Meet Our Team

Melissa Young
Principal Investigator / Director, Resource Conservation Initiatives (Huntington, New York)

Melissa has 15+ years of experience working on community sustainability, with a focus on waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and sustainable organics management. Melissa is currently on the board of NYSAR3 and has previously served on the board of the National Recycling Coalition. She received her Master of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Melissa also serves on the board of the Queens County Farm Museum. Melissa is connected to nature when working with people passionate about sustainability and experiences nature most when walking through nearby state parks and tending to her vegetable garden.

Lisa Ruggero
Assistant Director of Programs (Syracuse, NY)

Lisa Ruggero specializes in outreach and education initiatives, especially related to waste reduction, reuse and recycling. She draws on 14 years of experience in the sustainable materials management field to find creative ways to connect with audiences through effective messaging. Ms. Ruggero received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Communication and Culture from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She feels most connected to nature when she is spending time near the creek in her backyard or working in her garden.

Kaira T. Fuentes
PhD, Assistant Director of Carribbean Programs (Syracuse, NY)

Kaira is an environmental scientist, community planner, and researcher from Puerto Rico. Kaira manages programs focused on sustainable material management, integrated watershed management, and climate adaptation practices for diverse communities across Puerto Rico. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Community Land Planning from SUNY-ESF. Kaira enjoys sharing curious or likely unknown recycling facts with family and friends. In addition to being an avid music connoisseur, she enjoys listening to rhythms from its native Caribbean and exploring new sounds from the World. She identifies the arts as a universal language where our love for Mother Earth is manifested.

Jesse Kerns
Assistant Director of Reuse and Sustainable Organics Management (Syracuse, NY)

Jesse Kerns manages programs focused on sustainable organics management (i.e., food loss prevention, food rescue, composting) and its nexus with strategies for developing local food systems and mitigating climate change. In 2017, he received a master’s degree in Environmental Science from SUNY-ESF with a focus on Coupled Natural and Human Systems. Jesse lives on the north shore of Oneida Lake where he composts and gardens. He enjoys cooking with food scraps (e.g., veggie broth), reading books about nature, and playing acoustic guitar on his back porch. A practitioner of shinrin-yoku (i.e., forest bathing), Jesse can often be found hiking various forest ecosystems across Upstate New York.

Tess Clark
Assistant Director, Water Resilience (Syracuse, NY) She/her/hers

Tess is the Assistant Director of Water Resilience. She oversees the strategic development and implementation of research, engagement, and community assistance projects that enhance equitable access to clean, safe water and a climate-resilient future. Tess has over 10 years experience working across the non-profit, academic, and local government sectors on water resources issues. She holds a Masters of Science degree from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, where she analyzed impacts of public timber sales on state lands. Tess enjoys spending long days on the trail (running or hiking), and especially treasures the many interconnected trail networks in Central New York, including the North Country, the Empire State, and the Finger Lakes trail systems.

Adriana Albizu-Russe
Communications Assistant (Morovis, Puerto Rico & Syracuse, NY)

Adriana is a senior at Syracuse University, pursuing a double major in Marketing Management and Environment, Sustainability, and Policy. Over the past year, she has been actively involved in facilitating marketing and communication efforts for the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership through the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) program. Adriana is passionate about photography, creating content, traveling, trying new coffee shops, and collecting rings. A waste reduction practice that Adriana incorporates into her lifestyle is choosing to buy second-hand. She actively promotes this habit to her friends and peers, encouraging them to adopt more sustainable consumer practices. Adriana’s connection to nature stems from her childhood memories of growing up in the mountains of Puerto Rico. Watching her mother work as an Environmental Scientist has deeply influenced her understanding of and relationship with the natural world.

Calista Albring
Project Assistant, (Syracuse, NY)

Calista earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environment, Sustainability and Policy from Syracuse University in 2023. She then returned to Syracuse University the following year to receive her Master’s in Public Administration with a focus in Environmental Policy and graduated in June of 2024. While pursuing her Master’s, Calista completed a Certificate of Environmental Leadership through SUNY-ESF and worked as a graduate research fellow for the Syracuse University Dynamic Sustainability Lab. She is excited to continue working with the Syracuse community as a Project Assistant on the ISE team, where she is supporting research and writing tasks related to water infrastructure, workforce development, and climate resiliency. In her free time Calista enjoys tending to her houseplants and aquarium, visiting coffee shops, thrifting, and spending time with her dog Walter. She feels most connected to nature on the water when she is paddle boarding, scuba diving, boating, and swimming.

Stephanie I. Anderson-Morales
Program Associate (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Stephanie is a creative professional that’s been working for the past decade in advancing SMM in Puerto Rico, mainly through her work with GREEN-PR, a stewardship program aimed at college students and through co-facilitating the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras and a Master’s in International Development Studies from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She loves riding her bike, reading books, hiking through nature and singing songs that dream of a better world. While walking her dogs, she’ll often pick up litter before it connects to waterways. She connects to nature through dreams and inspiration.

Nuria Cancio-Flores
Graphic Designer (San Juan, Puerto Rico & Syracuse, New York)

Nuria is a junior at Syracuse University, pursuing a BFA in Communications Design with a minor in Marketing. She is a passionate designer that uses her skills to provide clear and effective communication through design for everyone. Over the past year, she has been involved in projects for both New York State and Puerto Rico programs and organizations. With a huge love for creativity, she finds herself spending time working on her art, photography, and cooking. Nuria embraces the sustainable practice of minimalism in her daily life, being mindful of buying only what’s needed, donating what’s not needed anymore, and buying second-hand. She also enjoys going on hiking adventures to connect with nature.

Cristen Crew
Program Associate (Syracuse, NY)

Cristen is dedicated to enhancing outreach, engagement, and communication within both the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and the national Environmental Finance Center Network. Cristen’s passion lies in fostering resilient systems and communities. She has an A.S. in Biology and earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies from SUNY-ESF. Cristen is fueled by reading, thrifting, being outdoors, and spending a large portion of her day giving her dog, Phoebe, belly rubs.

Averi Davis
Program Manager (Syracuse, NY)

Averi specializes in communication and engagement for our water and resiliency programming in New York State, focusing on resiliency, public water infrastructure, and workforce development. She also manages marketing and communication for the national Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN). Averi holds a B.S. in Communication & Rhetorical Studies from Syracuse University, where she double majored in Political Science (Public Policy concentration) and minored in Environment & Society. In her free time, Averi indulges her creative side with crafts, crochet, digital art, and painting. She feels the most grounded and connected to nature through walking, hiking, and meditating outdoors.

Lindsay Eberhart
Program Associate (Keeseville, NY)

Lindsay Eberhart, a recent graduate from SUNY-ESF, (21’) integrates her passion for a more seamless human-nature relationship into her work of coordinating outreach related to SMM including Recycle Right New York, Outreach and Engagement Training program, and The Center for Sustainable Materials Management. An avid thrift shopper, she is always searching for ways to buy used first, and in her free time, she can be found practicing handstands- looking for a fresh perspective from below. Whether she is in the ocean, a pond, or an ice cold river, submerged in water is where Lindsay feels most connected to nature.

Carla Erausquin Bayona
Graphic Design Intern (Syracuse, NY)

Carla is a graduate student at Syracuse University getting a masters in graphic design.

Jessica Eckerlin
Project Associate (Syracuse, NY)

Jessica works to connect municipalities with funding resources and facilitates technical assistance to local government leaders on topics relating to Local Infrastructure, Leadership, Management and Finance. Jessica holds a Masters of Science in Water and Wetland Resources from SUNY-ESF specializing in Ecosystem-based Management, a Masters of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with a concentration in Environmental Policy and is certified in Environmental Conflict Resolution and Mediation. Jessica feels most connected to nature when she is working on her 85 acre organic farm, especially when she is tending to her beehives.

Francisco Guzmán-Alvarado
Community Engagement Coordinator (Cayey, Puerto Rico)

Francisco drives engagement and outreach initiatives to small community water systems and brings hands-on experience operating and managing a small drinking water system in Puerto Rico. His work also involves assisting community-based organizations facing Climate Change challenges in planning and building a resilient future in the USVI and Puerto Rico. As part of his job, he frequently meets with community leaders, academics, government officials, and non-profit organizations and conspires to find solutions to governance, policies, and compliance on water-related issues. Francisco holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and earned a Master’s in Environmental Planning from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. He enjoys playing with dirt, composting, and caring for his food garden while dreaming about his future organic farm. When not at work, he feels connected to nature being outdoors and at the beach.

Morgan Ingraham
Program Associate (Syracuse, NY)

Morgan Ingraham serves as a Program Associate for ISE, where she assists with sustainable materials management projects. Her work includes leading the NYS SMM Stewardship Program, waste reduction and reuse grants, maintaining Reuse/Repair Locator Map, and more. She has over a decade of experience in education, outreach, and ecological research working for environmental-focused non-profits. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Humboldt State University and an M.S. in Environmental Biology from SUNY-ESF. To practice living towards a circular economy, Morgan works to reduce consumption by making use of local libraries and buying secondhand whenever possible. She loves to dance, rock climb, read, and explore outdoors. Morgan enjoys nature as a mindful participant: listening to birds, looking for mushrooms, and appreciating all the connections that make this Earth whole.

Seth Liebstein
Budget Associate (Syracuse, New York)

Seth joined ISE in 2020 as a Budget Associate after spending the previous 15 years at Hofstra University. Seth is responsible for administrative duties for the department as well as maintaining grant funds are allocated and spent appropriately. He attended Hofstra University in the Business Administration and Analytics program. Seth loves animals especially dogs as he has three of them keeping him busy in his free time. He feels the most connected with nature when he is by water, whether it is a small stream, a large waterfall or a babbling brook.

Kevin Lin
Graphic Design Intern (Syracuse, NY)

Kevin is one of the team’s graphic designers, working on visuals and branding. Fusing both his interests in design and sustainability, he employs the power of imagery to communicate our mission across languages. He is a current student at Syracuse University, studying Computer Art and Animation and minoring in Ceramics. Only discovering his passion for clay while at college, he learned the labor, energy, and materials involved in transforming earth into your everyday mug. If he is not creating a pot for his withering plants, he is thrifting pants never his size and sitting in the dark to save energy. Kevin finds his connection to nature through the sky and the clouds that are never the same.

MeiLin Luzadis
Project Coordinator (Rochester, NY)

MeiLin Luzadis (she/her) holds a BFA from Syracuse University in Art Photography. She contributes to the Recycle Right New York (RRNY) Campaign, the Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM), and Women for Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, and Rethinking Strategies for Managing Materials (W4R) in outreach, content creation, and other initiatives. She loves to find ways to combine art and science through photography and content creation to tell stories that inspire awareness and positive change. MeiLin finds she feels closest to nature when on walks and taking in the scenery. Her love of photography stems from the mesmerizing way that water and light interact.

Patrick Lynch
Program Manager (Syracuse, NY)

Patrick Lynch (He/Him) has spent the last 15 years working at the nexus of environmental advocacy and planning for more resilient communities. At Syracuse University, he manages innovative programs to support governments in building out clean water projects, with a focus on rural and disadvantaged communities. Patrick earned his Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School. As a social impact producer, his films explore themes of community identity, climate resiliency, and Native sovereignty. Patrick enjoys sourcing food from local farms, foraging with his wife, and cooking healthy meals at home. He feels most connected to nature when he’s paddling on a river, stemming from the eight years he spent in Chile as a director of a Chilean nonprofit in Patagonia. You can follow his adventures on Instagram/X/Threads @plynchrivers.

Susan McGrattan
Technical Specialist (Detroit, MI)

Susan provides engineering knowledge and expertise to support the EFC in addressing the operational and infrastructure challenges facing water or wastewater utilities. She previously worked as a consultant designing improvements to water and wastewater systems, optimizing the performance of treatment processes, and reducing water quality contaminants in the environment. Her experience in technical and management capacity building stems from international development work with the Peace Corps and Engineers Without Borders, where she specialized in water supply projects. Susan earned a B.S. and M.Eng from Cornell University in environmental engineering with a focus on water resource systems. She is originally from Maryland and holds a Professional Engineer’s license in Michigan, where she currently resides.

Mai Nguyen-Jeanneret
Student Project Assistant (Syracuse, NY)

Mai is interning at ISE as part of her practicum in the 2024-25 year focusing on community engagement with composting. She is a graduate student at Syracuse University in the MS Food Studies program and studied at SUNY Geneseo for undergraduate degrees in Geological Sciences and Sustainability Studies. She has spent 5+ years working and volunteering in school sustainability programs and departments working mostly in agricultural practices, campus composting, and student engagement. She composts at home with her roommates, thrifts first, and is an avid climber (of the bouldering variety). Mai connects with nature through outdoor climbing trips, hiking any trails she can find, and seeking the sights of any mushroom she can (many video and photo evidence).

Samuel K.A Nyamekye (Preferred: Sam)
Project Assistant (Syracuse, New York)

Sam is a Project Assistant at the Institute for Sustainability Engagement, where he works on sustainable materials and water management projects. Currently pursuing a PhD at SUNY-ESF, Sam’s research focuses on international environmental policies, particularly how they are implemented at the local level, with a strong emphasis on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). His work also explores the challenges of policy application. Sam’s interests span waste and materials management, the circular economy, and composting. Prior to his PhD, he spent five years as a researcher in the waste management industry. He is passionate about policy analysis and the creation of effective environmental policies that safeguard both human life and the natural environment. A people-oriented individual, Sam thrives on meeting new people, building connections, and enjoys spending quality time with friends and family.

Carly Stone
Communication Associate (Rochester, NY)

Combining her passion for sustainability with her skill for making connections, Carly assists ISE in all things communication, with highlighted support provided for Recycle Right New York (RRNY) and internal communications. With her English degree from SUNY Oneonta and years of experience in both journalism and marketing, Carly’s areas of expertise include developing and implementing communication and marketing strategies, creating content, and facilitating media relations. One of her favorite ways to reduce waste is bringing her own container to restaurants to take home leftovers. Outside of work, you can likely find her scouring Facebook marketplace or hitting the dance floor (particularly ones where there’s West Coast Swing, Bachata, or Brazilian Zouk). She feels most connected to nature when she can bask in the sun.

Owen Volk
Project Assistant (Syracuse, NY)

Owen is a Project Assistant who assists the ISE team with communications and social media management. He has an associate’s degree in environmental technology from Onondaga Community College, and a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a focus in Policy and Communications from SUNY-ESF. Two of the main waste reduction practices that he takes part in is thrifting his clothing, as well as composting. Owen is passionate about photography and videography and aspires to use his passion to help bring awareness to worldwide environmental concerns. He feels most connected to nature when he is out doing nature photography shoots and taking in the beauty around him.