ALYSSA FREASE
WYSE Alum 2025, YAB
Alyssa is very excited to join the Youth Advisory Board for this year! Ever since attending WYSE 2025, it has been their mission to make sure that other delegates will have the same amazing experience she had. Ever since she was a kid, Alyssa has been fascinated with animals and has always wanted to preserve their habitats. Alyssa wants to be a zoologist and will attend Northern Arizona University to major in Biology with an emphasis in Zoology for the 2026 fall term.
ALAINA TORRE
WYSE Alum 2025, YAB
Alyssa is very excited to join the Youth Advisory Board for this year! Ever since attending WYSE 2025, it has been their mission to make sure that other delegates will have the same amazing experience she had. Ever since she was a kid, Alyssa has been fascinated with animals and has always wanted to preserve their habitats. Alyssa wants to be a zoologist and will attend Northern Arizona University to major in Biology with an emphasis in Zoology for the 2026 fall term.
Mindy is a data management specialist working in the registrar’s office at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she helps manage records on all of the animals and biomaterials in NZCBI’s care. She previously worked as an animal caregiver for more than two decades with a variety of species including bears, big cats, primates, and small carnivores. With a Ph.D. in psychology focused on animal behavior and cognition, she has conducted behavioral and cognitive research with bears in an effort to improve their management in zoos. Mindy consults with a variety of NGOs, accredited and non-accredited zoos around the world, and state animal law enforcement to help assess animal welfare issues and educate caregivers on proper husbandry for bears and other species. Mindy is the vice president of the Bear Care Group, an international non-profit whose mission is to foster improvements in global bear welfare. She is also the studbook keeper for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) sun bear population, and a member of AZA’s Bear Taxon Advisory Group Steering Committee.
Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Herrelko is the Animal Welfare and Research Manager at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. She focuses on advancing animal welfare science with an emphasis on animal management and how animals think. Betsy leads the Animal Welfare and Animal Care and Use Committees to ensure compliance with regulations and facilitate best practices for all species at the zoo, is responsible for overseeing research within Animal Care Sciences, and consults across animal care units on applied practices. She joined the Zoo in 2012 as the David Bohnett Cognitive Research Fellow studying cognitive bias (a measure of emotional affect) in apes. Prior to the Smithsonian, Betsy earned her master’s degree from Hunter College (New York) and her PhD from the University of Stirling (Scotland). In addition to traditional dissemination of information methods in academia, Betsy also communicates her science story through natural history documentaries. Her work with primates has been featured on the BBC, Animal Planet, and Discovery Channel.
Josephine is from Staten Island, New York and is a rising sophomore at Adelphi 
Lori is a rising sophomore at the College of William and Mary from Charlotte, NC. She plans to double major in Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy. Her passion for the environment strengthened at WYSE, and her favorite memories from WYSE include her field visit to Skyline Caverns and exploring D.C. 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 time outdoors. She loves reading, painting, and traveling to National Parks. Lori is excited to return to WYSE!