Meet the Staff

Annie Laurie Cadmus

Director of Sustainability

Annie Laurie currently serves as the Director of Sustainability at ohio University. Most recently, Annie Laurie served as the Sustainability Specialist at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL where she worked closely with the Illinois green Economy Network in their efforts to further develop the green economy and its associated infrastructure. Her interest in the role sustainability plays in the student leadership development process was refined during her previous work experiences at both Alliance for Climate Education in Chicago, IL and Green Mountain College in Poultrey, VT. She holds a BA in Communication Studies and a MS in College Student Personnel Administration with curriculum emphasis in Sustainability. Both degrees are from Illinois State University. She is committed to providing access to sustainability throughout the Athens community and encourages all students, faculty, staff and community members to contact the Office of Sustainability to learn more about infusing sustainability into their own lives.

Mary Leciejewski

ml678710@ohio.edu

Mary is a second year graduate student pursuing a M.S. in Environmental Studies. She grew up just outside Cleveland, enjoying all the lovely green space and expansive Lake Erie. She then went on to Providence College to earn a B.A. in Public and Community Service Studies, with a concentration in American Environmentalism. While in the Ocean State, she spent much of her time outside working and learning on an urban farm. Now after some time in the Georgia mountains, Mary is excited for her current adventure in Athens. She and her dog Hax Saw can often be spotted hitting the local trails.

Alex Snyder

alex@alexsnyder.com

ss110706@ohio.edu

Alex Snyder is a second year Graduate Student in the School of Visual Communication pursuing an M.A. Interactive Multimedia. With a B.A. in Photojournalism Alex devotes most of his time toward conservation and travel photography. His works have been internationally published and he was named one of Nikon’s Top Emerging photographer’s in 2010. His images have been published by National Geographic Travel, US Airways, Nature’s Best Publication and Great Lakes Publishing to name a few. Alex was born and raised in Athens County and has spent countless hours documenting the scenery around him.

Penny Morgan

ps232905@ohio.edu

Penny Morgan is a first year Graduate Student in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Studies. Penny is a 2011 graduate of the Ohio University Department of Geography with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental pre-law. She completed most of her undergraduate work at the Lancaster Branch campus, where she worked in the Math and Writing Lab for five years. She lives in Lancaster with her husband and beloved pets, along with her adult chlidren and eight grandchildren.

Elaine Goetz

eg361508@ohio.edu

Elaine Goetz is a third year PhD student in Civil Engineering. She is a non-traditional student, having taken an 11 year break from professional life to be a stay-at-home mom to her four boys. She has a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an M.S. in Biological Engineering from Cornell University. She has worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a process engineer for Eli Lilly and Company, in academia as an information specialist at Cornell University’s Physical Sciences Library, and in local government as a legislative aide to the Athens City Council focusing on floodplain management issues. Her M.S. thesis topic was the biodegradation of halogenated methanes with thermophilic bacteria in an attached film reactor. Her PhD research includes evaluating various strategies for the remediation of acid mine drainage. Elaine and her husband, Doug, a Chemical Engineering professor, have lived with their children in Athens for the past 12 years. They spend the majority of their ‘spare time’ on soccer fields in and around the Athens area.

Jessica Bilecki

jb314110@ohio.edu

Jessica is currently a second year graduate student pursuing a M.S. in Environmental Studies. Her broad interest in sustainability has led her to study development and the environment in Thailand, endangered salamanders in The Great Smokey Mountains, native prairie restoration in Illinois and household gardening in Ethiopia, though when forced to choose, her primary interests lie in education and sustainable food systems. She is an experienced vegetable farmer, teacher and permaculturalist who has taught about gardening and environmental issues to a wide variety of audiences. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, she earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from Towson University (MD) and is currently studying food security and food deserts in rural Appalachian Ohio, serving on the OU President’s Advisory Council for Sustainability Planning and is an active board member of the Kossoye Project. She also enjoys a good game of volleyball from time to time!