Meet the Team
Last Updated Jan, 2023

​Tiffani DuScheid: President
Is currently a Senior Representative, Marketing (Joint Venture Communications) at Universal Orlando Resort. Tiffani formed this organization in 2020 to serve as a replacement for lost employment and internships for students due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. She reached out to fellow alumni from Theme Park Engineering Group (T.P.E.G.) at Ohio State University and the competition was born. She graduated from Ohio State University in 2018 with a BSBA focused in Marketing and a BA in Theatre. During her time at Ohio State she became an avid member of the T.P.E.G. community as the group began expanding to non engineering students. She completed her MBA focused in Marketing and Project Management from Bellevue University in 2021. Tiffani has worked at a variety of companies in the industry including Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Cedar Point, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, and Coaster Nation.
Abigail Erwin: Partnership Manager
Abigail Erwin graduated from Ohio State University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. She has been fortunate enough to work in some capacity for a variety of companies within the themed entertainment industry, including Roto Group, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Imagineering, Universal Creative, and Animax Designs. Focusing her career on animated figures, she spent the last three years in Nashville, TN as an Associate Mechanical Design Engineer at Animax and, most recently has moved back to Orlando to be a Manager of Figure Animation for Universal Creative. Participating in community theater for most of her childhood gave her a love for storytelling and she still enjoys singing and dancing, as well as baking, volunteering, and visiting theme parks and amusement parks.
Stephani DuScheid: Graphic Designer
​Stephani DuScheid graduated from Ohio State University in 2019 with a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and a Minor in Dance.  She is currently a Controls Engineer for the Sustaining Engineering department at Universal Orlando Resort where her team ensures the safety and reliability of the attractions.  During her time at Ohio State she was an involved member of Theme Park Engineering Group.  She also completed an Engineering Internship with Universal Creative, a Quality Engineering Internship with Walt Disney World Resort, and a Disney College Program.  Stephani is very excited to be returning for the third installment of the T.P.E.G. Alumni Community Theme Park Design Competition!
Kirsten Szydlowski: Secretary
Kirsten Szydlowski graduated from the Ohio State University in December 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. While in college, she was heavily involved in Theme Park Engineering Group where she held many Executive board positions, led project teams, and assisted in planning the first ever student-run, themed entertainment conference SITE OSU. Since graduating, she has been a proud member of the TPEG Alumni Community and an organizer and judge on the Theme Park Design Competition team. She is also currently working at Stahls’ Transfer Express in Mentor, OH and gaining engineering experience working on various projects for the process improvement team, as well as enjoying plenty of park trips with family and friends.
Carissa Vance: Marketing Manager
Carissa Vance is a member of the Ride and Show team within Universal Creative as an Associate Engineer.  December 2020 she graduated from The Ohio State University, Magna Cum Laude, B.S. Mechanical Engineering. As a 5-year member of the Theme Park Engineering Group, Carissa served as the Project Manager. This will be Carissa's second year participating as a judge within the T.P.E.G. Alumni Community.
Hannah Barnes: Project Manager
Hannah Barnes is an alumnus of The Ohio State University, originally from Northeast Ohio.  She graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering and a Minor in Dance.  While at Ohio State, she was an active member of OSU’s Theme Park Engineering Group (TPEG) where she held several different officer positions and participated in a variety of design competitions.  In 2017-2018, Hannah completed a Disney College Program and in 2019 she completed a Professional Internship with the Industrial Engineering department at Walt Disney World Resort, supporting Merchandise and Entertainment Operations.  She now lives in Orlando, Florida and works full time as an Industrial Engineer at Walt Disney World Resort supporting Resort Operations.  ​
Eric Brown: Communication Manager
Eric Brown is a Mechanical Engineer at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA. Within the Technical Services team, Eric works to provide parkwide sustaining engineering support and leads reliability improvement efforts for a wide variety of shows and attractions. His passions for horror and practical effects have led him to work closely with the Halloween Horror Nights team, designing and programming multiple figures and props for the event in 2022. As an Ohio State T.P.E.G. alumnus, Eric is excited to support the next generation of students in his first year as a judge for the competition.
​Dan Mueller: Project Manager
Dan grew up loving roller coasters and enjoys traveling to different theme parks (and worked at 2). He made the most of his time in college through involvement with organizations like TPEG, Buckeye Catholic, and even a short stint on OSU Waterski Team! After graduating in 2021, he moved to New Jersey to work as a Structural Engineer for McLaren Engineering Group where he serves all aspects of the entertainment industry from theater, art, and film to concerts, live events, and theme parks. Dan is excited to join fellow TPEG alumni in helping with this competition!

Team Interviews/ Highlights

Team Interview with Coaster 101 2021 
Available here
Featured by Ohio State College of Engineering's Facebook Account
Available here
Team Interview with Coaster 101 2020
Available here