Officers
Ned Schaper, President
Ned Schaper is a philosopher, kinetic sculptor, poet and performance artist who shares his theater’s magical world of Beveldom with audiences through his live theater, the Museum of Kinetic Art, School of Intuition and Bevelvision Productions. He is the creator of The Three Days of Beveldom, a narrative containing 440 poetic tales. His museum includes a hundred kinetic sculptures all made from junk, recycled items destined for the landfill. As a performer in his one-man theater, he plays the role of 52 different characters, action heroes in the world of Beveldom, with names like Walter Ego, Jester Physics, Major Crisis and Dr. Paradox.
William Taft, Vice President
William H. Taft Jr. is a retired senior aquatic biologist for the State of Michigan where he worked for 25 years. He has a strong background in budgets, grants and contracts from past employment. A collector since 1968, he’s known for identifying rare or unknown sesiidae (clear-wing) moths for people around the country. He actively collects clear-wing moths throughout North America and publishes on the subject. He has followed and supported Ned Schaper and the Mat Bevel enterprise for the last 20 years.
Elayna Cushman, Treasurer
Elayna Cushman is owner and accountant at Cushman Tax Service, PLLC. She is an IRS registered tax preparer who founded her business in 1994 to serve the diverse needs of customers in Southern Arizona. Elayna has provided pro-bono tax services to Mat Bevel Company since 2014. She lives in Benson, AZ.
Thom Jordan, Secretary
Thom Jordan is a Musician, Mathematician, Software Developer and collaborator at Mat Bevel Company’s Tucson location where creative content is being created via Bevelvision Productions. His work is focused on the ongoing development and curation of unique computational methods (a.k.a. algorithms) for the generation and combination of music and motion graphics during live performance. He programmed the first-ever digital version of leading creativity researcher Dr. Mark Runco’s divergent thinking assessment using 3D geometric shapes for The Universe Within world-building course.
Board Members
Amy Trotter
Amy Trotter has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from The Ohio State University and a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University. She was employed in the telecommunications industry for almost 20 years, where she developed skills in customer service, training and development, technical writing, course development, marketing, management, and regional computer-center operations. After leaving the industry, she was employed at a family-owned commercial printing company, before deciding to return to school to further her education. She ended her career by working in two public libraries, where she was a Reference Associate at the first library and Head of Adult Services at the second library.
Molly Cress
Molly Cross is Charge Entry Specialist for Arizona Community Physicians. Previously she served as Accounting Manager for Children’s Learning Adventure and Director and Teacher at KinderCare. She has extensive experience in customer service, finance, accounting and data analysis. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, crafting and exploring trails in the Sonora Desert.
Braxton Hamer
Braxton Hamer AKA Kid Bevel is our kid ambassador and youth content creator! He’s a budding young visual artist and musician who is learning keyboards and recording software. He’s also quickly learning videography, animation, photoshop and editing. An avid sportsman, he participates in football, soccer, baseball at school and loves to do weights at the gym. He loves all things sports! His favorite subject in school is math.
Advisory Board Members
Meredith Aronson, PhD
Meredith Aronson is Product Lifecycle Leader and IT Business Architect for University of Arizona’s University Information Technology Services. Previously she served as Manager, Integrated Advising Analytics for University of Arizona’s Institutional Research for Academic Affairs. Meredith is the former owner of regional development consulting firm SpireWirks. She takes a systems approach to defining, shaping and communicating specific actions that strengthen and re-energize regional systems. While much her engagement in regional growth analysis and network activation has been achieved as a researcher, program manager and convener at University of Arizona and PENN State University, she also has entrepreneurial and political experience as owner of a private sector manufacturing company and mayor.
Bruce Bayly, PhD
Dr. Bruce Bayly is Professor Emeritus of Math at University of Arizona, President of The Physics Factory and Board Chair of Arts Integration Solutions. He and his team of scientists and educators have travelled around Tucson and the country in his bus sharing their enthusiasm for physics with students, teachers and community members. Currently Dr. Bayly is serving in the Peace Corp teaching Math to students in Ghana.
Biviana Robles
Biviana Robles is Instructional Coach at Mexicayotl Academy of Excellence in Nogales, Arizona. Mexicayotl Academy is a charter school that provides a specially prepared environment with unique teaching materials that advance and stimulate a child’s natural development. Biviana has a career in Psychopedagogy, which integrates two main branches of study: pedagogy and psychology. She studied at Universidad Durango Santander in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Biviana has been working at the Academy since 2017. She’s a proud educator that loves to inspire students to become scholars who love to learn!
Erika Guzman
Erika Guzman is a ninth grade student at Patagonia Elementary School. As our youth advisory member and one of the first cohort of students who participated in The Universe Within, Erika plays a vital role in providing us feedback on all aspects of the world-building program as we roll it out to more students in Southern Arizona. Erika’s favorite subjects are art and math. She plays volleyball and softball, and her hobbies include baking, drawing and music. She was born in Nogales, AZ and lives in Rio Rico. Erika says, “I get really creative when I do hands-on projects, because I just get to work with my hands to express what’s on my mind. It always comes out beautiful.”