Category: Junior Faculty Advisor

Abby Engel

ABBY ENGEL

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2023

Abby is a dedicated student who has always been interested in the environment. She fell in love with birds after watching wildlife cameras online during the pandemic. A high achiever in school, she wishes to continue her studies to become an avian veterinarian focused on wildlife rehabilitation. Currently, she attends Western Carolina University and is pursuing a B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Natural Resource Management.

ABBY ENGEL

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2023

Abby is a dedicated student who has always been interested in the environment. She fell in love with birds after watching wildlife cameras online during the pandemic. A high achiever in school, she wishes to continue her studies to become an avian veterinarian focused on wildlife rehabilitation. Currently, she attends Western Carolina University and is pursuing a B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Natural Resource Management.

Elijah Birch

ELIJAH BIRCH

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alumnus 2024

Elijah Birch currently attends George Mason University to study environmental science. He comes from a small town in Northeast Ohio, and he has always loved the environment. He originally attended WYSE in 2023 as part of the pink group.

ELIJAH BIRCH

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alumnus 2024

Elijah Birch currently attends George Mason University to study environmental science. He comes from a small town in Northeast Ohio, and he has always loved the environment. He originally attended WYSE in 2023 as part of the pink group.

Camille Kidwell

CAMILLE KIDWELL

Junior Faculty Advisor

Camille has always been passionate about sustainability, beginning as a young child with visits to local outdoor spaces. In 2019, she co-founded GreenTeenz RVA, a youth-led nonprofit organization based in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia that works to provide educational and volunteer opportunities to Richmond youth. She also was a delegate during WYSE 2021, which further fueled her passions. Now a rising sophomore at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Environmental Policy, her dedication to solving environmental problems has never wavered. She looks forward to meeting everyone and growing together at WYSE 2024!

CAMILLE KIDWELL

Junior Faculty Advisor

Camille has always been passionate about sustainability, beginning as a young child with visits to local outdoor spaces. In 2019, she co-founded GreenTeenz RVA, a youth-led nonprofit organization based in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia that works to provide educational and volunteer opportunities to Richmond youth. She also was a delegate during WYSE 2021, which further fueled her passions. Now a rising sophomore at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Environmental Policy, her dedication to solving environmental problems has never wavered. She looks forward to meeting everyone and growing together at WYSE 2024!

Dominic Westbrook

DOMINIC WESTBROOK

Junior Faculty Advisor

Dominic is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in Zoology with a concentration in Zoo & Aquarium Science. Passionate about understanding and conserving wildlife, he serves as Treasurer for the Zoological Students Association on campus. Within his academics, Dominic has collected research by conducting ethograms on zoo animals and presented his data for zoo staff. He spends his spare time hiking trails, listening to music, and teaching students the natural behavior of insects and arthropods at the MSU Bug House. Dominic attended WYSE in 2018 and was a JFA in 2023. He is joyous to return as a JFA this year, and to network and foster community with WYSE 2024!

Victoria Justiniano

VICTORIA JUSTINIANO

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Victoria is an undergraduate student at Duke University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine science and Conservation with a minor in Environmental Science and Policy. She is originally from Puerto Rico, where she has been involved in marine turtle conservation and research since she was 8 years old. Victoria is also engaged in marine mammal research and conservation as well as coral reef restoration. In high school, she was very active in FFA, which sparked a lasting interest in agriculture and its intersection with humans and the environment, even though she does not formally study it anymore. Outside of academics, she enjoys painting, musicals, Formula 1, reading, and especially anything related to the environment.

VICTORIA JUSTINIANO

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Victoria is an undergraduate student at Duke University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine science and Conservation with a minor in Environmental Science and Policy. She is originally from Puerto Rico, where she has been involved in marine turtle conservation and research since she was 8 years old. Victoria is also engaged in marine mammal research and conservation as well as coral reef restoration. In high school, she was very active in FFA, which sparked a lasting interest in agriculture and its intersection with humans and the environment, even though she does not formally study it anymore. Outside of academics, she enjoys painting, musicals, Formula 1, reading, and especially anything related to the environment.

Laney Childers

LANEY CHILDERS

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Laney is from Douglas, Georgia. She has recently graduated with her associate’s
degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and is excited to continue her
college education at a new school. Laney plans to pursue a career in social media
marketing, with hopes to tie in conservation and environmentalism, her first passion. She attended WYSE in 2022, was a member of the Youth Advisory Board in 2023,
and a JFA in 2024. She is so excited to be back with WYSE again!

LANEY CHILDERS

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Laney is from Douglas, Georgia. She has recently graduated with her associate’s degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and is excited to continue her college education at a new school. Laney plans to pursue a career in social media marketing, with hopes to tie in conservation and environmentalism, her first passion. She attended WYSE in 2022, was a member of the Youth Advisory Board in 2023, and a JFA in 2024. She is so excited to be back with WYSE again!

Julia Rennels

JULIA RENNELS

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Julia is a Junior at George Mason University pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science
with a concentration in conservation. Outside of school, she spends her time rock
climbing, both indoors and outdoors. Julia enjoys her time at WYSE and feels that WYSE
encouraged her plans to study Environmental Science in college. Her most memorable
experience was the trip to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, where she is
attending a semester in the fall studying endangered species. A staff member since
2023, she is exited to be returning to WYSE as a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2025!

JULIA RENNELS

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Julia is a Junior at George Mason University pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science
with a concentration in conservation. Outside of school, she spends her time rock
climbing, both indoors and outdoors. Julia enjoys her time at WYSE and feels that WYSE encouraged her plans to study Environmental Science in college. Her most memorable experience was the trip to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, where she is attending a semester in the fall studying endangered species. A staff member since 2023, she is exited to be returning to WYSE as a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2025!

Evan Phillips

EVAN PHILLIPS

Junior Faculty Advisor

Evan Phillips is a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended WYSE as a delegate in 2022! He is passionate about sustainable business and is double majoring in Business and Economics with a sustainability minor. This past semester, Evan worked with the Ackerman Center of Excellence in Sustainability doing research on companies’ sustainability initiatives in North Carolina, short listing them for the annual Kenan-Flagler Sustainability Awards. He is also committed to serving his community through the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega where he has gotten to chance to volunteer in tiger reserves and invasive species clean ups! In the rest of his free time he rows for the UNC men’s crew team, practicing 10 times a week.

MacKenzie Mullis

MACKENZIE MULLIS

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.

Alexi Martinez

ALEXI MARTINEZ

Alexi Martinez is a freshman at Colorado State University where she studies Environmental Engineering with a minor in sustainable energy. She is passionate about sustainability and environmental justice. In her free time she enjoys hiking, skiing, and spending time with family and friends. Alexi was a delegate at WYSE in 2021 and returned as an intern in 2022 and is very excited to return to WYSE this summer as a JFA!