Tag: 2021

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.

Sydney Kirwan

SYDNEY KIRWAN

Advance Team Member

Sydney is the K12 Coordinator in the Office of Admissions at George Mason University. In her role, she offers group tours of the university and college information sessions to elementary and middle school students to promote college-going opportunities. She also works closely with other K-12 Partnerships and the Washington Scholars Program. Being a part of the WSP staff is always a highlight of her year and she has been involved with the programs since joining the Advance Team in 2018. Sydney earned a B.S.Ed. in Youth and Social Innovation with a double major in Spanish from the University of Virginia and is currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling at George Mason University.

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.

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.

Michael Latimer

MICHAEL LATIMER

Senior Associate, Pew Charitable Trust

Michael Latimer attended WYSE in 2012 and later studied Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation at George Mason University, graduating in 2017. During his time at GMU, he interned with the Washington Scholars Program and studied abroad in Belize to learn about ecosystems. He also attended the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, working with endangered birds.

Currently, Michael is a senior associate at the Pew Charitable Trusts, focusing on preventing ocean plastics, reducing harmful fishing subsidies, protecting Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, and seabed mining. He also assists with new project scoping and engages with international bodies like the United Nations. Michael is excited to share his experience with the program that ignited his passion for marine conservation.

Gary Swick

GARY SWICK

Faculty Advisor

Gary Swick used his BS in Natural Resource Mgt. from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and a MSEd in Outdoor Teacher Education as the foundation for developing a field-based High School Environmental Science suite of eight courses. The related projects have earned numerous state & national acclaim for their innovative approaches and impressive results. Individually, Gary has received several recognitions on the national level as an outstanding Environmental Educator. With the motto, “Environmental Action through Education”, his students have been active agents of change in their communities. His primary focus has been getting students into their local streams as “Watershed Watchdogs”, collecting data and becoming stewards. He previously taught at Northern Illinois University and is now retired. In addition to teaching, Gary spent 18 summers as a whitewater raft guide in Wyoming. Gary serves as the President of the Friends of the Fox River, the Board President of the Elgin Math & Science Academy, and is a board member on several other non-profit conservation groups. He is an avid outdoor recreationist.

Erica R. McKenzie

ERICA MCKENZIE

Faculty Advisor

Erica is an associate professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from University of California at Davis, where she researched the water quality implication of runoff from highways, urban areas, and agricultural fields. While at UC Davis, Erica was involved in Engineers Without Borders and participated in projects to improve drinking water and sanitation for rural Ugandans; she was able to travel to Uganda twice. In her current position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Temple University, Erica teaches classes and conducts research on water quality, particularly looking at pollutant movement through the environment or engineered treatment systems. When she’s not working, Erica enjoys outdoors activities, like riding bikes and running.

Mike McDavit

MIKE MCDAVIT

Faculty Advisor

A native Washingtonian, Mike earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and an M.P.A. from The George Washington University. He first realized his passion for the environment while attending his suburban Maryland high school in the 1970’s. Mike, who retired from federal service in 2021 after 38 years, worked in government, private sector and academe in the environmental field. His environmental experience spans wetland restoration and protection, pesticide regulation, hazards materials management, and air and water pollution control and testing. Mike lived and worked in Germany for nine years, managing hazardous wastes for the US military in Europe and Middle East. In that overseas position and other jobs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mike embraced the challenges associated with solving tough environmental problems. Mike is an adjunct professor of environmental biology at Montgomery College.

Kevin Magerr

KEVIN MAGERR

Faculty Advisor

Kevin is a professional engineer with nearly forty years of experience in environmental protection. He holds a B.S. from Widener University and an M.S. in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University, and he has completed more than two dozen specialty courses and certifications throughout his career. Retired from the U.S. EPA, he worked in the Water Protection Division for thirty years. His work there, his numerous publications, and his teaching experience at several universities and at the high school level have been recognized by multiple awards, including the Gold Medal for Excellence in Government. Kevin continues teaching and advising at Temple University in several areas: Biotechnology, and Civil and Environmental Engineering at the graduate level, and Environmental Science at the undergraduate level.

Maction Komwa, Ph.D.

MACTION KOMWA

Faculty Advisor

Maction is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science (GGS) at George Mason University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on topics like resource conservation, biogeography, geospatial technologies, and sustainable development. Dr. Komwa fosters a love for environmental problem-solving in his students by leveraging geospatial tools to tackle critical environmental challenges, including resource conservation, global food systems, and sustainable development initiatives. He actively collaborates with researchers across the university and international organizations focused on biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable food systems. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. He has served as Faculty Advisor for WYSE since 2010.

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