Our Leadership
Members of YPACS Boston are exposed to the American Cancer Society's network of more than 2 million volunteers worldwide. They are also given the opportunity to learn from experts in the field as well as one another, and opportunities to engage in service. This group also plans and supports a signature event to help raise funds for the important work done by the American Cancer Society.
Our structure consists of a President and Vice President who work closely with an ACS staff partner and oversee the Secretary and five Directors. Each Director works with a committee of young professionals that work on different areas to help us achieve our goals. Leadership positions are renewed every fall, while committee members are welcome to join at any time.
We love and welcome new members always- so if you are interested in getting involved, please join us!
Christine Schepeler- Vice President
Christine began her career in education teaching middle and high school math, science, technology, and economics in Phoenix, Arizona as a member of Teach for America. She taught 7th grade science at Boston Collegiate Charter School before she became the Director of Math and Science for the Sposato Graduate School of Education (SGSE) in Boston. SGSE is a nontraditional graduate school focused on preparing unusually effective first year teachers for high-performing, high-need (urban) settings. In this role she leads the coaching, coursework, training, and development of all secondary (grades 6-12) STEM teachers. Christine has a B.A. from the University of Michigan (she was the 50th person on her mother’s side to graduate from Michigan), and a Master’s in Secondary Education with a concentration in mathematics from Arizona State University.
Bridget Ryan- Secretary
Bridget has been a teacher in the Boston Public Schools for the past 12 years, working at both the Washington Irving and currently, the John D. O'Bryant. At the O'Bryant, Bridget teaches 8th grade Civics, 12th grade AP Government, and is the 8th grade Lead Teacher. She is also the Varsity Soccer and Softball coach at the O'Bryant. During the summer, Bridget works for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a non-profit environmental advocacy program in the Seaport. At the Save the Harbor, she is the Lead Teacher in charge of the Summer Youth Programs. A change from the classroom, this program teaches children, in and around Boston, how to fish, catch crabs and lobsters, sing sea shanties, and share their love for Boston Harbor. Bridget graduated with a B.A. in History/Secondary Education from Providence College (where she is a 2005 USA Rugby National Champion!) and a Masters in Curriculum and Teaching from Fitchburg State University.
Katie Burnett- Director of Committee Relations
Katie is a Physical Therapist within the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. She graduated in 2018 from MGH Institute of Health Professions’ Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. While at MGH IHP she was President of the Physical Therapy Club and co-founder of a health-centric community service club which focused on helping graduate students combine their passions for service with their healthcare skills and knowledge. Prior to graduate school, Katie received a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology from University of Massachusetts Lowell. While at UMass Lowell, Katie helped to plan the university’s first Relay For Life event and was co-chair of the event for three years. She also co-founded the university’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter and sat on the task-force that succeeded in making UMass Lowell a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus in 2014. Katie has held a leadership role within Boston YPACS since its inception in January 2016. She loves that both her clinical job as a Physical Therapist and her involvement with Boston YPACS allow her to combine her passions for health and service.
Grace Silva- Director of Corporate Relations
Grace is a computational biologist, and as member of Blueprint Medicines’ Computational Biology and Bioinformatics group, she harnesses the power of the genome to help unlock the potential for kinase therapies to cure disease. She joined Blueprint in 2015, after earning a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her doctoral research at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center utilized data from the Cancer Genome Atlas project to identify genetic changes associated with the various subtypes of breast cancer – each with differing survival rates and responsiveness to treatment. Her role at Blueprint supports their goal to develop highly selective medicines to target genomic diseases while racing to make them available to patients as soon as possible.
