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Author: Allison Dodson

Courtney Gordon

COURTNEY GORDON

Junior Faculty Advisor

Courtney Gordon is a Junior at George Mason University starting this fall semester. She is pursuing a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a concentration in Conservation and Sustainability. She is also a WYSE 2022 alumna; she firmly believes this program is what sparked her passion for environmental sustainability. Outside of her academics, Courtney thoroughly enjoys watching and rating rom-coms/romantic dramas from the 1980s-2010s; she has a book dedicated to rating these movies. She is beyond ecstatic to give the WYSE Youth Delegates of 2025 the same life-changing experience that the program gave to her 3 years ago.

Faith Fulton

FAITH FULTON

Junior Faculty Advisor

Hello my name is Faith Fulton and I attended WYSE in 2023. I am currently going into my sophomore year at Shepherd University majoring in Biology and minoring in Chem. I have a passion for animals and enjoy being outside. I can’t wait to work with all the students this summer!

Josephine Santanello

JOSEPHINE SANTANELLO

Junior Faculty Advisor

Josephine is from Staten Island, New York, and just wrapped up her freshman year at Adelphi University. Currently, she is pursuing environmental science, intending to pick up a minor in biology and graduate with her bachelor’s degree. In 2023, she had the opportunity to be a WYSE delegate, and that is what inspired Josephine to pursue environmentalism. From a young age, she has always been so passionate about nature, and in her free time, she enjoys traveling, thrifting, making art, and reading. Josephine is so excited to be welcomed back into WYSE and is looking forward to meeting you all!

Lori Williams

LORI WILLIAMS

Junior Faculty Advisor

Lori Williams just completed her freshman year at the College of William and Mary and is from Charlotte, NC. She is planning on double majoring in Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy. Her passion for nature and the environment strengthened when she attended WYSE as a youth delegate in 2023. Lori’s favorite memories from WYSE include visiting the Skyline Caverns during her field visit and exploring DC with her color group. She aspires to pursue a career in environmental policy and justice. At school, she is part of the compost club and Greek life and enjoys spending her time outdoors in the sun. She loves reading, painting, and traveling to National Parks. Lori is super excited to be returning to WYSE this summer as a Junior Faculty Advisor and can’t wait to meet this year’s delegates!

Dr. Esther Peters

DR. ESTHER PETERS

Associate Professor, George Mason University

Dr. Peters’ expertise includes marine biology, coral reef ecology, aquatic toxicology, comparative histopathology, and quality assurance. Following postdoctoral research at the Smithsonian Institution on coral taxonomy and invertebrate diseases, she worked at Tetra Tech, Inc., an environmental consulting company. She began teaching at GMU as an adjunct in 1999, and joined the full-time faculty in 2008. She is teaching courses in histology and histotechniques at the undergraduate and graduate level, and developed a 2-semester course sequence to present basic biology and chemistry to non-biology graduate students in the environmental science and policy program. She has also taught courses on diseases of organisms and provides training in the histology and histopathology of corals. Dr. Peters collaborates with Drs. Robert Jonas and Patrick Gillevet on understanding the molecular and microbiological aspects of disease processes through the study of cell and tissue alterations as a bridge to understanding population, community, and ecosystem consequences. She works with graduate students on diverse pathobiology research topics and manages the Histology Laboratory, training undergraduate and graduate students in the use of histological tools for their ecological and biomedical research.

Hannarose Schiano

HANNAROSE SCHIANO

Junior Faculty Advisor, Photo

Hannarose Schiano is a rising sophomore at the University of North Georgia, where she works for the Nighthawk Sports Network and contributes to The Vanguard, the university’s student newspaper. She is pursuing a degree in Communications with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism. In 2023, she attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University. Hannarose is thrilled to return to Washington, D.C., and be part of the team this summer!

Rachel Ickowitz

RACHEL ICKOWITZ

Rachel Ickowitz is a rising junior from Knoxville, Tennessee! She is currently majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Inequality and Social Change. On campus, Rachel is involved in the University Scholars Program, the Next System Fellows Program, the Next Constitutions Research Lab, CHSS Ambassadors, Chi Omega Fraternity, Order of Omega, and the Sociology Ambassadors program. She also works as a tele-counselor for the Office of Admissions, supporting prospective students through the application process! After graduation, she plans to pursue graduate studies and is especially interested in advancing social change through the study and design of equitable systems.

Abigail Dotson

ABIGAIL DOTSON

Intern

Abigail is a junior at Charleston Catholic High School in Charleston, West Virginia. She participates in Quizbowl, the Science Olympiad, and both school and travel volleyball. She first began to love the environment while studying ecosystems in school and loving their complexities. Her experience with WYSE in 2024 only reinforced her love of the natural world and its inhabitants, and she is honored to be able to help the program! She hopes to graduate high school in 2026 and go to college to manage the financial aspect of the move to help the environment!

Emma Taylor

EMMA TAYLOR

Advance Team Member

Emma Taylor is a rising junior from Charlotte, North Carolina who currently attends Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She is a Political Science major and an Anthropology/ Sociology minor on the pre-law track. At Rhodes, she participates in Mock Trial as a captain, serves as a campus tour guide, works in the Financial Aid office, and is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She looks forward to her third summer on George Mason’s campus!

Jacob Kaufman

Jacob Kaufman

Junior Faculty Advisor

Jacob Kaufman is from Frederick, MD. He is a rising Sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park majoring in Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences with a minor in Geographical Information Systems. Jake is super passionate about the climate, and he is pursuing the field of meteorology and loves to be asked questions about the weather! He is involved in a number of extracurriculars, including being a member of the American Meteorological Society, a paid employee of the Maryland Hydronet, and an intern for the Climate Resilience Network. Jake’s favorite hobby is watching movies, and his favorite genre is horror! This is the third straight summer he’s been involved with WYSE: one as a delegate, one as an intern, and now as a JFA!