Category: Junior Faculty Advisor

Zoe Pitman recently graduated from the of the University of Arkansas with a degree in Earth Science and minors in Geology and History. She was a WYSE delegate in 2018 and a JFA in 2022 and is passionate about conservation and climate change mitigation. Her undergraduate research focused on testing the accuracy of satellite data for evaluating climate change impacts through snow cover. She spent the fall 2022 semester studying human impacts on the environment in southern Argentina, and was the first student from the University of Arkansas to study abroad in Antarctica. In her spare time, Zoe likes biking, reading, hiking, baking, and hanging out with her cat, Spoon.

Evelyn Aponte recently graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in History and Hispanic Studies.  After an internship with the nonprofit organization Edu-Futuro, where she developed and delivered a Social Emotional Learning program, she is looking forward to working with faculty and students. Evelyn is actively searching for her first professional career, and in her free time you can find her doing Zumba and lifeguarding!

Liz Ye (she/her) just finished her second year at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT.  She is majoring in Natural Resources with a minor in Law and Society. She loves to run, hike,  and explore the outdoors. Liz loves studying species of trees as well as learning about invasive  species! This summer she will be working on a sustainable farm as well as selling its organic produce at the farm stand in South Burlington, Vermont.

Meghan Stevens is a rising junior at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  She is double majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies. She also plays volleyball at school and is involved in several extracurriculars including the Student Athlete Advisory Council and the Sustainability Club. Meghan hopes to spend her life advocating for the environment and helping future generations have a chance to feel the same strong connection that she feels to the outdoors.

Taylor Rutter is a 2022 graduate from George Mason University’s Honors College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law, and Society with a concentration in Homeland Security and Justice and plans to start the academy for her local police department in the fall.  While her degree and future career may not be environmentally focused, her passion for bettering the environment and teaching others how to be better environmental stewards, which started as a child, is still strong. Taylor has volunteered with the North Carolina Coastal Federation for several years, where she assisted educators in teaching youth during summer camps how to protect their local waterways and identify native species; she also helped build living shorelines and oyster reefs to restore coastline ecosystems. Taylor first attended WYSE as a North Carolina Delegate during the summer of 2017 and returned as an Intern the following summer of 2018. While Covid-19 prevented her from becoming a JFA earlier during her time in college, she is beyond excited to return to WYSE once again to help share her passion for the environment!

Elizabeth Allen (WYSE 2018) is a junior Biology Major at Roger Williams University with a minor in  Educational Studies. She is originally from Watertown, Massachusetts and currently resides in Bristol, Rhode Island. While at Roger Williams, she has assumed the position of Treasurer of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society for the 2022-2023 academic year. She is part of the Marine Science Club and All Paws In Club on the RWU campus. She volunteers at the National Marine Life Center as a member of their Animal Care Team working in seal and turtle husbandry, rehabilitation, and release. Elizabeth is still in contact with connections she made during her time at the WYSE program in 2018 and cannot wait to return as a Junior Faculty Advisor!

MacKenzie recently graduated from University of North Carolina Wilmington in May with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She’s had a passion for animals and the environment since she was young. She would love to use her degree to work in wildlife conservation and is going to be a zookeeper at Plumpton Park Zoo starting in July. This past year she completed a thesis on conservation genetics of red squirrels in the Appalachian sky islands and volunteered with the Cape Fear Bird Observatory to help with their spring migration bird banding. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, baking, embroidery, and birdwatching/observing wildlife. MacKenzie attended WYSE in 2019 and was a JFA in 2022 and 2023. She is so excited to be coming back as a JFA again, and she can’t wait to help make WYSE 2024 an amazing experience for the delegates this year.