersive learning with subject matter experts and experienced teachers. We strive to provide industry-leading instruction to all of our students and hold all staff to the highest possible standards. Staff assignments vary by program and location. Some of our recent staff members for this program include:
Rhonda McCoy, PhD - Camp Director
Dr. Rhonda McCoy is a Manager of Quality Control for a leading global biopharmaceutical company. Through analysis of quality from creation to post-expiration date, Dr. McCoy oversees a team that ensures medications sold around the world are both safe and effective. Dr. McCoy holds a PhD in Chemistry from Howard University in Washington DC. A member of the Education Unlimited team since 2005, Dr. McCoy has been passionate about the empowerment of middle and high school age girls throughout her career, evident in her work as Education Unlimited's Director of our Science and Engineering Camps for Girls. She has volunteered her time as the scholarship program chair for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and taught chemistry and physics in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools of Charlotte, North Carolina.
In addition to her doctorate degree, Dr. McCoy has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University. Prior to her five years as a research assistant at Howard while pursuing her doctorate, she spent time as an analytical chemist with the global cosmetics brand, L’Oreal. In her free time, Rhonda enjoys travel, shopping, and time with her family.
Shannon Pylant, MS - Instructor
Shannon Pylant is a 6th-grade science teacher in Winston-Salem, NC. She has a Masters of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Minors in Chemistry and Education from Belmont Abbey College. Prior to teaching, Shannon worked as a cancer research scientist and as an account representative for a global laboratory supply company. Since 2015, Shannon has supplemented her time in the classroom with developing and teaching science afternoon academies and summer camps for elementary-aged scientists. Shannon has presented her classroom curriculum at national and regional conferences, including the National Science Teachers Association Conference, the North Carolina Science Teacher Association Conference, and the North Carolina Association for Independent Schools Conference.
Shannon is energized by her work with young adults and enjoys the ability to foster relationships with budding scientists across all grade levels through collaborative projects. She believes that scientists should be encouraged to constantly question, dig deeper into topics that are of interest to them, and make connections to other disciplines to further develop their explanations. Recently, she has enjoyed incorporating escape style activities into her laboratory activities where her scientists unlock learning while solving mysteries.
Matthew Schwartz, PhD - Instructor
Dr. Matthew Schwartz is a full-time lecturer at Simmons College in Boston, where he teaches Anatomy and Physiology. He received his PhD in genetics and genomics from Harvard University in 2016. As a graduate student, Dr. Schwartz fostered his long-standing interest in scientific outreach through his work with Science in the News to give presentations and write articles explaining scientific topics to general audiences. Dr. Schwartz decided to pursue a career in undergraduate education because he loves inspiring others to be passionate about science. He loves to see the spark of inspiration in a student when he or she understands a scientific concept and sees the relevance to their own lives. While teaching, Dr. Schwartz emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and communication over memorization to facilitate a deeper understanding of the material and to instill students with the essential capacities they need to be successful adults.
Dr. Schwartz received his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Northwestern University in 2009. Outside of teaching, he loves to spend his time exploring the world and especially enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and nature photography. When he’s not experimenting in the lab, Dr. Schwartz also loves experimenting with new spicy vegetarian recipes in the kitchen.