Get To Know Our Students
Students in our Environmental Education graduate program come from all backgrounds and walks of life. They each bring unique perspectives and skill sets that make the program, and their fellow students, all the stronger.
2022-2023
Lyra Dalton
Lyra Dalton got her undergraduate degree from Whitman College in Environmental Studies and Humanities. She then hiked the Pacific Crest Trail before launching into a career in environmental education. Over the course of 8 year, Lyra has worked in various positions at the Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Alpengirl Camp, Running Reindeer Ranch, and Wallowa Resources. She has come to graduate school to get her M.S. in Environmental Education and a M.A. in Teaching with the goal of becoming a high school biology teacher. Growing up on Lopez Island, Washington, Lyra fell in love with beaches and the mountains at an early age. Her hobbies include tidepooling, hiking and backpacking, mountaineering, and kayaking. She also enjoys cooking with friends and dancing in her free time.
Christina Gilbert
Christina Gilbert grew up in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris with a BA in Biology and Environmental Science. She then went on to live and work at Wolf Ridge ELC in Finland, MN for a year as one of their student naturalists. She fell even more in love with environmental education while at the ELC, where she taught everything from lake study to adventure ropes courses. She also got to try out cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and loved it! Christina got hooked on hiking around the north shore of Lake Superior taking pictures of birds and other cool creatures, which she’d like to continue to do in her adventures in Oregon. In her free time, you can find Christina staying up late to watch the sunset, and stargazing on clear nights. When inside, you’ll find her curled up with a book or cross-stitch project, or asking if you want to play a board game.
Charlotte Hyde
Charlotte Hyde hails from Amesbury, Massachusetts where she grew up between forests, mountains, and the Atlantic. She feels most at peace in the woods or where fruits are ripe for picking. She received her B.A in Environmental Biology from Pomona College in 2019. In pursuing the M.S. EE program, Charlotte plans to blend her love for ecology with education and pursue a career within the conservation nonprofit space. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys baking, jam making, and hugging her cat.
Isabel Jalamov
Isabel Jalamov grew up in Pataskala, Ohio, where she gained a profound appreciation for nature, natural processes, and behavioral biology. In 2021, Isabel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Kent State University. Since then, she has held various environmental education positions, such as an outdoor education instructor for the Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning, a wildlife education intern with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and an intern for the Environmental Education Council of Ohio. When she is not in school, Isabel enjoys hiking with her dog Indie, kayaking, camping, cooking, and crafting.
Taylor McAllister
Taylor McAllister grew up just outside the greater Portland, Oregon area and launched into her love for the outdoors early on through exploration along the Columbia River Gorge. She went on to get her undergraduate degree from Oregon State University studying Environmental Science with a specialization in Marine Biology. Since graduating in 2019, she has fostered a career in environmental education by working with organizations such as the BLM at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Sierra Outdoor School, and the Ogden Nature Center. Through this program, she hopes to become a leader in the field and inspire others to find their own purpose through the fulfilling work that is environmental education. Outside of school, Taylor enjoys crafting ceramics at the local studio, car camping with friends, and shooting film on her camera.
Ashley Milliken
Ashley Milliken got her undergraduate degree from University of Nevada, Reno in Special Education and Elementary Education. She has come to graduate school to get her Environmental Education Masters degree with the goal of incorporating special education into the environmental education community. Ashley grew up in Reno, Nevada and has always demonstrated a passion for working with children in the outdoors. Her hobbies include hiking, snowshoeing, paddle boarding, and surfing. She also enjoys watching Disney movies with friends and family in her free time.
2021-2022
Antonio Martinez-Montavon
Antonio received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Antonio likes elephants and sour gummy worms.
Natalie DiNenno
Natalie grew up outside of Philadelphia and graduated from Williams College in 2018 with degrees in sociology and environmental studies. After a few summers as a camp counselor, she fell in love with environmental and outdoor education, and spent several semesters leading field trips for elementary schoolers in Hopkins Memorial Forest. While attending the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies program, which gave her a lifelong love of sailing and sea chanteys, Natalie visited the Pacific Northwest for the first time and knew she needed to return someday. After a few more years in Pennsylvania, working at Riverbend Environmental Education Center, she made good on that promise and returned to Oregon to start her MS in EE at SOU. When not in class, you can find Natalie writing, making music, or turning over rocks in streams to marvel at benthic macroinvertebrates.
Elizabeth Mackey
Elizabeth was born and raised in Madison, WI. Growing up, she spent as much time as possible outdoors, particularly in or around water. Elizabeth attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in Zoology and Biological Aspects of Conservation. After her undergraduate education, Elizabeth spent 10 years working across the Pacific Northwest region as a fisheries biologist and stream restorationist. During this time, she helped train numerous colleagues in biological monitoring techniques and organized several adult education events, which she credits for invoking her interest in environmental education. Currently, Elizabeth is pursuing an MSEE and Nonprofit Management Certificate at SOU, as well as serving as the Education Coordinator for The Farm. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, kayaking, cooking, gardening, and playing with her dog, Toby.
Mike Buyaskas
Mike is overjoyed to be joining EE cohort 14, and also pursue his Master of Arts in Teaching with a biology focus at SOU. He comes to Oregon from New York, where he grew up in the Albany area before attending the University of Maine, Orono for a bachelor’s in wildlife Ecology. Mike always envisioned himself going into wildlife research and pursued several technician jobs researching wolves, cougars, bears, marten and moose in several states before realizing his passions were calling him to make a difference in education. Since his transition, Mike has worked several EE jobs in New England before seeking out an opportunity to move west and transition into classroom teaching. In his free time mike loves to do anything active and outdoors. He is always psyched for big adventures, especially in trail running, backpacking, rock climbing, ice climbing and mountaineering! The dream for mike would be to teach biology to middle and high school students while being a track coach, and then spend his summers as a backpacking instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).
Sarah Martinez
Sarah moved cross-country from New York’s Hudson Valley to learn among this vibrant community of environmental educators at SOU. After realizing that hiking is free and awesome, and that EE is in fact a real field during her senior year of college, she jumped into a series of internships and seasonal positions across the country at several national and state parks and preserves to learn more about natural history, interpretation, trail building, and land stewardship. She’ll try just about anything outside, but especially loves hiking, biking, camping, and yoga. She’s stoked about birds, plants, fire, and newly, fish! Fun fact: Sarah spent every day of 2020 outside for at least 20 minutes (but usually more).
Sofia Maciel
Born and raised in Truckee Tahoe, CA. Raised snowboarding, skiing, camping, hiking, survival training, and adventuring. Graduated from Cal State University Monterey Bay with a bachelors in Liberal Studies and a minor in Environmental Studies. Started working in the field as a camp counselor at a nonprofit outdoor education program (Shady Creek). Worked in local schools, private schools, community gardens and outdoor education programs that teach k-12 students to garden, harvest and enjoy sustainable living. In my free time I enjoy dirt biking, mountain biking, camping, reading, painting, eating, and most of all exploring nature with my friends and my dog.
2020-2021
Allison Barnes
Allison was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. Growing up, she was an active member of Oconee County 4-H. It was not uncommon to find Allison at the 4-H office multiple times a week, either preparing for upcoming competitive events, leading workshops, or participating in community service activities. After graduating high school, Allison attended the University of Georgia, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Human Development and Family Sciences. During her college years, she served as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor for four summers at both Rock Eagle and Wahsega 4-H Centers. After graduation, Allison was lucky enough to return to Oconee County 4-H as a Program Assistant, a position she held for three and a half years before moving to Ashland to attend SOU. Allison credits her years spent as a 4-H member, 4-H summer camp counselor, and 4-H program assistant to invoking a love for youth development and environmental education. Currently, Allison is pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching at SOU, as well as serving as the Farm Education Coordinator at the SOU Farm. After graduating from SOU, Allison hopes to seek employment as a Camp Director. In her free time, she enjoys going hiking with friends, cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs (Go Dawgs!), and yelling at her cats to stop eating plastic.
Amanda Haraksin
My name is Amanda, and I am doing the MAT for multiple subjects alongside the MSEE. I grew up in Southern California where I studied Biology at the University of California-Riverside. After graduating I performed botanical surveys in Utah’s deserts, taught environmental education in Alabama, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, and Alaska, worked as a substitute teacher, and taught English in Ecuador. I love rock climbing, spending time outdoors with friends, gardening, tide-pooling, reading, and cuddling with my cat. I aim to work in a public school or environmental education non-profit.
Annie OShea
Hiya! My name is Annie O’Shea, and I am pursuing my MSEE at SOU. I’m from Arcata, CA, where I received a B.A. in Elementary Education at Humboldt State University. I have spent the past few years working in the family services nonprofit circuit, particularly within state-subsidized childcare for low-income families. I love to hike and enjoy volunteering and civic participation. In non-COVID times, I spend a lot of time at museums, botanical gardens, and the movies. A fun fact about me is that I am very good at finding intact sand dollars. After graduation, I hope to work in either State or National Parks, ideally within the Redwoods district.
Carly McIver
Carly was born and raised north of Boston, MA, and almost all of her favorite childhood memories are outside: hiking, camping, and diving. After graduating from Smith College in 2015, she taught at a local outdoor education program and realized she could teach outside as a big kid job. She’s looking forward to exploring the west coast and growing as an educator with cohort 13!
Cassi Fricke
Cassi is pursuing her MSEE at SOU. Originally from Cudahy, WI, she earned a Certificate in Sustainability and her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In her free time, she loves exploring new places, scrapbooking her adventures, and spending time with her friends and family. After her time at SOU, she hopes to work for the National Park Service or incorporate the field of environmental education into more urban areas.
Hannah Calloway
Hannah is a playful educator with a passion for ecology and humanity. She grew up along the coastal wetlands of Northeast Florida and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Florida State University. Hannah’s vibrant history curating outdoor education and conservation programs in the United States and Latin America eventually inspired her to pursue her master’s degree in Environmental Education with SOU, within the program she now calls home. Outside of her work and studies, you can catch Hannah frolicking clumsily through the woods, making art by candlelight, or playing in the ocean waves.
Jackie Blanchette
I am pursuing an MS in Environmental Education and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management. While originally from Sacramento, California, I graduated from SOU in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science & Policy and a Certificate in Sustainability Leadership. During moments of free time, I enjoy all types of arts and crafts, including sewing, ceramics, nature photography, and baking. I also play the piano, guitar, and trombone. Growing up, I often visited my family in Hawai’i, where I spent my time snorkeling, swimming, and learning about protecting our oceans. Marine life conservation is what first sparked my interest in environmental science and environmental education. After I graduate from the EE program, I hope to work with an environmental nonprofit organization focused on marine life conservation or begin the steps to start an organization of my own.
Laney Marcotte
I am getting my Master of Science in Environmental Education. I am from Attleboro, Massachusetts. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bucknell University. I have worked at Camp Thunderbird for Girls leading adventure trips, The Outdoor School in Texas as an instructor, Teton Science Schools as an AmeriCorps member, Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom as a Conservation Education Intern, the Bucknell University as the ropes course student manager, and I currently am the Intramural Lead for SOU’s Campus Recreation as well as a lifeguard at the Ashland YMCA. I love hiking, swimming, puzzles, and rowing. I have studied abroad in Australia and helped conduct research on Tasmanian Devils. After SOU, I hope to be an education director at an outdoor school, zoo, or nature center.
Nolan Richard
My name is Nolan Richard, and I am overjoyed to be in Cohort 13 of SOU’s Environmental Education graduate program. I come to this program to find skills, knowledge, and direction to achieve my ultimate goal of teaching natural history to adults. My dream would be to start the country’s first undergraduate or graduate program in Natural History! My short story is that I grew up in Lafayette, California, went to the University of Oregon for Environmental Studies, and then worked a bunch of seasonal jobs before deciding on grad school. During these post-undergrad years, I worked at three different outdoor science camps, attended a one-year immersive wilderness college, and spent a year leading work parties and coordinating school programs for the City of Bellingham’s Parks Department. In my free time, I like to study natural history; for me, that means birdwatching, wildlife tracking, plant identifying, and all things in between. Otherwise, I enjoy procuring fancy cocktails and cheese boards, playing sports and board games, and asking people questions. Relentless exercise keeps me grounded. A couple of fun facts about me: I’ve now lived in 8 distinct places in the Northwest, I’ve never been to Costco, and I’m still looking for some tennis partners (hit me up if you’re a 4.0/4.5 player and want to play sometime! – Also ping pong, I want to play that too.) I’ve noticed that I really love it here in Ashland, and I anticipate that I may want to stay for a very long time. I look forward to integrating into the community, building strong relationships, and working together to make this place even better.
Tori Wood
Tori hails from Washington state where she spent her time exploring and learning about the foothills of the Northern Cascades. She graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Studies. Tori spent 2 years working for nonprofits in North Western Washington, where she was tasked with engaging folks in environmental stewardship and ecological restoration. She also educated community members about local ecology and animals, particularly about salmonids and other charismatic PNW species. She now lives and works on a private nature reserve in Yreka, CA, where she lives in an off-grid cabin with her dog Winston. In her free time, Tori enjoys hiking, swimming, birding, and just being outdoors!
William Beckett
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, but spending the past decade in Flagstaff, Arizona, comes William Beckett. After graduating from high school in a Portland suburb, he left the woodsy northwest for the deserts of the southwest in order to attend Northern Arizona University to pursue a degree in Secondary Education in Earth Science finding the sedimentary landscapes of Arizona to be truly inspiring. Now he returns to the Rogue Valley in search of a master’s and precipitation. After graduating Beckett intends on bringing the philosophies of Environmental Education into the classroom as a school teacher. Beckett loves to spend his free time goofing around, be it Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, or being angsty near some water in the forest. When asked what the most interesting thing about him was, he stated, “probably that my grandma thinks I’m handsome.”
2019-2020
Whitney Anderson
Whitney Anderson is a native Oregonian. Her upbringing was rooted in the exploration of endless wilderness opportunities. Through outdoor adventure, she developed a curiosity for her local aquatic life and habitats. However, study abroad experience in high school took her to faraway places. The travel bug had bitten her, leading her to earn her Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Oregon. But, her care for the environment never waned. Upon graduating, she began working for the Bureau of Land Management as a River Ranger on Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rivers. Various other experiences, including teaching salmon education programs and helping with threatened fish species research, made her realize that her true aspiration was to help others cultivate an innate fascination with the environment as well.
Marina Bohn
Marina Bohn grew up in a small town in the East Bay of California, exploring the oak woodlands, creeks and open space of Mt Diablo State Park. She always loved water and was on the swim team since she was 5 years old. Her love for water led her to the University of California Santa Barbara to get her Bachelors of Science in Hydrology with an emphasis on Ecology and Biology. She developed a deep love for the ocean with surfing, freediving, kayaking and traveling as her favorite activities. The ocean is one of her greatest teachers and led her to be a sea cave kayak guide and naturalist for 6 years in Channel Islands National Park. Being a guide developed her passion to teach people about science and their environment and she later landed with a Santa Barbara nonprofit, Wilderness Youth Project. This nonprofit focuses on nature connection and instilling appreciation of and confidence in nature for children. The relationships she developed inspired her to continue her education at Southern Oregon University in the Master of Science in Environmental Education as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching for Single Subject Biology. She hopes to inspire people to love science as much as she does and to one day start a school.
Courtney Buel
Courtney Buel originally hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. While living in California, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. There she learned how to scuba-dive in the kelp forests of Monterey and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of being surrounded by nature. This passion ultimately led her to spend a summer on Catalina Island, teaching children how to scuba dive and identify marine species. After that summer, she became a marine science educator in San Francisco, teaching students about the ocean and connecting them with an environment that she loves dearly. She is also pursuing a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and hopes to one day be a Director of a marine science conservation nonprofit. In her free time, she likes to explore and enjoy nature with friends (and of course, splash in the ocean!).
Andy Dwyer
Andy Dwyer is an upstate New York native where he remembers fun times with family and friends in the Adirondack Mountains. While pursuing his undergraduate degree in Horticulture from Oregon State University, he moved to Bend, OR with his wife. There he completed an internship in restoration horticulture. For five years, they lived in Bend, finished their degrees together, and started a native plant nursery and restoration business. An enjoyable part of his work was running volunteer groups, educating the public on land use, and working in environmental education with local schools on Central Oregon watersheds. The fun stuff of his business led him to SOU’s MS in Environmental Education program. The cohort model, hands-on approach of the program, and the development for Fall in the Field is inspiring. In his free time, he enjoys road-tripping, camping with his family, strolling around town with his 2-year-old son, Grahm, and board gaming with the cohort.
Karina Hassell
Karina Hassell comes from the “bridge of the world, heart of the universe,” also known as Panama. From a young age, this city girl was encouraged to explore her surroundings through science. Following her love for science and due to Panama’s strategic location, she studied Maritime Transportation Engineering at the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá. She later obtained a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Arkansas. However, it was through varied professional opportunities that she found a way to combine all her passions: science, education, and development. Witnessing firsthand the tremendous impact a good educator can have in a child’s life, she decided to pursue a Master in Environmental Education. She is thrilled to be part of Cohort 12 and ready to absorb as much knowledge from the program and region. Her goal is to provide learning opportunities for those who are curious and especially for those who are socially disadvantaged.
Sunya Ince-Johannsen
Sunya Ince-Johannsen was born and raised on a ranch in rural southern Oregon. Her passion for environmental education began at a young age, as she was homeschooled with a strong focus on outdoor exploration and activities rooted in the natural sciences and art. She feels very lucky to have had a non-traditional childhood with very little access to TV or computers and instead spent her time exploring the mountains and forests of the Umpqua region. After 6 years of homeschool, she attended St. Mary’s High School in Medford and then began her college career at Reed in Portland studying Biology. She eventually transferred to Southern Oregon University and got her B.S. in Environmental Studies, focusing on ecology and conservation. Her career has been a long and winding path, with time spent in Hawaii and Alaska, teaching windsurfing and kiteboarding, commercial fishing, working on farms, doing botany work for the U.S. Forest Service, working with environmental non-profit organizations, and most recently working as a certified herbalist. Her passion lies in combining her love for plants and herbalism with environmental education and farming. Her dream is to bring environmental education to rural communities in Oregon, by adapting curricula to the needs and economies of local communities. In her free time, Sunya can be found in the mountains or in the ocean, snowboarding, kitesurfing, and hiking with her dogs.
Michael Kaufman
Michael Kaufman is from Menlo Park, CA. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at Texas Christian University, where he received a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Human-Animal Relations. He is pursuing the Masters Teaching program for Single Subject Integrated Sciences in addition to the Masters in Environmental Education. He is a self-proclaimed semi-professional napper, an avid lover of all things Disney, and a volleyball player since he was 10. Lastly, he has a passion for animal studies, namely mammals and reptiles, and one day would like to teach high school animal sciences.
Brenda Miller
Brenda Miller spent her undergrad days at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. There she got her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a double major in Music. Brenda is also pursuing a Certificate of Nonprofit Management in addition to her Master’s degree. She loves to bird and cuddle with her ball python Cosmo. In addition to these hobbies, she also performs as a concert pianist.
Nora Seymour
Nora Seymour grew up in Massachusetts exploring the woods behind her house. She discovered her passion for environmental education while leading field trips in the permaculture garden at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she received her BS in Sustainable Food and Farming. Since then she has continued to grow food, curiosity, and a love for nature with kids of all ages. Nora is excited to be a part of the thriving environmental education community in Southern Oregon. She is also adding on the Certificate in Nonprofit Management. In her spare time, you can find Nora adventuring outside with her partner and dog or at a bluegrass concert!
Maya Shoemaker
Maya Shoemaker was born and raised in Santa Barbara and was blessed to spend her childhood exploring around her family home in the mountains, traveling around Central America and Mexico, homeschooling by a creek, and enjoying time in nature every day. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, with an emphasis on Environmental Education and Evolutionary Biology. After graduating, she spent a year traveling and volunteering in Europe and Asia. Her time included working on farms in Turkey, bringing underserved Nepali children outside for sit spots, trekking through the Himalayas, and working with Vietnamese children with disabilities. She has worked for over ten years with a nature-based mentoring non-profit called Wilderness Youth Project. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Environmental Education and a Masters of Arts in Teaching at SOU, as well as serving as the Farm Education Coordinator at the SOU Farm. In her free time, she loves to practice acro yoga, make things with her hands, sing, dance, and explore nature with friends.
Monique Streit
Monique Streit grew up in Yosemite and Grand Canyon National Park and spent her free time exploring the woods and trails within the park. This has sparked a love of nature and all national park sites. A goal of hers is to visit all national parks someday. She spent many years working for the National Park Service as an interpretive ranger and in the maintenance division, creating signs for roads and trails in the national park. Monique has always had a passion for teaching and received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. From there, she taught 4th grade for five years, but specifically math and science for the last two years. While teaching, Monique organized an outdoor and environmental club for third through fifth graders. Students developed a deeper understanding of the environments surrounding the school, learned about native plants and animals in Northern Arizona, and helped maintain an outdoor classroom and wildlife and nature trail on the school campus. Her love of nature and education has led her to pursue an M.S. in Environmental Education from SOU. She hopes to inspire a love of learning and an appreciation for our environment in people of all ages through environmental education!
Sami Wolniakowski
Sami Wolniakowski feels that educating and caring for children is second nature to her. As a teenager, she became a certified ski instructor and taught children and adults of all ages how to downhill ski. In these years, she discovered her zeal for educating, and this enthusiasm ultimately led her to pursue a B.A. in Education from St. Norbert College in Wisconsin. Entering the world as a new graduate, she started work at the Multnomah County Outdoor School in Oregon. After this position, she worked as a naturalist/science teacher at Teton Science School in Jackson, Wyoming, for two years. During her time spent at Teton Science School, she was able to discover the importance of utilizing the outdoor environment as her classroom. She is excited to pursue her Master’s of Environmental Education at SOU and looks forward to continuing her development and growth as an educator.
Jessica Zuzack
Jessica Zuzack grew up in rural Pennsylvania, exploring the fields, forests, and creeks in her backyard. Her love of connecting to nature and optimism for finding solutions to environmental issues led her to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sustainability at Philadelphia University. She gained valuable experience in sustainable food systems, conservation, and community partnership from AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer work, an internship abroad, and work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. She is very excited to be a part of the Masters of Environmental Education program and looks forward to a future of engaging kids of all ages in outdoor learning. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, yoga, dance, cooking, and knitting.
2018-2019
Debra Agnew
Debra Agnew was born and raised in the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. Her connection to nature was cultivated on family camping trips to the mountains and deserts of southern California, and in the parks, gardens, and nature preserves near her home. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences at CSU, Monterey Bay, in an area famous for deep coastal waters full of kelp forests and playful otters. After graduation, Debra was hiking in a flower-filled meadow in the Cuyamaca Mountains and decided she wanted to become a park ranger so that she could live and work in the great outdoors. Her pursuit began when she became a volunteer gallery interpreter at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where she facilitated meaningful connections between visitors and exhibits of urban wildlife, live insects, and fossilized dinosaurs. During Certified Interpretive Guide training at the museum, she felt the call toward stewardship and environmental education. After completing the Masters of Science in Environmental Education program, Debra looks forward to a lifetime of connecting people with nature.
Leia Althauser
Leia Althauser grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where life has adapted to less than five inches of rain a year. Craving more water, she traveled north and attended the University of Oregon where she graduated with a B.S. in journalism and a minor in environmental studies in 2013. Since undergraduate graduation, she has worked in litigation and public outreach for the Mexican gray wolves and has worked side-by-side with bald eagles, owls, falcons, and hawks in Alaska. Leia is a Certified Professional Bird Trainer-Knowledge Assessed. She uses her knowledge of learning and behavior not only help train animals but also to help teach adults about wildlife. She is interested in utilizing the various forms of policy, management, advocacy, and education so that all forms of life may co-exist alongside humans. When not fighting for the wild ones, Leia can be found hiking, cycling, skiing or enjoying time on the Oregon Coast with her two cats Chum and Keta and her husband, Andrew.
Sara Buckley
Sara Buckley grew up in Florida, spending her time exploring the Indian River Lagoon and the surrounding beaches. Growing up she always loved the water and exploring the various surrounding ecosystems. In high school she moved to North Carolina and longed to be back near the water, leading her to pursue her dive certification. Diving was like nothing she had ever experienced, and she knew she wanted to pursue a career to help protect these ecosystems. She went on to receive a B.S. in Oceanography from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. During college, she spent her summers with Broadreach Global Summer Educational Adventures sailing all over the Caribbean and teaching sailing and diving to youth. After college, she was the program coordinator at Sea Turtle Camp in Wilmington, until she became an intern at a research station on the Caribbean island, Bonaire. She spent a year being a teaching assistant for the Advanced Scuba, Marine Ecology Field Research Methods, coral reef ecology, and Independent research courses. After a year she was hired on full-time as the Lab and office manager and created and implemented a high school marine ecology program that following summer. After the summer co-teaching her program to high school students she knew she this was her dream job and decided she wanted to learn more about teaching. She applied to the Environmental Education program at Southern Oregon University and the rest is history! Sara looks forward to continuing to combine her love for the environment and teaching in a career as an environmental educator.
Nicole Ferer
Nicole Ferer moved to Eugene, Oregon from the concrete jungle of the Bay Area. A love for wildflowers and fascination with medicinal and edible plants was her gateway into loving and understanding the natural world. Nicole earned an Environmental Policy degree from the University of Oregon. It was here that she discovered environmental education was the ultimate blend of her two greatest passions: education and the natural environment. Nicole approaches teaching with love and logic, and fosters engaged, positive learning through her childlike energy. Nicole strives to cultivate a culture of community and interconnectedness in her career and life as an educator, with a dream of starting her own eco-school on a sustainable farm in the Pacific Northwest.
Kelsey Hansen
Kelsey Hansen grew up in the rural, rugged terrain of Idaho while hunting for frogs and salamanders (and anything else that moved). This love for animals continued, and she later graduated from Idaho State University in 2016 with her B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in integrative organismal biology. After graduation, she moved to Washington to work on boats as a marine naturalist and teach visitors about orcas and other amazing marine life in the San Juan Islands. She also worked as an environmental educator in Olympic National Park teaching children about nature, sustainability, and ecosystem health. In between it all, she coached basketball, traveled the globe, and continued to fall more in love with the Pacific Northwest by the day. She loves all animals, and she cannot wait to learn more about how to get others excited about the environment and its critters!
Hannah Kittler
Hannah Kittler grew up in western Massachusetts where her love for science and the outdoors became evident in middle school. She went on to pursue a degree in Biology and minors in Environmental Studies and Chemistry at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. She decided to pursue an internship in Environmental Education her senior year and absolutely fell in love with teaching outdoors. She then got bit by the travel bug and worked seasonal jobs throughout the U.S. for a few years. This past year she decided that she wanted to pursue her master’s so she could have the skills to run a nature center in the future! You can find her safely removing unwanted spiders from homes in her spare time.
Emily Lind
Emily Lind grew up in the land of beer, dairy, and cheese heads. She spent much of her Wisconsin childhood swimming at the lake in the summer and making snow angels in the winter. Her love for animals drove her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Birds became an integral part of Emily’s life when she volunteered at a bird banding station and held her first bird: a Black-and-white Warbler. Between undergraduate and graduate school her field jobs ranged from studying the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler and Greater Sage-Grouse, to banding birds in Ecuador. Her most recent position as the Citizen Science Technician at a nature center in Wisconsin is where her passion for education blossomed. The Environmental Education program at Southern Oregon University will allow Emily to pursue research while also obtaining the skills and resources to be an effective environmental educator. Emily wants people of all ages to feel comfortable in nature, be eager to learn about nature, and ultimately fall in love with and protect nature.
Elva Manquera
Elva Manquera is an Oregon native who grew up in Douglas County. She got her bachelor’s in Zoology from Oregon State University with a focus in herpetology and disease. Through her interest in amphibians, Elva has done research in Costa Rica and throughout the Cascades. Ever since she was young Elva loved playing in the creek and spending time with nature; she believes that everyone should have that opportunity. With her career, she hopes to be able to bridge her love for nature and research to bring environmental education to underrepresented youth in Oregon.
Crystal Nichols
Crystal Nichols had an innate fascination with wildlife at a very tender age and this interest has never waned. It mostly stems from never wanting to grow up or stop playing outside. She got her degree in aquatic biology and fisheries from Ball State University in Indiana. After accepting a temporary job in Oregon last year, she escaped the corn maze of the Midwest and has been a willing captive of the West ever since. A love of lifelong learning and a passion for educating brought Crystal to this unique program. Today, she enjoys hiking, climbing, taking photographs, and playing in the water.
Emily Olsen
Emily Olsen is an adventurous, friendly, outgoing native Pacific Northwesterner spending her childhood around the Puget Sound in Washington and her young adulthood in the suburbs of Portland. She graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in General Biology. During her senior year as an undergraduate, she was a part of an Outdoor Education class and it really sparked a love for sharing the natural world with children (and adults) and she has been pursuing a career in the field ever since. Her passions are conservation, science education, and going on adventures outside in nature. Hiking and anything involving the water are her favorites. She loves to share her passions with others to help foster connections between the people and their communities especially while restoring local critical habitats. She hopes that the Environmental Education M.S. Program at Southern Oregon University will give her the tools to help better serve her community and the environment in the future.
Lauren Perkinson
Lauren Perkinson says science has always appealed to her, and from a young age, she sought to explore the natural world. Her love for the sciences carried her all the way to college when she chose to study at Colorado State University. Initially, her passions led her to major in Sports Medicine, where she focused on studying Anatomy and Physiology. Her goal was to use this degree as stepping stone to PT school, however, she ended up choosing an entirely different career path about halfway through her college career. Lauren ended up graduating with a degree in Biological Sciences (Ecology concentration) and a minor in Anthropology. She got her first taste of teaching during her undergraduate studies, and quickly realized that science education was her calling! This realization ultimately led to her admission to the M.S. in Environmental Education and M.A. in Teaching programs here at SOU. Lauren looks forward to using the skills she will gain in these programs to ignite an interest in the sciences within diverse groups of young learners.
Mack Stamper
Mack Stamper was born and raised in the deciduous forests of central Ohio, and spent most of his childhood outdoors, either playing sports or hiking with his dad. Always an animal lover, he graduated from Otterbein University with a B.A. in Zoo and Conservation Science. A big fan of travel, Mack has traveled all across the United States and has taken trips to Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Europe. During an internship with the Houston Zoo, Mack learned about the Environmental Education M.S. program at SOU and fell in love with the program. During his time in the program, he hopes to learn more about and refine his skills in education, advocacy, and management, as well as provide a wonderful educational experience for children and adults alike around the Rogue Valley.
Courtney Stewart
Courtney Stewart grew up in rural mid-Michigan with a love for nature and science. Courtney’s career trajectory in college was to be a scientist, but specifically a scientist that dealt with current environmental issues. She pursued a B.S. with a focus in Environmental Geoscience at Michigan State University. It is where she received her experience in applied research and realized her interest in science communication and civic engagement. Courtney discovered the Environmental Education M.S. Program and moved to Ashland to attend. Through this program, Courtney will develop further as a scientist and researcher while growing as an educator, an individual and an active member in her community. She hopes to make education fun and exciting, encouraging motivation and passion to blossom in individuals; leading with her action and desire for knowledge.
2017-2018
Laura Bergner
Laura Bergner grew up in North Carolina, spending a good part of her childhood catching salamanders in the Appalachian Mountains. After leaving her hometown, she discovered that her true passion is helping children explore the outdoors and live in a way that feels connected to nature. Laura spent her early twenties managing farms and developing sustainable living skills in Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico, as well as spending several years as an early childhood educator.
Living in a variety of places left her with a great love and respect for the Pacific Northwest, and in 2014 she left the southwest for good to study Biology at Southern Oregon University. She was so impressed by the diversity of life found in this tiny part of the world that she decided to stay here after receiving her Bachelor’s in Science and attend the Environmental Education Master’s program.
Laura is excited to bring her passion for nature to a community that is so driven to protect the environment and give children access to the outdoors. When she is not learning or teaching, she prefers to spend time with her enormous dog in open fields.
India Bolding
India Bolding grew up in the suburbs of San Francisco exploring the tide pools and redwood forests. She’s always viewed nature as a unifying force; anyone can find something they’re excited about, something to geek out about when they explore nature. She wants to help kids find that enthusiasm that was inspired by her parents at a young age. She believes that if kids get to immerse themselves with nature and learn the science that explains what they’re seeing they’ll develop a life long love for the environment. This encourages them to think and care for more than just themselves, ultimately making caring and thoughtful people that want to help the world.
Paige Engelbrektsson
Paige Engelbrektsson is a Virginia native who grew up finding the wonder in the wild places around her suburban neighborhood and childhood barn. After graduating with a B.S. in Biology from the College of William and Mary, she was elbow-deep in assisting museum researchers when she discovered two things. One, teaching visitors about the new and intriguing natural history facts she uncovered offered its own kind of wonder. Two, there was an entire country full of awe-inspiring, truly wild spaces she could live and teach in. So began a cross-country trip that has lasted four years and counting. From guiding backcountry pack trips in Yellowstone National Park to teaching outdoor afterschool programs as an AmeriCorps member in North Carolina, Paige’s pursuit of sharing the wonder of the natural world has led her through a checklist of mountain ranges and ultimately to SOU. She looks forward to using the skills and knowledge she will gain through the program to lead educational programming for audiences of all ages in even more beautiful wild places.
Angie Gornik
Angie Gornik is a Minnesotan from her accent to her snow driving abilities. She spent endless hours as a child running around barefoot both in her backyard and at summer camp. Angie attended Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa and received degrees in Biology and Spanish. During her college years she called many places home from the tall grass prairie of Iowa, to the farm she worked on in Costa Rica, to the volcanoes of Ecuador, to the summer heat of Nicaragua, to the bayou of Louisiana. Angie blames her Costa Rican host mom, Doña Fatima, for igniting her love for environmental education and showing her what loving people and a place looks like. Upon graduating in December of 2016 Angie packed up her car and moved to Southern California to teach at an outdoor education institute. Nature exploration, outdoor adventure, and the laughter of students became an integral part of her life and pursing her Masters in Environmental Education became a part of her journey. Angie never ceases to be amazed by ferns and can’t wait to achieve her goal of visiting every National Park within the next 10 years.
Anna Kennedy
Anna Kennedy grew up in a small town in Northern California, surrounded by redwoods, the Russian River, and a wild backyard full of endless possibilities. Whether hiking along the coast, camping in the redwoods, or building tree-forts, she found tranquility, inspiration, and a fascination for life in the great outdoors. This early love and curiosity led her Anna to pursue a degree from UC Davis in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. Over the summers Anna worked as a Trips Guide at Skylake Yosemite Camp, leading kids on day and multiday backpacking adventures in the Sierras. Her longing to be outside and learn everything about the natural world evolved into a desire to help educate and engage children outdoors. After graduation, Anna continued to work with youth as a Montessori Assistant Teacher and as a summer Camp Director. This love for educating children and helping them build a relationship with nature is what guided Anna to the MS in Environmental Education program at SOU. Anna is loving exploring the incredible wilderness and biodiversity of Southern Oregon and looks forward to continuing to combine her love for education and for being outdoors in a life-long career as an environmental educator.
Sarah Norton
Sarah Norton was born and raised in upstate New York. Growing up, interest and wonder about nature was instilled in her as she explored creeks and hiked with her family. Sarah graduated from Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondack mountains with a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science. It was during her undergrad that she found a passion for raptor research and conservation. For the next eight years, she traveled around the country working various field jobs focused on avian research. From jumping in swamps for Snail Kite surveys in the Everglades National Park to trapping and banding Golden Eagles in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Sarah has pursued her passion while also meeting amazing people along the way. After working with such diverse communities, Sarah discovered a lack of understanding between the public and the scientific community. She also realized her greatest joy was interacting with the public and sharing experiences of her work. Finding her calling, Sarah switched her career to focus on environmental education. While pursuing her degree at SOU and beyond, Sarah hopes to bridge the gap between the public and scientific community through education programs and citizen science projects.
Sujan Subedi
Sujan Subedi is from Pokhara, Nepal. Growing up in the tourism capital of Nepal, he was always attracted to hiking and camping. His inborn proclivity towards nature and environment was complemented by a BSC degree from Institute of Forestry in Forestry where he participated in various plantation programs, cleanliness programs, conservation rallies and extension programs. Later after graduation, he followed up on his education by joining several seminars, trainings and workshops organized by green groups such as Federation of Community Forestry User group Nepal (FECOFUN), National Youth for Climate Action (NYCA), and Clean Energy Nepal (CEN). His area of interest is studying the relationship and interactions between natural and human systems to better understand the world around him. He hopes to use his previous knowledge and the knowledge he obtains from S.O.U. to teach the next generation about the importance of forest management and sustainability for the future.
Ellie Thompson
Ellie Thompson developed her love for nature and the outdoors at a very young age. As soon as she could walk, she began exploring the family farm in Eugene, Oregon and the ponds behind her house—collecting flowers, insects, and minnows to observe and marvel at. Her family vacations consisted of camping and hiking all over Oregon, spending days kayaking the remote Owyhee River, and visiting many natural history museums; learning about the land and its native flora and fauna. Her inquisitive mind and passion for learning about the world around her drove her to pursue a degree in biology at Portland State University. While she loved her major, she wasn’t sure what career to pursue after college. It wasn’t until she stood on the banks of the Kinabatangan River, in Malaysian Borneo, that she realized what she wanted to do. Witnessing the devastation of one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world was a powerful experience that lit a fire of passion for conservation and education in her. She is excited to work to light that same fire in people of all ages after she graduates from Southern Oregon University’s Environmental Education program.
Alyssa Wiens
Alyssa Wiens grew up just outside of the Birthplace of Rock ’n Roll, Memphis, TN. Growing up, most of her free time was spent playing underneath the giant oaks in her backyard. Her love of nature and working with kids led her to pursue a degree in Environmental Conservation at Mississippi State University. She soon realized that measuring how many 2×4’s you can get out of a tree was not her calling and decided to switch majors. Careful deliberation led her to obtaining a degree in Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture where she got to learn all the plants and animals, but didn’t have to measure any of them. During her undergrad, an internship with the U.S. Forest Service at Land Between the Lakes NRA in Kentucky solidified her path to becoming an environmental educator. She headed north after graduation to Wisconsin to work as an instructor for Nature’s Classroom Institute, a residential environmental education program for schools. Desiring a degree in what she intends to do with her life, Alyssa made the trek to SOU and is finally fulfilling her dream of living in the Pacific NW. She looks forward to a lifetime of inspiring children to love this planet we call home.
Heather Wilson
Heather Wilson grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. Nature was very tame in the suburbs, but she got her wilderness fix through her family’s frequent travels. (She still suffers from the travel bug to this day.) Visiting parks and experiencing nature all over the country showed her the power and importance of wilderness. Enthralled with the natural world, Heather studied Biology at Iowa State University. During her undergraduate career, she discovered a joy for teaching others through tutoring and teaching assistantships. After graduating, Heather decided to take on a new kind of educational role as a park guide intern at Mammoth Cave National Park. Guiding thousands of visitors through the world’s longest cave was an incredible learning experience, and gave Heather all kinds of exciting skills and confidence. She took these skills back home to St. Louis where she worked as an interpretation assistant at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Heather knew she had found something great, and decided she wanted to learn more. She applied to the Environmental Education program at Southern Oregon University and the rest is history!
2016-2017
Lianne Bailey
Lianne Bailey is an Oregonian who calls Gresham and the Portland area home. Growing up, she loved going on family hikes and camping trips on Mt. Hood and down the Columbia Gorge. As an undergraduate at Pacific University of Oregon, she continued to explore the state’s natural wonders while earning a degree in Environmental Studies. After graduating, Lianne found enjoyment working at summer camps in the Cascades and at after school programs with the YMCA. She then stayed in the Portland area, working as an educator for the Columbia Slough Watershed Council during the school year and as a nature day camp instructor during the summers. In the fall of 2015, Lianne got the chance to be a Field Instructor for the Portland metro area’s Outdoor School. She loved the combination of outdoor science education and the innate community building that happens when people live and learn together. She came down to southern Oregon to join the Environmental Education and Masters of Teaching programs at SOU. She is looking forward to working with some amazing educators and exploring more of this beautiful area.
Hope Braithwaite
Hope Braithwaite spent much of her childhood romping through the forests and deserts in her backyard in southern Utah. Her passion for the outdoors grew from those experiences exploring, hiking, and searching for her favorite rock, agate. Hope attended Utah State University (USU) and earned a B.S. in Wildlife Science. During the summers she helped on research projects, from conducting plant surveys in the Colorado Plateau to trapping geese in the Yukon Delta, Alaska. With the help of fantastic advisors and a co-researcher, Hope conducted a research project to identify diet supplements for elk management. Although Hope found great joy in being outdoors collecting data that could help answer important ecological questions, she felt that something was missing. When Hope worked for Water Quality Extension at USU she found her missing piece, environmental education. Hope loved learning, sharing her newfound knowledge with others, and then watching those students explore and make their own discoveries. Ultimately, Hope would like to have a career in environmental education with public outreach and research components. She is thrilled to be in the environmental education graduate program at Southern Oregon University and wants to thank her family and friends for their continued support and encouragement.
Alessandro Broido
Alessandro Broido first discovered his love for nature and working with young people while volunteering in a rural Honduran community as a teenager. After building a life-changing relationship with his host family, he continued to work with the youth-leadership organization Amigos de las Americas for three additional seasons in Mexico, Ecuador and most recently in Costa Rica directing cross-cultural volunteer trail projects in Carara National Park. After graduating from the University of San Francisco Alessandro moved to the remote northwest corner of California where he deepened his love for the natural world. He spent two years in Del Norte County discovering new avenues for working with youth as a school-based mentor in the garden, woodshop, and ropes course. He also directed a summer trail crew of high school students removing invasive weeds in the Six Rivers National Recreation Area and led a Redwood Canopy Tour Zip Line. The following two years he spent working for the Smith River Alliance coordinating volunteer projects and counting salmon during the spawning season. Today, Alessandro enjoys surfing, ultimate frisbee, hiking, catching amphibians, playing music and brainstorming creative farm-based lesson plans.
Bekah Campbell
Bekah Campbell grew up in South Carolina, where she always had a passion for being a teacher and being outdoors. It only made sense to pursue a degree in Outdoor Education at Montreat College near Asheville, NC. After guiding people in outdoor adventures for a while, she realized she wanted to know more about everything in the natural world and connect people to their importance. It became more and more important to her to protect wild spaces that she loves to backpack, hike, bike, climb and ski in. After marrying her amazing husband, she worked for 4 years in upstate New York for an academic and outdoor leadership program. The wild west began to call and the Campbells moved to Mammoth California to be ski instructors, and there decided she wanted to pursue a masters in her true passion.
Melissa Donner
Melissa Donner is originally from Santa Clarita, CA, but truly found her home in the Pacific Northwest. She studied at Humboldt State University in Northern California earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Management and Protection focusing on Environmental Education. It was there that she discovered her passion for Environmental Education, especially with early childhood education. She has spent time serving in the Peace Corps Paraguay in South America teaching Environmental Education in Spanish and Guarani. After returning to the U.S., she entered into the Environmental Education Master’s program at SOU. She is also doing a dual Master’s program for a Masters of Arts in Teaching plus an Oregon State Teaching License for Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. She has a wide range of interests and skills including early childhood education, graphic design, hiking, and international travel! Her dream is to one day find a career in which she can utilize her skills and passions in Garden and Farm Education, Early Childhood Education and Graphic Design, whether that be at a museum, botanical garden or in the classroom!
Morgan Ellis
Morgan Ellis has spent the better part of her life living at the intersection of salt marshes, preserved forest, and the Atlantic Ocean in her home state of New Jersey. Having grown to love these environments she earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and found out the best way to protect what you love is to get others to love and care about it too, prompting her to switch gears and pursue a career in outdoor education. Since then, she has been an educator in New Jersey, South Carolina, California, and finally Oregon. She is passionate about sensitive ecosystems and sharing the fascinating facts of nature with those young and old! While not working towards her Master’s she can be found outdoors exploring all the wonders that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Erinn Holmes
Erinn Holmes originally hails from the rolling hills of northern Illinois, where she spent some period of every day on the back of a horse or with her toes buried in the mud. She fled to rural Wisconsin for her BS in biology at University of Wisconsin – Platteville, she was so inspired by the many facets of the natural world that she changed her career path a whole six times. During her time there, she got to spend two summers under the star-lit sky studying the impacts of White Nose Syndrome on local bat populations, which sparked her interest in research. But, after every ecology class she took, she found herself enthusiastically rushing home to her English-major roommate to share the knowledge she’d gained about the world around them. After considering many career options (seriously), it became clear that she wanted to invoke the joy in others that the natural world brings out in her. She found SOU and made the 36-hour trek across the US to join this cohort of environmental educators and has never looked back. She looks forward to a career in environmental education that allows her to minimize the gap between the scientific community and the general public. In her free time, Erinn loves to explore Oregon by foot, kayak, and ski with her cohort and trusty sidekick, a pup named Nova.
Suphasiri Muttamara
Suphasiri Muttamara (a.k.a. Jam) is from Bangkok, Thailand. Despite being a city girl, she didn’t like the city. Her favorite childhood memories are of when her family went birding and camping in the forest. It has always been her dream to work in nature. She attended Mahidol University in Thailand receiving a degree in Conservation Biology. While discussing conservation topics with her classmates, she realized how connecting with nature from an early age inspired peoples’ attitudes, and how important this connection is for environmental conservation. After graduating, she worked with the United Nation Development Program (UNDP) as a project junior consultant. The work took her to the top of mountains of the Northern region in Thailand. There, she worked with local schools, and students to develop ecotourism practice and a curriculum that included the forest ecosystem that influences the community. Realizing education is the best way to conserve nature, she flew over 100,000 miles to acquire knowledge and tools so she can bring them back to help develop her country.
Eva Roberts
Eva Roberts grew up in the mountains of Montana and has long called the rugged wilderness her home away from home. Eva spent her final semester at Montana State University student teaching in New Zealand, which sparked an immense passion for travel. After obtaining her B.S. in Elementary Education, Eva sought out a volunteer teaching experience in Austria, which allowed her to explore the mountains and cultural experiences of Europe extensively. Soon after, Eva fell in love with scuba diving and traveled to faraway places to submerge herself in foreign oceans. Throughout all of this, Eva still aspired to connect people and educate communities about what truly matters to her – the great outdoors. That is what brought her to the Master’s of Science in Environmental Education program at Southern Oregon University. It is her dream to help others recognize and appreciate the natural world as much as she does. Eva hopes to incorporate her sense of adventure and love for the wild in a life-long career based around environmental education
Elizabeth Schyling
Elizabeth Schyling very much wanted to be a zookeeper when she grew up. Then, she went to Yale and studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and thought, perhaps, she would like to be a population ecologist when she grew up. After the folks at Yale said, “Nice, well done, move along now,” she moved to Washington to live on a volcano and somehow tricked people into paying her to hike and play with small mammals. One day, while yammering at some high schoolers about neotenic salamanders at Mount St. Helens, she had a bit of an existential crisis and thought, perhaps, she would like to teach when she grew up. So she came to SOU, where she now thinks she might not grow up after all but has made a very good choice anyway.
Matthew Solberg
Matthew Solberg grew up in Eugene, Oregon, but left the Ducks to pursue his passion in wildlife studies at Oregon State University. While working towards his BSc in Fisheries and Wildlife, he sought out experience abroad in Africa. Fostering close connections with local communities, Matthew found a niche in human-wildlife conflict. His interest in human dimensions of wildlife conservation grew as he spent time with the San Bushman of Namibia, working to trap and relocate large African carnivores in close proximity to livestock. For a time, Matthew found himself in the dark studying clans of spotted hyena (Malawi). Research alone did not fulfill him. It wasn’t until his Peace Corps service in Sierra Leone, West Africa, that Matthew discovered another love… teaching. There in the village, his students pulled his heartstrings and shaped Dauda (Matthew) in ways he could never imagine. Now he strives to combine his passion in wildlife studies with teaching. He is excited to work with a cohort who hail from all walks of life to implement the best environmental education the world has ever seen! In his spare time, you can find Matthew surfing, catching lizards, and fueling his healthy addiction to coffee (damn good coffee).
Malia Sutphin
Malia Sutphin grew up in Seward which is a small coastal town in south-central Alaska. Growing up she enjoyed spending time in nature and around all kinds of animals. As a child, she grew up on a goat farm and learned about proper animal care and husbandry. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Anchorage, Alaska at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Environment and Society. Throughout her college career, she worked seasonally for Kenai Fjords National Park as an interpretive ranger. After completing college she shifted federal gears and spent the summer as an interpretive ranger for Fish and Wildlife at Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. It was here Malia’s love for environmental education fully blossomed. Malia then spent the next two years traveling internationally with her sister, road tripping through Alaska, and working for the Department of Natural Resources-Public Information Center. In her free time, Malia loves spending time with her guinea pigs Mr. Lahey and Baloo, working on crafts, and biking. She loves Southern Oregon and the Environmental Education program and hopes to stick around once she completes her degree.
Christy VanRooyen
Christy VanRooyen is a southern Oregon native, who developed a love for nature while exploring the forests near her childhood home. Her insatiable scientific curiosity led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in Applied Environmental Sciences from Oregon Institute of Technology (OT). She gained extensive research experience as an air quality inspector and a geographic information system (GIS) analyst prior to beginning a career in academia. She is currently an instructor at OT, where she teaches introductory chemistry, nutrition, and the occasional environmental course. She spends her downtime hiking and backpacking with her husband and three children. Christy hopes to utilize her education and experiences to promote natural resource conservation and motivate people to pursue their own outdoor adventures.
John Ward
John Ward grew up on a small farm in southwestern Missouri. There, his curiosity for nature was nourished spending time in the woods on the farm, fishing at local lakes and streams, and hunting with his father. John attended Missouri State University, where he received a B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Wildlife. While attending college, John worked part-time for the Wonders of Wildlife Museum, developing and implementing environmental education curriculum for a wide variety of groups. One of his favorite experiences was helping to train teen volunteers to handle educational animals and present them at public events. These experiences helped develop John’s passion for education and led him to a position, teaching outdoor science education at Hancock Field Station through the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). While employed with OMSI, John developed his skills as an educator and, after two seasons, decided he wanted to take his skills to the classroom. He moved to Corvallis, OR and started working at a Boys & Girls Club after school program and teaching at an alternative school for rehabilitating youth. John hopes to leave the Environmental Education program with the skills to bring project-based learning to the public school setting as a high school biology teacher.
Ashley Waymouth
Ashley Waymouth hails from the rolling hills and spring-fed rivers of the Central Texas Hill Country. After receiving a history degree from Texas State University, she unexpectedly fell in love with the crystal clear San Marcos River. This connection was so strong, it ultimately altered the course of her life and led her down the path of environmental activism and education. Sharing and exploring nature has been the source of Ashley’s passion for the last six years, leading her to work as an educator, a community organizer, and most recently as a park ranger at Crater Lake National Park. Ashley loves to deeply listen to the natural world and strives to be a voice for the voiceless. She sees storytelling as a bridge between connecting everyday people with science and is excited to create alluring E.E. curriculum. Ashley’s desire to have an even greater impact on her community has led her to SOU’s Environmental Education program and she is delighted to be working with such an amazing cohort.
Becky Yaeger
Becky Yaeger grew up in Baltimore County, Maryland and spent lots of time recreating with her family by hiking, camping, kayaking and traveling. She attended Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY and earned a BA in Psychology while exploring the beautiful Finger Lakes, gorges, and forests of central New York. During and after college, she instructed with a youth program called Primitive Pursuits in Ithaca, and she became passionate about getting youth outdoors and connected to nature while learning wilderness survival skills and nature awareness. After college, Becky and her husband, Matt, road-tripped across the country twice and decided to relocate to Bend, Oregon where they explored mountains, lakes, high desert, and downhill skiing in Central Oregon. Becky worked for Cascade WILDS (Wilderness Immersion Learning Discovering Surviving), a 4-H youth program that Matt founded and instructed. She also studied to become an Oregon Master Naturalist and then interned at the Environmental Center as an Outdoor School Intern and with Discover Your Forest as a Winter Conservation Education intern. After earning her MS in Environmental Education at SOU, Becky will continue tackling Nature Deficit Disorder by providing nature immersion programming in preschool, after school, and summer camp settings
2015-2016
Katie Boehnlein
Katie Boehnlein is a native Oregonian who spent her early years searching for fairy houses on the hidden stairways and urban wilderness areas of Southwest Portland. Undoubtedly, these experiences led her to a dual undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and English at Seattle University. It was during these four formative years in Seattle that she awoke to a passion for environmental education while working as an educator at the Washington Park Arboretum on the shores of Lake Washington. Upon graduation, she moved to San Francisco, where she spent a year climbing the city’s many hills and writing about her experiences. However, Oregon’s lush forests inevitably called her back, prompting a move back to Portland and a job at a progressive independent school there. She spent three years teaching fifth graders, designing a garden curriculum, and founding an environmental leadership program at the school. Now a resident of the Rogue Valley, Katie is excited to immerse herself in the unmatched beauty of the area as well as continue exploring how schools can be places of environmental stewardship, activism, and community building for students and families. When not contemplating world peace and other trivial topics, Katie enjoys cycling, hiking, writing, singing, gardening, hosting dinner parties, and fumbling on her guitar and banjo.
Shannon Browne
Shannon Browne grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has always had a major affinity for mountains, rugged coastlines, and deep forest wilderness. She loves exploring the interrelationships of climate, geography, ecology, and human behavior. She comes to Southern Oregon University with a diverse background in interpretation, marketing, and activism. Previously she worked as Park Ranger at both the Oregon Caves National Monument and Crater Lake National Park. Most recently she hailed from the Sierra Club in San Francisco but was called back to Ashland and this extremely bio-diverse part of the world to enroll in the Masters of Environmental Education program at Southern Oregon University. She is excited to continue developing her passions of spreading environmental awareness and conservation and facilitating others to understand dynamic interrelationships of their own.
Emily Burke
Emily Burke grew up in northern Michigan and spent her childhood exploring the forests, rivers, and lakes of the Northwoods, which instilled in her a passion for nature and a desire to protect it. She headed south to Duke University for college, graduating with a B.A. in Evolutionary Anthropology (with a concentration in Behavior, Ecology, and Cognition) and a minor in Biology. Emily pursued wildlife research after college, working with critically endangered lemurs in Madagascar, coyotes and kit foxes in Utah, and bottlenose dolphins in Mississippi. She began a Ph.D. program in the fall of 2014 to pursue her interest in wildlife research, only to quickly discover that the long and involved research process was not, in fact, the most straightforward way for her to make a conservation difference. So Emily applied to SOU’s Environmental Education program with the goal of directly inspiring others to become conservation-oriented, and thankfully got in! During the transition, she decided it would be a good idea to hike to school from the Mexican border via the Pacific Crest Trail, and she arrived the day before orientation. In addition to her masters, Emily is pursuing the nonprofit management certificate and, to build on her wildlife research background, is completing a thesis on the interspecific competition between invasive barred owls and native great gray owls in Southern Oregon. Her dream job is working at a national park, half in environmental education and half in monitoring research. In her spare time, Emily loves to cook, hike, explore new breweries and wineries with her cohort, and hang out with her cats! (We promise she’s not as weird as that makes her sound).
Colleen Cavanaugh
Colleen Cavanaugh is originally from Peoria, Arizona. After moving to and finishing high school in Trumbull, Connecticut, she returned to Arizona to attend The University of Arizona receiving a degree in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Wildlife Conservation and Management. After completing her degree she worked with an NGO called Conservation CATalyst in Namibia, Africa, assisting in the research of African carnivores, focusing specifically on caracals. Although surveying African ungulates and collecting roadkill samples of carnivores across Namibia was an enriching and eye-opening experience, Colleen soon realized that her true passion was in environmental education and teaching about wildlife. She has worked as a conservation educator at Disney’s Animal Kingdom playing the role of a Wilderness Explorer Troop Leader (“Caw Caw Roar!”) and an educator at SeaWorld Orlando as well as an Outdoor Educator at South Mountain YMCA in Pennsylvania. She hopes that her experience at SOU will give her the necessary tools to instill the same love and passion she has for wildlife in students across the globe.
Emily Collins
Emily Collins grew up on a small farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York. She attended Boston University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a specialization in Marine Science. Her favorite part of her undergraduate experience was her semester abroad in Ecuador where she studied Tropical Ecology. After graduating, Emily spent 4 years working as a Fisheries Observer collecting data aboard commercial fishing vessels both on the East Coast and in Alaska. Her most recent adventure was working on an NOAA research vessel in the Gulf of Alaska as the Lab Lead for the annual Walleye Pollock survey. Emily is very excited to be a part of the Environmental Education program and is hoping to learn how she can use her knowledge and passion for Marine Biology and Ecology to help inspire others to care as much as she does. Her favorite things to do in her free time include traveling, hiking, and snowboarding and she is always up for an adventure!
Andy Cullison
Andy Cullison calls Hawaii home, specifically the island of Oahu, where the beauty of the landscape has had a profound impact on his life. He has followed his interests in science, health, and human interactions with nature to study biology. This eventually lead him to SOU’s Environmental Education program, although he originally studied Business Administration at the University of San Diego and worked as a nonprofit manager. Maintaining a deep personal connection with music and composition, he hopes to never stop learning and help people see the beauty in experiences, follow their own unique pursuits, and learn about themselves in the process.
Caitlin Hosken
Caitlin Hosken grew up along the coast of Maine, amongst the woods and the rocky tide pools of the Atlantic. She relocated to the west coast for a change of pace and received her B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Washington in 2008. After dabbling as a project technician with a marine research non-profit, she caught the environmental education bug when she started volunteering with the Seattle Aquarium as a beach naturalist. Seeing kids of all ages get super jazzed about the intertidal zone made her realize she wanted to be a part of those types of moments forever. She was most recently an assistant teacher at a nature center in Seattle, where she helped to inspire a love of the outdoors in 4 and 5-year-olds – little did she know she would end up learning all the words to the Frozen soundtrack. She has moved to Ashland with her husband Kerry and is excited to explore a new area and grow further towards her goal of becoming an environmental educator! Caitlin loves traveling, hiking, dancing, puppies, cheese, yoga, photography, and adventures of all kinds. Bill Watterson says it best: “It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy…let’s go exploring!”
Suphasiri Muttamara
Suphasiri Muttamara (a.k.a. Jam) is from Bangkok, Thailand. Despite being a city girl, she didn’t like the city. Her favorite childhood memories are of when her family went birding and camping in the forest. It has always been her dream to work in nature. She attended Mahidol University in Thailand receiving a degree in Conservation Biology. While discussing conservation topics with her classmates, she realized how connecting with nature from an early age inspired peoples’ attitudes, and how important this connection is for environmental conservation. After graduating, she worked with the United Nation Development Program (UNDP) as a project junior consultant. The work took her to the top of mountains of the Northern region in Thailand. There, she worked with local schools, and students to develop ecotourism practice and a curriculum that included the forest ecosystem that influences the community. Realizing education is the best way to conserve nature, she flew over 100,000 miles to acquire knowledge and tools so she can bring them back to help develop her country.
Katie Leuthauser
Katie Leuthauser grew up in Upstate New York in a small town called Hannawa Falls. Her interest in the natural world was sparked at a young age by her parents, who dragged her up the Adirondack Mountains, through fields of wildflowers, along the St. Lawrence River to dig for rocks and minerals, and everything in between. She attended Potsdam Central Schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade. After high school, Katie attended SUNY Cortland where she majored in Adolescence Education specializing in Earth Science and minored in Biology. Time not spent on studies was spent splashing around in the pool as a member of the swim team, rocking out with Geology Club, and maintaining a decent social life. After graduation, Katie made the move to the west coast after accepting a teaching position in Bickleton, Washington. She spent 4 years teaching 7th-12th-grade science in the very rural 90 person town. In her spare time, Katie enjoys hiking, backpacking, traveling, swimming, running, waterskiing, snow skiing, wandering in nature, preferably doing all those things with her dogs Porter and Indigo.
Colleen MacGilvray
Colleen MacGilvray originally hails from the picturesque rolling plains of central Illinois. She traveled long and far from eastern North Carolina to the beautiful Rogue Valley to begin her journey studying Environmental Education. She has been intrigued by the outside world at a young age. Her enthusiastic parents allowed her and her two older siblings to explore everywhere from the woods behind her childhood home to the national parks of the United States. Colleen graduated from Wake Forest University in May 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Environmental Science. During her undergraduate academic career, Colleen could be found in the lab analyzing plant roots for mycorrhizal fungal associations. Although exploring the rhizosphere allowed her to see the beauty in the microscopic world, she developed a great desire to share with others the wonders of the world – from the smallest fungi to the tallest mountains. Colleen worked as an Environmental Education intern at the Bald Head Island Conservancy on the barrier island of Bald Head Island, North Carolina. There she helped guests of all ages understand the importance of the island’s ecology and marvel at the animals that claim the shores of Bald Head as their home. The alligators, Great Blue Herons, sea turtles, and marveling kids and parents who visited the conservancy helped her realize that the best way to pursue her passion was through education. When she has a break from academic obligations, she can be found frolicking on hiking trails, thumbing through guide books, and identifying birds and fungi.
Matthew Solberg
Matthew Solberg grew up in Eugene, Oregon, but left the Ducks to pursue his passion in wildlife studies at Oregon State University. While working towards his BSc in Fisheries and Wildlife, he sought out experience abroad in Africa. Fostering close connections with local communities, Matthew found a niche in human-wildlife conflict. His interest in human dimensions of wildlife conservation grew as he spent time with the San Bushman of Namibia, working to trap and relocate large African carnivores in close proximity to livestock. For a time, Matthew found himself in the dark studying clans of spotted hyena (Malawi). Research alone did not fulfill him. It wasn’t until his Peace Corps service in Sierra Leone, West Africa, that Matthew discovered another love… teaching. There in the village, his students pulled his heartstrings and shaped Dauda (Matthew) in ways he could never imagine. Now he strives to combine his passion for wildlife studies with teaching. He is excited to work with a cohort who hail from all walks of life to implement the best environmental education the world has ever seen! In his spare time, you can find Matthew surfing, catching lizards, and fueling his healthy addiction to coffee (damn good coffee).
Chris Sharpe
Chris Sharpe is originally from Southern Maryland where he grew up playing outside in the woods every day and camping with his family on weekends. He studied History in Western Maryland at Frostburg State University. There his ethnobotanist roommate opened up a whole new way of looking at the woods. After college and a short stint with Americorps, he took a job as an environmental educator for a local non-profit. It was there that he began to love learning and teaching students about our environment. After moving to Bend, Oregon, to work for Portland’s legendary Outdoor School program he decided to further his education at SOU. In his spare time he enjoys camping, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, and seeing live music. Since moving to Ashland has begun rock climbing and exploring the wilds of Southern Oregon.
Christy VanRooyen
Christy VanRooyen is a southern Oregon native, who developed a love for nature while exploring the forests near her childhood home. Her insatiable scientific curiosity led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in Applied Environmental Sciences from Oregon Institute of Technology (OT). She gained extensive research experience as an air quality inspector and a geographic information system (GIS) analyst prior to beginning a career in academia. She is currently an instructor at OT, where she teaches introductory chemistry, nutrition, and the occasional environmental course. She spends her downtime hiking and backpacking with her husband and three children. Christy hopes to utilize her education and experiences to promote natural resource conservation and motivate people to pursue their own outdoor adventures.
Karelia Ver Eecke
Karelia Ver Eecke grew up in Cortez, Colorado, in the heart of the Southwest. At an early age she developed her sense of wonder and admiration for the beauty and ruggedness of the San Juan Mountains and high deserts of home. Feeling rather antsy after high school, Karelia explored Bellingham, Washington; taught snowboarding at Telluride Ski Resort; eloped to Vancouver, British Columbia; and finally landed in Gunnison, Colorado, where she earned her degree in Environmental Biology and Ecology. Karelia has worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife as an aquatic conservation technician and Prineville District’s Bureau of Land Management as a plant and habitat technician. Hailing most recently from Bend, Oregon, Karelia, her husband, Matt, and dog, Revel, love exploring all that the west has to offer. Upon completion of the Environmental Education program, Karelia will work with local agencies and the public to bring science, conservation, and public understanding to the same table. When not studying, Karelia, along with Matt and Revel, can be found sailing, skiing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, and generally having an excellent adventure.
2014-2015
Chelsea Behymer
Born and raised on the Central Coast of California, Chelsea Behymer found an early connection to her surroundings through surfing, kayaking, hiking, and horseback riding. After a field biology class on Santa Cruz Island exposed her to the world of conservation, she never looked back. Chelsea received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology from Hawaii Pacific University, where she dove (literally) into coral reef research, which continued to fuel her fascination with the interconnectedness of living things. Taking her knowledge from the field, Chelsea has spent the past (almost) two years working as a Naturalist around the world, educating passengers onboard cruise ships about marine science and natural history. From this work, she has come to realize that it is only through understanding the world around us that others will come to love it and want to preserve it too. Discovering this sense of purpose, Chelsea is thrilled to now be a part of the SOU EE Masters program, where she hopes to develop the skills necessary to create the experiential learning opportunities that foster the conservation-minded actions of current and future generations.
Elena Bianchi
Elena Bianchi grew up in western Michigan. She has always been passionate about protecting and conserving our natural resources. In 2008 she received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. After college she worked in the field of fisheries biology before deciding the best path towards conservation is through education. She is excited and grateful to be pursuing a master’s degree in environmental education as well as teaching licensure and certificate in non-profit business management. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, rock climbing and any kind of outdoor adventure.
Caroline Burdick
Caroline Burdick originally hails from Texas and graduated from the University of Colorado- Boulder in 2009 with a BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Women and Gender Studies. After graduating, she pursued her interest in wildlife research and worked on research projects with spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) in N. California, small mammals, and herpetofauna in Tennessee, and gastropods (slugs and snails) in N. Idaho. She also enjoyed teaching environmental education in N. Carolina and the mountains of Southern California. After a year and a half working in wilderness therapy in Utah and 5 years out of college, Caroline decided she was ready to return to get her Master’s. SOU’s MS in Environmental Education program drew her to Oregon because of its dual intensive focus on biology and education, and the amazing scenery of southern Oregon. She is very excited to work towards attaining her high school Biology endorsement and teaching license. In her spare time, Caroline loves traveling, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, movie and game nights with friends, and photographing every adventure.
Nicole Carbone
Nicole Carbone was born and raised in the Bay Area, but her visits with her grandparents on the Oregon Coast inspired her keen interest in the natural world. After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity, she became a teacher at Walker Creek Ranch, the same outdoor school she’d attended herself 11 years earlier. The experience gave her a sense of passion and purpose, as well as endless inspiration from the students, fellow naturalists, and forest around her. After two years of exploring the Santa Cruz mountains, working as a naturalist, and guiding kayak tours, she moved 340 miles north to Ashland to start the next chapter of her E.E. journey. The move to Oregon has reminded her of the things she loves: exploring with friends, time with family, hiking, camping, the ocean, and the wonders of the forest. After she finishes at SOU, Nicole hopes to share her passion and knowledge through an outdoor program, maybe even creating a residential one of her own! She hopes that her education will guide her as a teacher so she can open children’s eyes to life-changing moments in nature that will inspire them to make a difference in the world around them.
Jeremy Clothier
Jeremy Clothier grew up in the fair city of Knoxville, Tennessee. He attended college at Tennessee Tech University and graduated in 2012 with a degree in Environmental Biology. Since then he has traveled up and down the east coast working a variety of different educational, interpretive, and naturalist positions. Jeremy has lead nature kayaking tours in South Carolina, had fourth-grade students on tours through a National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, interpreted the wonders of migrating raptors in New Jersey, and handled live raptors while conducting educational shows in Pennsylvania. Now his long and dusty road has finally brought him to the west coast where he hopes to further his understanding of Environmental Education. When not in class you can usually find Jeremy with a pair of binoculars glued to his face looking for birds. He also enjoys kayaking, hiking, playing the trombone, or just taking some time to sit back and watch the world turn.
Amanda Cordes
Amanda Cordes is an Oregon local who grew up in Portland and got her BS in biology at Linfield College. During her undergrad, she researched the genetics of Whitebark pine, ran cross country, and made lots of time to explore plant communities throughout the state. After finishing school, she decided to leave her Oregon roots and make new homes throughout the west. While traveling she lived in Nevada and did plant restoration for the Great Basin Institute. This position got her involved in community education and furthered her passion to teach people in the outdoors. She also worked as a gardener in Southeast Alaska, where she learned a ton about growing her own food. Amanda likes to spend her free time hiking, skiing, and going to concerts. She is always on board when there is an opportunity to explore new lakes or rivers. She is getting her secondary teaching licensure while pursuing her degree at SOU and hopes to take whatever opportunities she can to get kids curious and excited in the outdoors.
Stephanie Danyi
Stephanie Danyi has been an environmental educator since the ripe old age of 7 when she was asked by a naturalist to help with a presentation about snakes at the local state park. Ever since then, Stephanie has enjoyed sharing her love of the natural world with others, helping to also deepen their understanding of ecology. Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Earlham College in 2003. Since then, in order to become a more effective environmental educator, Stephanie has worked in a variety of natural resource management jobs deepening her own understanding of ecology. After working in habitat restoration, invasive species management, performing vegetation surveys, and raptor monitoring, Stephanie is ready to return full time to sharing her knowledge and passion of the natural world with others. Stephanie also teaches Hatha Yoga and enjoys hiking. You are likely to find her out on a trail with her dog Zeus.
Bri Foster
Bri Foster is an Oregon native who studied Spanish and political science at the University of Portland before commissioning into the US Air Force. She always enjoyed the learning about the environment, outdoor activities like backpacking or kayaking, and working with kids. After leaving active duty, teaching was where she felt led to go next and, given her interests, Environmental Education was extremely appealing. She knew she wanted to get her teaching license from Oregon and SOU was the only University in the state that offered an Environmental Education Masters program. Thankfully, she got in and is now pursuing the EE masters along with an upper elementary/middle school teaching license and a non-profit business certification. She hopes to either run the education programs at a state or national park or to someday open an upper elementary or middle school that is in an outdoor environment year-round.
Joe Habecker
Joe Habecker started with Cohort #7 in the Fall term of 2014 after returning from a season of wildland firefighting with the USFS. He earned his BA in Geography in 2008 from Millersville University in his home state of Pennsylvania. Shortly after, he deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army. Upon his return, Joe was discharged and moved to Chico, California with his wife and worked as a Crew Leader in the California Conservation Corps. He then worked for the National Park Service as a Biological Science Technician on the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. When the wind brought his wife and Joe back to the west coast, he knew it was time to pursue his revisited dream of becoming an educator.
Alexandra Harding
Alexandra Harding grew up in Salem, Oregon. She attended Western Oregon University where she was active in student leadership and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology. During her time at Western, Alex participated in several exciting research opportunities, including helping to produce a street tree inventory of both Monmouth and Independence, Oregon. She also worked as an intern at the local Soil and Water Conservation District learning to write Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Plans for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. She enjoyed the opportunity to teach people how to conserve and protect local wildlife and their environment and was inspired to pursue a graduate degree in Environmental Education as a result. Alex is happy to be here at SOU working toward her certificate in non-profit management in addition to the MS in Environmental Education as well as interning with BeeGirl (a local nonprofit focused on honeybee conservation and beekeeping education) and representing SOU as a student board member for the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. In her free time, Alex enjoys volunteering with other local groups, hiking, swimming, going to the farmers market and spending time with her husband somewhere in the outdoors.
Sarah Heath
Sarah Heath is from Durango CO, where she’s about the only person in the entire city who does not ski or snowboard. She went to school at the University of Wyoming (don’t even talk to her about wolves or greater sage grouse) where she earned a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management (yes that is all one major) and a minor in Philosophy. The summer before her last semester she tripped and fell into environmental education when she took a job handling raptors in Cody, WY. Her experience there with the birds and the public set her on the path she walks now. Since then, she’s spent time in Churchill, Manitoba collecting data on the local polar bears and even more time on Sanibel Island in Florida watching birds and teaching both students and adults about the local habitats. Sarah is excited to come to Oregon and explore another entirely different ecosystem. In her spare time she enjoys playing video games, writing, walking in the woods, or just hanging out at home on the couch napping. Napping may be her favorite activity (she might have been a black bear in a past life).
Paul Kelley
Paul Kelley is a low stress, high energy lad who enjoys nothing more than spending time with his friends and family outdoors. He was born and raised in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and successfully spent 23 years in New England without ever skiing or snowboarding once. However, he is a mean sledder. He received his bachelors in Environmental Science from UMaine Orono and it took a couple of research positions in a few different countries to find his passion for education. Outside of class, you can find him playing board games, running, reading science fiction, and partaking in any outside activity that requires a few friends sharing some laughs to do. He is super excited to be in Oregon learning how to fuse his love for the outdoors with his interest in education and is so happy to have a fantastic cohort to share the journey with.
Brooke Mueller
Brooke Mueller was born and raised in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Growing up she spent her days outdoors playing in the woods behind her house and camping with her family. She received a comprehensive major in Ecology and Environmental Biology from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. She took that degree and headed out to the Cape Cod National Sea Shore where she held an internship to conduct plant surveys. From there she went to Western Massachusetts to teach environmental education to elementary school children and do trail work across the state. She then spent the next year living and teaching at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. With her degree, she hopes to work with motivated young people who are interested in being environmental educators. When not on campus, Brooke can be found baking, biking, hiking, reading, skiing, or crafting.
Chaney Swiney
Chaney Swiney was born in Nashville, Tennessee, where he grew up in between summer vacations with his parents that took him to a long list of National Parks that instilled in him a love and a need for nature. In the summer of 2012, he spent two weeks volunteering at Wild Mountains Trust, an environmental education center in Australia’s Border Ranges, and that showed him that environmental education was the best way to share that love with the rest of the world. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2013 with a degree in Geography because he really likes maps, and then pursued a restless path to Ashland: an internship with National Geographic, a semester of the wrong grad school, a walk across Spain on el Camino de Santiago, and an internship at Great Smoky Mountains NP. Now that he’s in Southern Oregon, he’s ready to explore the abundant natural and scenic wonders of his new home and make the most of his time in the west (he’s already driven between Ashland and Nashville three times, each with a new route). He hopes SOU will prepare him for his dream job: a National Park ranger who leads interpretive hikes and programs makes maps and interpretive signs and has time to travel the world as a nature photographer. If that doesn’t work out, he’ll settle for something similar and slightly more reasonable
2013-2014
Vanessa Carey
Vanessa Carey grew up in Auburn, Alabama. Her parents are biologists, so Vanessa was surrounded by a love of nature throughout her childhood. She followed this fondness of nature to Shorter University in Georgia where she obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology and Field Biology. While attending Shorter University she researched cave invertebrates with a special interest in arachnids. She has three published articles in various journals! Vanessa made the move out west two years ago to the lovely state of Oregon. She has made the transition back to school at SOU. When not studying for a class, Vanessa spends some of her time volunteering as a teacher at North Mountain Park. She also loves spending time with her 10-year-old son and her four-legged kids Ashley the dog, Rudy the cat, Juliette the Chinese Water Dragon, and Sand dollar the bearded dragon! Her favorite outdoor activities include caving, kayaking, and just being out in the wilderness. If you are ever in a survival situation (or just feeling hungry) Vanessa is the person to hang with because she always has food with her. Just don’t expect her to share the chocolate!!
Peter Kleinhenz
Peter Kleinhenz was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where his love of animals began due to two supportive parents and one of the nation’s finest zoos. His mom instilled him with a love for animals as sentient beings while his dad spent his summers off from teaching to taking him all over the state to look for animals. He attended Columbus Zoo School in high school, majored in zoology and mass communication at Miami University, studied abroad at the University of Tasmania, and worked as an upland chorus frog researcher through Florida State University as his first “real” job out of college. He plans to pursue a thesis at SOU that fuses conservation education with media production by filming a video about the Endangered Species Act. Upon graduation, Peter hopes to fund a traveling expedition through journalism about his encounters. Eventually, he hopes to continue his involvement with conservation media by hosting a nature TV program. He spends his free time searching under rocks and fallen trees for whatever amphibian or reptiles can be uncovered. He also enjoys nature photography, caving, going to concerts, and writing.
Erin Krenzer
Erin Krenzer grew up in the small town of Edwardsville, Illinois. She went to college at the University of Missouri- St. Louis, where she received her bachelors in biology. She then earned her Masters in biomedical sciences at the University of Colorado- Denver, where she conducted research on pediatric cancer, Ewing Sarcoma. During her experience at UC Denver, Erin decided that she would rather pursue a future in environmental education. While in Colorado, Erin reunited with her high school crush, Kyle. They married and now have a two-year-old, Lillian. Erin and her family moved to Oregon in December 2012. Since moving here, Erin has become completely at home. She enjoys all that Southern Oregon has to offer, including the ocean, the Redwoods, Crater Lake, Lake of the Woods, Hyatt Lake, and much more. Although she loves Ashland, Erin also really enjoys escaping to San Francisco for the big city experience! When Erin is not reading, hiking, studying, or relaxing with her family, she enjoys seeing music with friends!
Calvin Lin
Calvin is a New Jersey native who graduated from Rutgers University with a BS in Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources. (That’s all one major!) He did a year-long stint with AmeriCorps in their New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program, contributing to the local schools and community with projects and education outreach. This naturally influenced him to want to teach students about the wonders of nature and led him to the Environmental Education program. Also, he has an incredible weakness towards fluffy, fuzzy things.
Ellen Messerly
Ellen Messerly was born and raised in Maryland before going to Virginia Tech to double major in Wildlife Science and Animal and Poultry Sciences. After graduation, she spent a year in Kasane, Botswana (that’s in Africa!) volunteering as an environmental educator with the non-profit CARACAL. While in Africa she kayaked in hippo and crocodile-infested waters, was charged by an elephant, and ate termites and mopane worms. Needless to say, it was a memorable experience. When she’s not in class or running from elephants, Ellen enjoys playing the piano, horseback riding, running, hiking, biking, swimming, watching the sunrise, stargazing and hanging around campfires. She is also an awesome baker and can usually be bribed with dark chocolate.
Lesley Mobley
Lesley Mobley is a cookie-dough lover from Georgia. She attended Berry College and studied environmental science, with a concentration in biology. Lesley has a secret passion for European history, which explains her minor degree: history. At school, she researched Berry’s Eastern Bluebird population and the effects of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. Before arriving in Oregon, Lesley made a pit stop in Wisconsin where she worked as an Environmental Education and Captive Wildlife Management intern. Reading, trivia, knitting, stretching, dancing, epidemiology, hiking, playing with dogs, eating cookie dough…these things combined make a Lesley. She misses her three dogs desperately and they miss her too.
Kathy Nguyen
Kathy Nguyen received a bachelor of science in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution with a minor in Conservation Biology from UCLA. Kathy has studied hermit crabs and marine algae in Belize and researched yellow-bellied marmots in the Rocky Mountains. Kathy has used her immense knowledge of science and the environment to teach kindergarteners and first graders in afterschool programs and was a counselor, organizing backpacking trips, for summer urban youth programs in Los Angeles. In her downtime, Kathy likes to go rock climbing, skiing, and scuba diving or play with her dog Bagel. Kathy loves desserts, deserts, cacti, and crisp mountain air. She is an expert pumpkin carver and plays the guitar, ukulele, and piano. Kathy is pursuing a teaching license for middle and high school biology along with her masters in Environmental Education.
Mandy Noel
Mandy earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Columbia College in her home state of Missouri. Pursuing the path to becoming a park ranger, Mandy has rambled through the wetlands of the Big Muddy and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuges. After spending one summer living in a little bunkhouse on the prairie, Mandy left the Midwest for an internship at the Patuxent Research Refuge National Wildlife Visitor Center in Maryland. Once the joyful cries of visiting children fell silent and the leaves of gold beech trees and red maples faded, Mandy returned to Missouri for the winter. Shortly after, the travel bug bit her again, and she wound up working as an environmental educator for the Bureau of Land Management in Medford, Oregon. There she guides hikes on the Table Rocks by spring, builds and maintains trails by summer, and leads nature programs at McGregor Park by fall.
Emily Patrick
Emily Patrick hails from the Moosehead Lake region of Maine. She graduated from the University of Maine with her B.A. in Wildlife Ecology in 2013. She has a lovely 18-month-old daughter named Jaclyn. She loves many things including, but not limited to, the outdoors, hiking, exploring, traveling, plants, elephants, thrift/resale stores and coffee (and tea occasionally). She hopes to one-day work for an environmental nonprofit and works toward her goal of building a homestead with her daughter and fiancé, John. Her dream is to eventually become self-sustaining, living off of the land, preferably in Alaska!
Kimberly Schubert
Kimberly Schubert hails from the beautiful state of Merry-land, where she attended the school-color-twin of SOU, the University of Maryland. She majored in Environmental Science and Policy, furthering her studies by traveling the world to plant trees and monitor seal populations in New Zealand, and study grey whales and marine biology in Mexico. After such amazing experiences, she decided enough was enough! Little did she know the excitement that awaited her at Echo Hill Outdoor School, where she got to play in the mud, catch bugs, sleep in tents, and send children flying on a zipline! Kimberly, however, bid the East Coast farewell to join us in Southern Oregon and looks forward to excelling as one of the graduate assistants in the SEEC office. When Kimberly is not working, she enjoys plants, watching terrible movies, hiking, writing, and of course, eating baked goods with friends!
Phylicia Schwartz
Phylicia Schwartz comes to us from the lovely state of Iowa. Her formative years were spent in New Vienna, Iowa where she followed around her park ranger father and spent as much time as possible outdoors. For college, Phylicia studied at the University of Dubuque and majored in biology and environmental science. Phylicia has used her degrees in a number of interesting ways, reflecting her passion for travel, wildlife, and educating others about the importance of experiencing nature. Perhaps her most interesting job was working as an Alaskan ground fisheries observer. This required her to count fish, on a boat in rough Bering Sea waters, in the middle of winter. Other jobs Phylicia has held include black-footed ferret observer, volunteer researcher in Paraguay, and naturalist at the Delaware Nature Society for the past four years. She has traveled all over the world, but her most recent trip was to Oregon in July to start graduate school. In her free time, Phylicia enjoys hiking, fishing, geocaching, and hanging out with her two cats, Apollo and Hermes.
Kristin Todd
Kristin Todd grew up on the exotic island of Long Island, New York and graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Studies at Binghamton University. She traveled to Belize with a tropical marine biology class to snorkel and study amazing wildlife. She also spent time in college during winter break as a WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) volunteer. After graduating, Kristin moved to Savannah, Georgia for a year. Kristin has had an eclectic job background, including soccer referee, gymnastics coach, nursing home lunch lady, receptionist, salesperson, babysitter, and finally as a camp counselor at an environmental camp in Pennsylvania, which lead to her decision to pursue this program in environmental education. Kristin is very directional savvy and loves maps. Some of her other hobbies include collecting cool rocks, watching endless amounts of Netflix, and finding new hobbies. She is currently training for a triathlon next Fall. She can be found running the trails of Ashland eating/managing the wild blackberry population.
Jason Wilson
Jason Wilson earned his B.A. in Philosophy in 2011 from the University of Mississippi. After graduating, he pursued his interests in mycology, permaculture and systems theory. He spent time working in IT, taking Biology electives, and volunteering for the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Holly Springs, MS. While volunteering, he reconnected kids and adults with their environment through nature hikes, educational events, ecology camps, and the annual Hummingbird Migration Festival. Inspired by his experiences there, he became a certified Audubon naturalist and now hopes he can foster a career outdoors through a future in environmental education. Jason now spends his free time hunting fungi and managing his educational website: www.toadstoolstreasures.com. He hopes to one day build a cob home with his wife, learn to live simply and start his own outdoor educational center while pursuing mycological and ecological research. He is currently studying how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affect competition dynamics between native and nonnative grasses. Jason’s peers would describe him as being friendly, easy to talk to, down-to-earth and having a good sense of humor. These are traits that will certainly make him a great environmental educator in the future!
Nationally Accredited Graduate Program
by the North American Association for Environmental Education
