Advisors

Advisor

Stephen R. Madigosky, Ed.D.

Chair of Department of Environmental Science and Sustainability
Professor of Environmental Science and Biology

Media Expertise: Science & Environment

About Me

I received my undergraduate degree in natural resources conservation from the University of Connecticut. My master’s and doctorate degrees were obtained from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, in natural resource conservation and biology, respectively. While pursuing doctoral studies at Ball State University, my work centered on honing my teaching skills and understanding the ecological habitats of ancient environments using plant spore systematics. Remnants of this theme persist in the work that I pursue today, both in the classroom and while working in tropical rainforests.
My students have always been an intricate part of my research pursuits, and I am most excited about mentoring and training them to become watchful stewards of the natural world. Early in my career, I conducted toxicological research at the Louisiana State University Center for Excellence in Cancer Research, assessing how environmental pollutants impact invertebrates and human cells. Currently, I hold a joint appointment in the Departments of Environmental Science and Biology at Widener University. Aspects of forest biology/tropical ecology and forest conservation/sustainable development have been my focus for more than two decades. The crux of this work centers on understanding how tropical forests repair themselves after small-scale disturbance. Additionally, I have monitored the forest microclimate in the Iquitos, Peru region for more than 20 years, and I have applied this information to understanding how this biologically rich environment supports a plethora of species.
My work in the area of sustainable development involves creating ventures that promote the preservation of rare and endangered tropical species. My most recent initiative focuses on creating market outlets for Central and South American coffee farmers. This project entices conventional coffee farmers to convert their operations to environmentally friendly shade grown organic conditions by paying them a higher living wage. The “cultivation to cup” program, as it is now called, creates a unique association between university faculty/students, rural coffee farmers, coffee roasters, and food service providers, all for promoting a greener environment. Students get the opportunity to travel each year to Costa Rica to conduct research as a part of this endeavor.

Advisor

Carl Smith

Ex. CEO / President of Call2Recycle

About Me

Mr. Smith heads Call2Recycle, North America’s most successful consumer battery recycling program.  As CEO / President, he oversees the organization’s strategy, its education efforts, and its stakeholder relationships.  He is known for his deep understanding of product stewardship and its impact on markets. Mr. Smith has extensive experience in strategic marketing, general management, and environmental leadership.   He has held senior positions in marketing with Fortune 500 companies, headed environmental organizations, and with major health care companies.  Along with advanced degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in public policy, he also has considerable experience in Washington D.C. including on Capitol Hill.

Advisor

Kieran White

COO, Lasso Loop
Ex. Tesla

About Me

Kieran has previous experience at Tesla, having worked on the operational projects, including the launch of Model 3. He is the COO at Lasso Loop, a startup recycling company striving to kickstart the D2C recycling revolution, giving him years of experience in the sustainability space to provide support to RecycleMyBattery. He’s a DraperU alumni, MovingWorlds cohort member, advises multiple startups and is specifically supporting the Regenerative Finance industry on the blockchain.

Advisor

Marco Sanchez

Vice President, Mitsubishi Power

About Me

Marco is responsible for leading the Intelligent Solutions Business Unit at Mitsubishi Power Americas, a major power generation and energy storage solutions provider; committed to environmental protection and carbon reduction. The Intelligent Solutions team’s mission is to leverage AI and Advanced Analytics to drive sustainable growth for its internal and external customers by driving operational efficiencies. The new Intelligent Solutions division will be responsible for integrating and optimizing the Controls Solutions Business, TOMONI Apps and the deployment of the Autonomous Power Plant. Prior to his current role, Marco was the Vice President of Service Sales for Power Generation Services where he and his team continuously achieved business objectives. During his tenure in the Service Sales organization, he held numerous leadership roles in various regions and helped expand the company’s footprint in the Americas. Marco joined MHPS in Feb 2008.  Marco earned his BS in Industrial Engineering and an Executive MBA from the University of Central Florida.

Advisor

Richard Riman

Distinguished Professor of MSE, Rutgers University, New jersey

Founder, Solidia Technologies

About Me

As a Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Professor Riman has been teaching for 25 years at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Department of Materials Science.  He obtained his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Materials and Engineering and his B.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering from Rutgers University. Professor Riman has extensive experience working with Federal agencies, companies, government laboratories, and universities.  He holds leadership roles in several professional societies and advises federal research organizations such as ONR, DARPA, ARPA-e, and others on emerging materials technologies. His entrepreneurial interests include most recently founding Solidia Technologies Inc., Piscataway, NJ, a company providing green manufacturing methods and construction materials for building and infrastructure applications.

Advisor

DR. WIN COWGER
(Aka DR> TRASH)

Research Scientist at the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research.

Founder, Solidia Technologies

About Me

Dr. Win Cowger (AKA Dr. Trash) is a Research Scientist at the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research. He studies the sources, transport, and fate of plastic pollution in the environment. His science focuses on identifying solutions to plastic pollution and assessing their effectiveness. As an applied scientist, Win works with nonprofit groups like Let’s Do It World and Algalita, Government agencies like the Ocean Protection Council, and academics to implement science in practice.

Advisor

Melisssa Wilson

Co-Founder And Director Of Athletes Of The World

Founder, Solidia Technologies

About Me

Melissa is a three-time World Championships A finalist, and co-founded Athletes of the World with Double Olympic Champion Hannah Mills last year. Since 2020 she’s brought over 500 elite athletes together across various campaigns: a letter to the UK government with 320 GB Olympian and Paralympian signatories, a video to World Leaders ahead of COP26 involving flag bearers from 35 different countries and a letter to World Rugby signed by 200 professional players. Her work focuses on building athlete-led campaigns for climate action, and removing the barriers to further athlete engagement through climate education and wider support.

Advisor

Dr Nasreen Majid

Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Education, UCL, IOE Faculty of Education and Society

Founder, Solidia Technologies

About Me

Dr Nasreen Majid is an Associate Professor of Education. I am interested in all aspects of teaching and learning of mathematics within the primary age range. My interests lie in how children learn mathematics and how they build their agency as mathematicians. My thesis centered on primary teachers’ professional careers, focusing on how they built their professional identity as a Primary Mathematics Specialists (PMaSTs).

I have also been working with colleagues across the University on climate and sustainability education. I was part of the planning committee for the University’s Climate Education Summit. One of the outcomes of the summit was the launch of a National Climate Action Plan at COP 26. I am part of the leadership team here at the IOE developing and delivering on action point 2. The framework developed for climate education for trainee teachers is going to be piloted at the University of Reading and HEIs across England. The evaluation of the framework will support the embedding of Climate and Sustainability education across all phases of Initial Teacher Training.

Dr Nasreen Majid is an educator with over 25 years’ of experience. She started as a primary school teacher in England, working in urban settings across London and the South East of England. She has two years of international teaching experience at the British School in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Nasreen’s move to teaching in Higher Education (HE) was inspired by her MA study in Education and International Development at UCL’s IOE, Faculty of Education and Society.

Nasreen has also held strategic leadership positions in both schools and at HE.

Nasreen’s recent portfolio of work on Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCSE) has gained local, national and international recognition. Through her leadership, a Framework has been developed to support colleagues across HE to build climate literacies with preservice teachers. Nasreen has showcased this work through local, national and international links, including presenting at Conferences and Special Interest Groups. She has written a book chapter to support primary teachers’ subject knowledge for CCSE and has evaluated the first phase of the framework delivery at three HE institutions.

Nasreen joined UCL’s IOE, Faculty of Education and Society in May 2023. Her main role at UCL is teaching on the MA in Education programme. Nasreen is also an Associate Fellow of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education. She is part of a team of colleagues developing professional development materials to support teachers in conceptualising and teaching CCSE in a connected and informed way.