Grant Bailey   Student Assistant

Originally from Saint Petersburg, Florida, Grant Bailey is now a Senior at Florida Gulf Coast University and loves every minute of it!  He is seeking a degree in environmental studies and hopes to become an environmental educator.  Grant is anxious to travel and is currently considering graduate programs in environmental education. He is active in numerous student organizations on campus such as Power of One Animal Rights Group, Amnesty International, and Students Against Hunger and Homelessness. Finally, Grant is thankful to have found the Center as it has and continues to inspire him.

Adam Finney   Center Volunteer

Born in Dayton Ohio and raised in Southwest Florida, Adam Finney is a senior graduating this spring with an Environmental Studies degree. He hopes to become a middle school teacher, educating our youth on the importance and wonders of the environment.  In his free time he enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors.

Megan Melvin   Student Assistent

Megan Melvin is preparing to graduate from FGCU in the Spring of 2008 with a major in English and a minor in Philosophy.  Originally from Indiana, she has also studied at Miami University of Ohio and University College London.  At FGCU, she edits the literary magazine The Mangrove Review and is currently coauthoring an essay with Dr. Jim Wohlpart for inclusion in the book Young People, Education, and Sustainable Development, edited by the Center.  Megan is now finalizing plans for after her graduation and is considering attending graduate school in the U.S. or returning to London.  She spends her free time traveling and relaxing with her family on Upper Captiva Island.

 Jessica Solimano   Graduate Assistant

Jessica Solimano is a graduate student working toward a master's degree in Business Administration. Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Jessica came to FGCU as a freshman in the fall of 2001, and has been working with the Center since 2005.She is an alumna of FGCU, having obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems in 2006.

In her free time, Jessica loves to travel and study languages.She visits Peru every year and works with the Love for Peru Foundation to provide assistance to the rural communities on the outskirts of Lima. Upon the completion of her MBA in 2007, Jessica plans to move abroad and work in international development.Her long-term goals are to study International Law and Human Rights, and to work with the United Nations and other international non-governmental organizations.Her aspiration is to help others, while traveling the world.

Elan Solveson   Student Assistant   

Elan Solveson is an undergraduate student working towards an environmental studies degree with an emphasis on environmental education. Elan is involved in many environmental education programs. She works with the Wings of Hope program educating students about the Florida Panther, works as an environmental educator for the FGCU Scholars Club leading students on tours of the campus trail system, works with Collier
County Audubon educating students about birds, and is excited at the opportunity to work at the Center! In her spare time, Elan enjoys playing the guitar and spending time outdoors. Upon graduation, Elan is excited to pursue her passion of traveling, and is looking to incorporate environmental education into her travels.

Jessica Mendes   Graduate Assistant

Jessica Mendes is a graduate student at Florida Gulf Coast University working towards a degree in Public Administration. Jessica serves on the Board of Directors for a local, grassroots organization, Environmental & Peace Education Center and is also an activist for social justice and environmental issues in Southwest Florida. She hopes to continue working with nonprofit organizations in the future.

Ariel Chomey   Student Assistant

Ariel Chomey is a fifth generation native of Southwest Florida. After being homeschooled until age 14, she enrolled at Edison State College and graduated High Honors with an AA degree in 2007 at age 17. She is currently majoring in Environmental Studies at FGCU and is active in the University Honors Program. A long time pianist, Ariel enjoys playing piano in her down time and also works to help local animal shelters. Ariel earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, equivalent to the Boy Scout Eagle Award, in 2009 and hopes to work for the National Park Service as an interpretive ranger in the future.

Michael Verdi   Editorial Assistant

Michael Verdi was born in Philadelphia, PA, but spent the majority of his youth in a small town in South Jersey. He came to Southwest Florida and enrolled at FGCU in 2006, but he took a semester off in 2008 to work for a non-profit environmental organization in Manhattan called Environment New York. He returned to FGCU in 2009, and he is currently a senior majoring in environmental studies with a minor in journalism. He is interested in joining the Peace Corps as an environmental volunteer after he graduates and possibly continuing his education after that. He hopes to do some sort of environmental reporting, and he eventually wants to teach.

Joseph Weakland   Editorial Associate

Joseph Weakland was born in Pensacola, Florida, and is a graduate student in English at  Florida Gulf Coast University. Joseph enjoys reading and writing, and is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. He plans to pursue a doctorate, and hopes to one day be a teacher.

Kersey Voss   Student Assistant

Kersey Voss is a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University and a Florida native. Her major is Environmental Studies with a minor in Global Studies and she is planning on working in the conservation field in the future. Kersey is also the secretary of the Dominican Republic Outreach Program. She enjoys yoga, reading and traveling. She hopes to teach fellow students more about the environment while working at The Center for Environmental and Sustainable Education.

Sabrina Perri   Student Assistant

Sabrina Perri is in her third year at Florida Gulf Coast University with a major in Environmental Studies and minors of Sociology and Psychology. After moving to Florida from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania she fell in love with the environment and decided to make southwest Florida home. She also works as an intern at Aquatic Systems Mosquito Education Program where she is a classroom assistant. During her free time, Sabrina makes purses from recycled fabrics, writes music, plays guitar and aspires to open a local coffee shop after graduation.