Jazmin Golden

JAZMIN GOLDEN

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2014

Jazmin is an environmental scientist at a consulting firm, supporting environmental condition proposals and other documentation for Army Reserve Centers across the U.S. Jazmin’s current focus includes environmental justice and education. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Health and a minor in Public Policy and Management, as well as a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University. During her undergraduate career, Jazmin also served as an on-campus tour guide and was a member of George Mason University’s Women’s Track and Field team as a 400-meter hurdler.

JAZMIN GOLDEN

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2014

Jazmin is an environmental scientist at a consulting firm, supporting environmental condition proposals and other documentation for Army Reserve Centers across the U.S. Jazmin’s current focus includes environmental justice and education. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Health and a minor in Public Policy and Management, as well as a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University. During her undergraduate career, Jazmin also served as an on-campus tour guide and was a member of George Mason University’s Women’s Track and Field team as a 400-meter hurdler.

Kobe Mosley

KOBE MOSLEY

Advance Team Member

Kobe Mosley is a 2018 alumnus of the sister program to WYSE, the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) and has previously worked on the staff for that program as an intern in 2019 and junior faculty advisor in 2022. He graduated from Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in sports media in 2023 and is working towards earning his master’s degree in sports journalism from Indiana University – Indianapolis this summer. After graduation, he plans to work as a McLendon Fellow for the Horizon League in Indianapolis. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, listening to his favorite podcasts, and doing the daily Connections puzzle.

KOBE MOSLEY

Advance Team Member

Kobe Mosley is a 2018 alumnus of the sister program to WYSE, the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) and has previously worked on the staff for that program as an intern in 2019 and junior faculty advisor in 2022. He graduated from Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in sports media in 2023 and is working towards earning his master’s degree in sports journalism from Indiana University – Indianapolis this summer. After graduation, he plans to work as a McLendon Fellow for the Horizon League in Indianapolis. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, listening to his favorite podcasts, and doing the daily Connections puzzle.

Ashley Larson

ASHLEY LARSON

Advance Team Member

Ashley attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a correspondent in 2018, returned as an intern in 2019, and has worked in various roles on the Advance Team for the last three summers! Ashley earned her B.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University in 2024 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. In her free time, Ashley enjoys watching the Denver Broncos, listening to Taylor Swift, and reading.

ASHLEY LARSON

Advance Team Member

Ashley attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a correspondent in 2018, returned as an intern in 2019, and has worked in various roles on the Advance Team for the last three summers! Ashley earned her B.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University in 2024 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. In her free time, Ashley enjoys watching the Denver Broncos, listening to Taylor Swift, and reading.

Melissa Moore, MBA

MELISSA MOORE

Director of Logistics

Melissa is the Associate Director of Events for the Office of Admissions at George Mason University and the Director of Logistics for the Washington Scholars Program. Melissa attended WSP’s Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a high school student and worked as a staff member for the programs throughout her undergraduate tenure. She received a B.A. in Communication and MBA from Mason. She has worked in events for the Washington Capitals (and has a ring to prove it!) and a tech startup before returning to her alma mater. Melissa is dedicated to fostering meaningful experiences through impactful events!

MELISSA MOORE

Director of Logistics

Melissa is the Associate Director of Events for the Office of Admissions at George Mason University and the Director of Logistics for the Washington Scholars Program. Melissa attended WSP’s Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a high school student and worked as a staff member for the programs throughout her undergraduate tenure. She received a B.A. in Communication and MBA from Mason. She has worked in events for the Washington Capitals (and has a ring to prove it!) and a tech startup before returning to her alma mater. Melissa is dedicated to fostering meaningful experiences through impactful events!

Stephen Taglieri

STEPHEN TAGLIERI

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2017

Stephen is the Marketing Director at the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC). Working in the carbon and climate space for more than half a decade, Stephen focusses on telling stories of conservation success and creating impact through the empowerment of underrepresented voices. Outside of NICC, Stephen is the CEO and Creative Director of Kingdom Multimedia, a creative marketing agency that specializes in the development of communications strategy. Through end-to-end content development, collaborating from design to marketing implementation, Stephen has crafted unique climate messaging for a variety of clients. He has produced documentaries, written articles, and photographed projects for organizations such as the Smithsonian Institute, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the American Forest Foundation.

STEPHEN TAGLIERI

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2017

Stephen is the Marketing Director at the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC). Working in the carbon and climate space for more than half a decade, Stephen focusses on telling stories of conservation success and creating impact through the empowerment of underrepresented voices. Outside of NICC, Stephen is the CEO and Creative Director of Kingdom Multimedia, a creative marketing agency that specializes in the development of communications strategy. Through end-to-end content development, collaborating from design to marketing implementation, Stephen has crafted unique climate messaging for a variety of clients. He has produced documentaries, written articles, and photographed projects for organizations such as the Smithsonian Institute, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the American Forest Foundation.

Laura Swessel

LAURA SWESSEL

Faculty Advisor

Laura attended MIT where she earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. She worked for 7 years at Lockheed Martin as a Mechanical Test Engineer, building, testing and launching commercial satellites. During that time, she earned an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 1999, Laura started a Lean Sigma consulting business with clients in the appliances, automotive, advertising and healthcare industries. During that time, Laura also started teaching Physics at the local Purdue University campus. She found a love teaching high school and obtained her teaching license. She loves teaching Aviation, Engineering, Physics and Environmental Science and will be at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, KY this fall.

LAURA SWESSEL

Faculty Advisor

Laura attended MIT where she earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. She worked for 7 years at Lockheed Martin as a Mechanical Test Engineer, building, testing and launching commercial satellites. During that time, she earned an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 1999, Laura started a Lean Sigma consulting business with clients in the appliances, automotive, advertising and healthcare industries. During that time, Laura also started teaching Physics at the local Purdue University campus. She found a love teaching high school and obtained her teaching license. She loves teaching Aviation, Engineering, Physics and Environmental Science and will be at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, KY this fall.

Lillian Herring

LILLIAN HERRING

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2016

Lillian (she/her) works as a Wildlife Field Technician gathering research data for conservation management projects. She is currently working on a grassland in Illinois tracking Bobwhites and Black Racer snakes as well as conducting vegetation surveys and bird counts. Her past projects include trapping and tagging Bobwhites to study habitat use also located in Southern Illinois, and a small mammal mark and recapture project to study population distribution on GrandFather Mountain in North Carolina. Lillian graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Biology. She is a 2016 WYSE alumna and a former JFA. When not working Lillian enjoys cooking, hiking with her dog and cat, and hanging out at the rock climbing gym.

LILLIAN HERRING

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2016

Lillian (she/her) works as a Wildlife Field Technician gathering research data for conservation management projects. She is currently working on a grassland in Illinois tracking Bobwhites and Black Racer snakes as well as conducting vegetation surveys and bird counts. Her past projects include trapping and tagging Bobwhites to study habitat use also located in Southern Illinois, and a small mammal mark and recapture project to study population distribution on GrandFather Mountain in North Carolina. Lillian graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Biology. She is a 2016 WYSE alumna and a former JFA. When not working Lillian enjoys cooking, hiking with her dog and cat, and hanging out at the rock climbing gym.

Donna Downing

DONNA DOWNING

Faculty Advisor

Donna is the Senior Legal Policy Advisor at the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) which include states and tribes implementing the Clean Water Act as co-regulators with the federal government. She served as Jurisdiction Team Leader in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water from 1998 to 2020 working on a variety of issues, with a recent focus on the Clean Water Act. Prior to EPA, Donna worked for the U.S. Congress of Technology Assessment and in private law practice. She has a B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard, a MPP from the UC Berkeley a JD cum laude from Georgetown Law School, and an L.L.M in Environmental Law summa cum laude from GW Law School. She has been an adjunct professor of environmental law at GW Law School since 1996. In her free time, she is a professional potter and an unprofessional horse trainer.

DONNA DOWNING

Faculty Advisor

Donna is the Senior Legal Policy Advisor at the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) which include states and tribes implementing the Clean Water Act as co-regulators with the federal government. She served as Jurisdiction Team Leader in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water from 1998 to 2020 working on a variety of issues, with a recent focus on the Clean Water Act. Prior to EPA, Donna worked for the U.S. Congress of Technology Assessment and in private law practice. She has a B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard, a MPP from the UC Berkeley a JD cum laude from Georgetown Law School, and an L.L.M in Environmental Law summa cum laude from GW Law School. She has been an adjunct professor of environmental law at GW Law School since 1996. In her free time, she is a professional potter and an unprofessional horse trainer.

Austin Carroll

Conference Intern

Austin Carroll is a senior at Drumright High School in Drumright, Oklahoma. He was a member of the green group this past summer and has always been a “tree hugger” according to his family. For the past eight years, he has been a licensed Oklahoma wildlife breeder and rehabilitator specializing in waterfowl, in particular Aix sponsa or more commonly known as the North American Wood duck. WYSE reignited his passion for the environment and he hopes to be attending George Mason in the fall of 2018 to pursue a degree in environmental science.

Serena Seiler

SERENA SEILER

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2015

Serena is a recent graduate of Western Kentucky University, where she earned her M.S. in Biology. Serena holds a B.S. in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from George Mason University where she worked in Admissions as a Telecounseling Supervisor and Mason Ambassador, and completed a semester at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. After graduation, she spent time on a farm in upstate New York, studied elephant behavior in Florida, and even worked in a bakery before joining Lincoln Park Zoo for a reptile behavior study. Her master’s thesis focused on human-wildlife co-occurrence in Homer, Alaska. Serena is passionate about wildlife behavior, conservation, and helping others explore career paths in the environmental sciences. She’s so excited for WYSE 2025 and can’t wait to meet this year’s amazing Delegates!

SERENA SEILER

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2015

Serena is a recent graduate of Western Kentucky University, where she earned her M.S. in Biology. Serena holds a B.S. in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from George Mason University where she worked in Admissions as a Telecounseling Supervisor and Mason Ambassador, and completed a semester at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. After graduation, she spent time on a farm in upstate New York, studied elephant behavior in Florida, and even worked in a bakery before joining Lincoln Park Zoo for a reptile behavior study. Her master’s thesis focused on human-wildlife co-occurrence in Homer, Alaska. Serena is passionate about wildlife behavior, conservation, and helping others explore career paths in the environmental sciences. She’s so excited for WYSE 2025 and can’t wait to meet this year’s amazing Delegates!