Lia Franklin ’24 is a environmental studies and government major from Brooklyn, New York, who studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, during her junior year. Although she is a city girl at heart, she loves hiking and spending time in nature. When she is not at the Bailey College of the Environment, you can find her writing for The Argus, playing club soccer, or cooking with friends. Learn more about Lia, here!
Amanda Morris ’24 is an environmental studies and government major, with a concentration in international politics, from Quincy, Massachusetts. As a junior, Amanda had the opportunity to learn about sustainable development in Northern Europe while studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. She enjoys theater, music, and singing with her a cappella group, Onomatopoeia! Learn more about Amanda, here!
Safiya Sekkkm-Miles ’25 is a sociology and environmental studies major who studied abroad in London, England. On campus, she has worked as a program coordinator for Cardinal Kids and a TA for Intro to Enviro Studies. Safiya studied abroad in London, England, and makes it a priority to travel and spend her free time in nature!
Sophie Jager ’25 is an English and government major from Manchester, Vermont, who studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, in fall 2023. On campus, she plays classical guitar, leads the Outing Club, and works as managing editor for The Argus. Back in Vermont, she can always be found hiking and exploring the Green Mountains with Rosie, the cutest dog in the world.
Phoebe D’Amato ’27 is a first-year from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who is planning to major in neuroscience and film. Phoebe is passionate about social justice and music, and spends her free time playing guitar, dancing, and reading.
Laurie Kenney has been a member of the Wesleyan University community since 2014. Before joining the Bailey College of the Environment, she was the senior writer/editor and the editorial marketing manager in Wesleyan’s Office of University Communications. Laurie’s professional experience includes 20+ years in publishing, public relations, marketing, and education. Her favorite on-the-job experience: Working with Sir Roger Moore on his books, Bond on Bond: Reflections on 50 Years of James Bond Movies and One Lucky Bastard: Tales from Tinseltown. A past recipient with her daughters of a National Make a Difference Day Award and an American Red Cross Community Impact Award, Laurie is the creator of the Bailey COE’s coexist logo, blog, and newsletter and the writer of Wesleyan’s 2018 Telly Award-winning video short, Wes, Actually. Her first album, Every Apple Does Go Bad Eventually, is out now (October 6, 2023 – Cynical Girl Music Publishing ASCAP).
Barry Chernoff is the director of the Bailey College of the Environment and The Robert F. Schumann Chair of Environmental Studies. Chernoff joined the Wesleyan faculty in 2003. He teaches courses in Environmental Studies, Tropical Ecology, Aquatic Ecosystem Conservation, and Quantitative Analysis for the departments of Biology and Earth & Environmental Sciences. Chernoff’s research centers on the freshwater fishes of the Neotropical region, primarily those in South America in the Amazon. His research includes, ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation. He has also led international teams on expeditions designed to conserve large watersheds of the world, having made more than 32 expeditions in 12 countries.
- Read: Discover magazine: Barry Chernoff — In His Own Words
- Watch: Engaged Conversations — Bill McKibben and Barry ChernoffWatch: Understanding Biodiversity
In the past, Chernoff held professorial and curatorial positions at the Field Museum, University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. He holds a visiting position at Universidad Central de Venezuela. In his “spare” time, Chernoff is the guitarist for the Mattabesset String Collective, a 5-piece acoustic ensemble playing an eclectic mix of bluegrass, blues, folk, mountain, country and rock, all in a string band style.