Logan Hill
FOUNDER
Born and raised in Alcoa, Tennessee, Logan received his BS in Biochemistry from Tennessee State University and then went on to complete his Masters in Biochemistry & Food Science from Iowa State. Upon completion of his degree he moved to Connecticut where he worked as a Food Scientist at The Nestle Co. for four years and then worked at a Developer / Group Manager at Ragu for 33 years.
Logan has a history of working within his community, specifically with youth. While in Connecticut he was the director of The Danbury Free School, which was the first high school dropout program in Connecticut. He worked with an academic excellence program in Connecticut as a part of the Alpha Phi Alpha New Haven Alumni chapter, and again in New Jersey through a similar program funded by Unilever. Both programs focused on recognizing the academic achievements of middle school students.
As a Master Gardener with Project HOPE, Logan educates the students on all aspects of gardening and how it relates to STEM concepts.
Celisa Caroline Tate
team leader
Born and raised here in Alcoa, Tennessee, Caroline is an Alumni of Alcoa City Schools and attended State Technical Institute of Knoxville and Pellissippi State Community College. Caroline has a long work history in the banking industry and for the last 10 years has worked in the Alcoa City School System. While working at Alcoa Middle School, she has the opportunity to interact effectively with students on a one-on-one and group basis in Math, Language Arts, Reading, Science and Social Studies. She loves working with young people and enjoys watching them learn and being an instrument in bringing that learning about.
As the Project Student Coordinator with Project HOPE, she works closely with the students and serves as the liaison between Project HOPE and the parents of the students involved. In this role, she also identifies prospective students for the upcoming year.
Gloria Miller
team leader
Gloria began her studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan but marriage soon brought her to Tennessee. She would go on to finish her education at the University of Tennessee where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She went on and obtained her Masters of Science at UT and her Ed.S from Lincoln Memorial University. Gloria has taught school in Blount County, Maryville City and Alcoa City Schools. She found her niche at Alcoa where she taught Sixth Grade English/Language Arts. She was also the Sixth Grade Team Leader until she retired in 2012. Gloria was recognized by the Alcoa Foundation for her creativeness and innovativeness in establishing the Black Museum of History, where students became “real” in a Madame Trousseau environment, portraying African Americans who have made significant contributions to this Country and America. Gloria continues to work with children in the area of STEAM for Project Hope and has spoken to students in the Nashville, Tennessee area on becoming all you have been ordained to be.
As Education Coordinator with Project HOPE, she designs and implements the lesson plans that are used throughout the program year.
Nancy Neilsen
Technical Team Leader
Born and raised in the farming community in New Jersey, Nancy has been exposed to farms and gardens all her life. Nancy did her academic studies in Animal Science at SUNY at Delhi, NY. She has an extensive professional career in hands-on research in animal and human sciences in New York. She finished her research career as a supervisor in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee. Nancy also is a lover of nature and enjoys adventurous hiking and exploring in her "limited" spare time.
As the Technical Team Leader, Nancy uses her extensive gardening experience and vast technical skills and knowledge to translate garden activities into STEM concepts for the students.