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Dr. Michelle Ryan

DR. MICHELLE RYAN

PhD Adjunct Faculty, George Mason University

Michelle Ryan (GMU PhD 2015) is the Chief Operations Officer for NTT DATA’s Public Sector Federal Health and Civilian Division where she overseas daily operations of 60+ federal contracting information technology (IT) engagements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  She has worked and led systems engineering teams delivering solutions for large government information technology projects for the past 20+ years to include environmental IT projects and engagements. Michelle received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College in Economics and Government. In addition to her graduate studies in environmental science at GMU, she also holds graduate degrees from George Washington University (MBA) and Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Masters in Natural Resources). Her professional work experience also includes providing subject matter expertise on environmental engineering and science projects, and she has volunteered for many environmental science initiatives within the region.

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Speakers

Dr. Daniel Hanley

DR. DANIEL HANLEY

Assistant Professor of Biology, George Mason University

Dr. Daniel Hanley is Assistant Professor of Biology at George Mason University.  He studies visual perception, cognition, and decision-making in wild birds. By quantifying the diversity of colors found in nature (particularly birds’ eggs), his laboratory addresses fundamental questions about how selection pressures shape the evolution of phenotypes, and how those phenotypes govern species interactions. His work has been published in more than 40 peer-reviewed journals such as Nature Ecology & Evolution, Proceedings of the Royal Society, the American Naturalist, and Biology Letters and is frequently highlighted by the popular press (e.g., as Audubon, the BBC, and Science magazine). In August 2020, Dr. Hanley was awarded Elective Membership at the American Ornithological Society for significant contributions to ornithology and the society.

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Layne Marshall

LAYNE MARSHALL

ORISE Research Fellow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Layne Marshall is an ORISE Research Fellow supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters (TFW) Program.  Within her role at the EPA, Layne works to reduce the volume of trash entering our waterways and oceans. Layne engages with on-the-ground partners to implement collaborative solutions that target land-based sources of litter and manmade, ocean-bound debris. Her work portfolio includes outreach and communication, stakeholder engagement, research, and project management. Layne earned her Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School, where she specialized in environmental law and policy.

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Jazmin Golden

JAZMIN GOLDEN

Faculty Advisor

Jazmin Golden 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 graduated with Honors from George Mason University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Health and a minor in Public Policy and Management. Jazmin is currently completing her Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy at 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 is also a 2014 WYSE alumna and former WYSE JFA. Outside of work and school, Jazmin enjoys running, watching/playing sports, and any outdoor activities.

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Speakers

Andrew Garavito

ANDREW GARAVITO

Beekeeper, Honey Bee Initiative, George Mason University

Andrew Garavito has been a beekeeper for 10 years.  He completed his Masters in Entomology at the University of Maryland in the vanEngelsdorp Bee Lab where he studied the effects of pesticide exposure via pollen consumption on honey bee health. After completing his Masters, he stayed on with the vanEngelsdorp Bee Lab, serving as the Apiary Manager where he maintained 200 hives for the various research needs of the lab. Andrew joined the Honey Bee Initiative at George Mason University in the spring of 2021.

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Speakers

Dr. Paul Lewis

DR. PAUL LEWIS

Director of the Food and Disclosure and Labeling Division, US Department of Agriculture

Dr. Paul Lewis is Director of the Food Disclosure and Labeling Division at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Fair Trade Practices Program.  As Director, Dr. Lewis manages the implementation and enforcement of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard and the Country of Origin Labeling program. Dr. Lewis has held a variety of leadership positions at the United States Department of Agriculture, United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health focusing on science policy development, risk assessment, and research management addressing agriculture, the environment and public health. Dr. Lewis is also a Lecturer at The Johns Hopkins University, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Advanced Academic Programs, teaching a graduate level course in environmental health.
Dr. Lewis earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University, a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University, a Master of Science in Plant Pathology from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from the University of Rhode Island.

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Speakers

Dr. Changwoo Ahn

DR. CHANGWOO AHN

Professor in Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University

Dr. Ahn is currently a Professor in Environmental Science and Policy, and an affiliated faculty member in Civil, Environmental & Infrastructure Engineering, Biology, Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Food Studies, and the School of Art.  He served as a University Life Faculty Fellow (2013-2018) and became a Faculty Research Fellow appointed by Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (School of Business). At Mason, Dr. Ahn teaches Wetland Ecology and Management, Ecosystem Modeling and Analysis, Ecological Sustainability, Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration, and Urban Ecosystems and Processes. Ecological Sustainability (Mason Core, Capstone) and Urban Ecosystems and Processes are both R&S (Research and Scholarship) intensive courses for undergraduates sponsored by the Students as Scholars program, through the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR). This program is Mason’s award-winning undergraduate research and creative activities initiative. His most recent new course, EVPP 381: Nature and Culture in Global Wetlands has been designated as Mason Core for Global Understanding, which will be taught starting in the Spring 2022 semester.
Dr. Ahn was a recipient of both Mentoring Excellence Award in 2016 and Teacher with Distinction in 2017. He is dedicated to developing and innovating methods of teaching that will incorporate strong research experiences into undergraduate science education.

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Speakers

Kevin Barrett

KEVIN BARRETT

Reptile & Amphibian Collection & Conservation Manager, Maryland Zoo

Kevin holds a BS in Zoology from the University of Maryland.  The highlight of his career has been his involvement with conservation efforts in Panama with the Panamanian Golden Frogs, including being one of the last people to see the species in the wild (2009).
If Kevin wasn’t working at the zoo he would be a woodworker/craftsman.

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Elizabeth Hoke

ELIZABETH HOKE

Faculty Advisor

Elizabeth Hoke earned her BS in Biology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.  Since attending WYSE herself in 2012, Elizabeth’s environmental experience has been split between public engagement and research. She spent her undergraduate years working at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment where she facilitated student engagement with sustainability concepts via an annual concert, a film festival, and maintaining the Institute blog. Her undergraduate summers were spent doing a variety of environmental research, namely a behavioral toxicology project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences and a soil microbiology analysis in Costa Rica with the Kean University School of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences. More recently, she was a canoe guide with the National Parks Service, promoting conservation via recreation. She then completed a molecular microbiology research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health where she studied fungal meningitis, an infectious disease that is spreading more easily due to the changing climate. She currently does research at Whitman-Walker Institute, a Washington, D.C. community health clinic that operates at the intersection of social justice and public health. Off-hours, Elizabeth enjoys performing improv comedy, exploring the D.C. go-go scene, and baking.

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Speakers

Kerrie Kovaleski

KERRIE KOVALESKI

Vice President of Education and Volunteer Programs, Maryland Zoo

My connection with the Maryland Zoo (then the Baltimore Zoo) started in 1986, when I joined the Junior Keeper teen volunteer Program.  I left Baltimore for Bowdoin College in Maine, where I earned a B.A. degree with a double major in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. I also spent a semester with the School for Field Studies in Nairobi, Kenya. I spent eight years in a sales career before returning to Baltimore and taking a job managing the Zoo’s volunteer program. I have been here over 18 years, and the highlight of my career is seeing over 1,400 teen volunteers go on to wonderful young people grow up to be conservation advocates. If not working at the Zoo, I would probably be an anthropologist (or running a cheese shop, which really is the dream.)