Mrs. Rose Young – Lead Mentor Emeritus
Mrs. Rose Young (parent alumni of Michael and Sam) was the Lead Mentor since the Robo-Lions 1st season in 2006, when she was a teacher a Liberty High School teacher through 2024. She was a founding member of PIE3 and served as its Treasurer until 2024. Mrs. Young was a physics teacher at Glenelg Country School, where she also mentored FIRST Tech Challenge Teams. She is a former FIRST Senior Mentor, a member of the Maryland FIRST
LEGO League Committee and a key volunteer for FIRST Tech Challenge in Maryland and DC.
Mr. Tom Milnes – Systems Mentor
Mr. Tom Milnes, parent of alumni Tommy and Coralie, is the current president of PIE3, and has been the Systems Mentor since 2011. Mr. Milnes coordinates the efforts of the team and mentors to ensure collaboration between programming, electrical and mechanical components. Mr. Milnes’ other responsibility is handling material orders and the bills that come with them. He is the backbone of the mentoring team, and critical to the success of the Robo-Lions. Mr. Milnes a Mathematician by training is Chief Scientist of the Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory’s Ship and Shore Based Navigation Group.
Mr. Fred and Mrs. Robyn Needel
Mr. Fred and Mrs. Robyn Needel have been mentoring teams for as long as the Robo-Lions have been around, and we are fortunate to have them with us for the past several seasons. Mr. Needel is a key mechanical and design mentor, while Mrs. Needel works with the presentation team and helps train students to write and present for judged awards.
Mr. Tim McMahon – Lead Programming Mentor
Mr. Tim McMahon (parent of alumni Kyle) has taken the lead in mentoring the programmers, setting up training sessions and making sure students learn to write code in a way that allows for easy modification, the effective use of sensors and much more.
Mr. Allwyn Pereira – Programming Mentor
Mr. Allwyn Pereira joined the mentoring team in the 2020 Infinite Recharge season, along with his son Alex. Some of the things Mr. Pereira assists with are programming and sensor related issues. One other responsibility he has is assisting with the maintenance and upgrade of the laptops and electronics around the workshop.
Mr. Joe Duva – CAD and Machining Mentor
Mr. Joe Duva joined the mentor team in the 2020 Infinite Recharge season, along with his son Brian. Mr. Duva has been an FLL coach and a PIE3 Board Member for many years. A computer scientist Mr. Duva is the Chief Engineer of the Applied Information Sciences Decision Systems Group at the Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). A few things he has taken the lead on are Scouting, and mentoring students in CAD, and, machining. He hopes to build more 3D modeling capability into the team.
Mr. Joe Vadder – Design and Adaptive Sports Mentor
Mr. Joe Vadder, pictured here with his son Michael, is the Director of Engineering at OTS Energy where he analyzes and designs heat pumps and other energy saving equipment. He also mentors the Robo-Lions Adaptive Sports team that is currently working on a mini-golf robot for disabled students.
Mr. Wayne Fuller - Construction Mentor Emeritus
Mr. Wayne Fuller (parent of alumni Preston and Abi) as been a key mentor for the team since 2007. Mr. Fuller began his involvement as a mentor for FIRST LEGO League teams, and quickly became a key mentor to the Robo-Lions responsible for configuration management, safety and mechanical design. Mr. Fuller is a founding Board Member of PIE3. As a Booz Allen Hamilton employee, Mr. Fuller has provided an important link to a key partner for many years. His volunteerism with the team has ensured partnership with Booz Allen, and he is a key mentor for mechanical system, safety and product quality.