Symposium Speaker Bios

Thank you to all of our remarkable speakers and workshop leaders. Your wisdom and passion are inspiring as the University of Michigan commits itself to nature-based health and wellness interventions.

CAPT Sara B. Newman, DrPH, MCP CAPTAIN, United States Public Health Service Director, Office of Health and Safety, National Park Service - Large Address Keynote

Dr. Sara Newman is a Captain in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and has served for more than 30 years in public health positions with the private and public sectors. She is currently the Director of the Office of Health and Safety at the National Park Service (NPS) where she leads employee safety, public health protection, disease prevention, employee wellness, health promotion and emergency response policy and programming impacting the health and safety of more than 300 million visitors and thousands of employees in more than 400 parks nationwide. Dr. Newman has served previously in the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness leading the Secretary's high priority medical countermeasure initiatives. Before this, she was a senior epidemiologist with the Division of Immigration Health Services managing infection control and disease surveillance. Dr. Newman’s first USPHS assignment was with the Federal Bureau of Prisons conducting an epidemiologic study on sexually transmitted diseases in female federal prisoners. Since 2016 Dr. Newman has served as the NPS Scientific Integrity Officer and in 2021 was appointed to the White House Task Force for Scientific Integrity to inform the federal government’s scientific integrity policy. Dr. Newman is the Senior Advisor and founder of the US Surgeon General Charter Group Climate Action, Readiness and Equity (CARE) to engage USPHS Commissioned Corps officers in climate and health equity action across the nation. A key program in her portfolio is to promote parks as a health resource for mental and physical health through programs such as Healthy Parks Healthy People and ParkRx. Dr. Newman is a professorial lecturer at the George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health where she teaches a course on Health Equity and Public Health Leadership in the doctoral program. She earned her Doctor in Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont.

Dr. Robert D. Ernst, M.D., University of Michigan Chief Health Officer and Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness in Student Life - Keynote Speaker

Dr. Robert Ernst is a primary care physician with over two decades of leadership experience at the University of Michigan. As chief health officer, he is a key advisor to the U-M president on matters related to the promotion of health and well-being, disease management, and public health preparedness. His vision, one that aligns with the Okanagan Charter, is to embed health and well-being into all aspects of campus culture and to inform the institution in its aspirational goal to become a health-promoting university. This work includes highlighting and strengthening access to greenspaces and nature in campus environments.

His portfolio as associate vice president for health and wellness includes University Health & Counseling; Wolverine Wellness; Recreational Sports; and epidemiology and infection prevention. Also included is the Well-being Collective, which is actively working to build an ecosystem where every member of the community has the opportunity to thrive through the development of thoughtful, intentional systems and policies. He led U-M through the COVID-19 pandemic and established the lasting infrastructure for the Public Health Infection Prevention and Response Advisory Committee, which he chairs.

Dr. Ernst is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received his M.D. degree from the U-M Medical School. He completed his internal medicine residency training at U-M Hospital where he also served as a chief medical resident. He has previously served as executive director and medical director at University Health Service and as senior associate division chief of general internal medicine and assistant chair for primary care in the Department of Internal Medicine at Michigan Medicine. He is a clinical assistant professor at the U-M Medical School and he has been a physician at U-M since 1991.

Sam Kocurek, Graduate Student in School for Environment and Sustainability - Symposium Principal Investigator, Emcee, and Student Panel Moderator

Sam Kocurek is a second-year graduate student at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. Prior to coming to Michigan, Sam attended the University of Connecticut for his bachelor degrees, and it is there he learned about and embraced Nature Rx (thanks Cindi Jones!). Sam joined the UM Nature Rx project team when he began school here in Fall 2023 and since then, he came up with the idea of this symposium. Through multiple grants, co-sponsorship requests, and generous people at the university, the symposium is now a reality! Sam also works at the Office of Campus Sustainability primarily working with sustainable labs programming and assisting the Waste Reduction and Engagement team where he can. Otherwise, Sam enjoys running, many of the local breweries, and cooking chicken pot pie.

Katie Stannard, M.A., Behavioral Health Project Coordinator, Health & Well-Being Services - Nature Rx Project Lead, Opening Presentation, and Prescriptions Panel

Katie Stannard serves as Behavioral Health Project Coordinator, Health and Well-Being Services, supporting mental health strategy, planning, and program development. Her career includes outreach work in student affairs, alumni relations, and visitor experience. She leads the multidisciplinary Nature Rx Project Team of engaged, generous, creative people which has developed the Nature Rx app, outreach, and symposium to expand awareness of the healing benefits of nature. She is a facilitator for the Voices of the Staff Facilitate Flexible Work network team.

Alexander Jendrusina, Ph.D., Faculty and Staff Counselor, Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office (FASCCO), University Human Resources - Prescriptions Panel

Alex (he/him) previously worked as a primary care psychologist. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has provided clinical services in community-based clinics and large medical centers, including the VA Healthcare System. He approaches his clinical work with a collaborative, culturally responsive, and LGBTQIA+ affirming lens. Alex draws from evidence-based therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, motivational interviewing, and problem-solving training. He has supported people in addressing experiences of anxiety, depression, race-related stress, life transitions, stress management, and behavioral change. Elsewhere, Alex has instructed university courses, mentored students, published original research, and engaged extensively in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. For example, Alex has chaired DEI committees and provided educational and clinically focused DEI trainings.

Annissa Sisson, Undergraduate Student - Student Panel

Annissa Sisson is a junior at the University of Michigan, majoring in Biomolecular science with a minor in Biophysics. On campus, Annissa is involved in many different activities ranging from volunteering at the East Ann Arbor Health Center to leading a project team for ECO-UM. She also works as an Auxiliary Facilities Supervisor for recreational sports and does research for the department of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes. In her free time, Annissa loves running in the arboretum and going to the Michigan Football games with her friends.

Anthony Kolenic, Director of the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum - Lightning Talk and Moderator of the Prescription Panel

Anthony Kolenic serves as the Director of the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, where stewardship and environmental justice catalyze more sustainable futures. In addition to his directorial role, Kolenic also serves as Faculty Associate in American Culture, Faculty Affiliate in the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG), and on the Executive Committees of the Arts Initiative, the Well-being Collective, and the Office of Research’s Council of Centers and Institutes. Kolenic returned to the University of Michigan after serving as Associate Dean for Research + Strategic Initiatives and Associate Professor of Digital Arts + Sciences at the University of Florida.

Chris Eagle, IT Strategist and Enterprise Architect in Information Technology Services, - Lightning Talk

Chris Eagle is an IT Strategist and Enterprise Architect for the University of Michigan. In this role, he provides strategic planning and directional guidance for technology throughout the U-Mich campus. Chris is a key member of the team that created Michigan's first campus-wide IT strategic plan and is continually working on bridging the gaps between IT strategy, IT architecture, and IT projects. Chris is a former vice-chair for the EDUCAUSE IT Architects Constituent Group (Itana) and continues to participate and influence IT architecture throughout academia. Before coming to U-Mich, Chris spent 30 years in private industry, much of it in executive leadership roles, with companies such as Borders Books, Saturn/GM, and Unisys, and co-founded two venture funded start-up companies, Entyre Doc Prep, and JustTalk.

Christian Boyer, Health System Children's Center, Teaching Staff - Lightning Talk

Christian Boyer is a lead teacher at University of Michigan Health System Children’s Center in the Red Tailed Hawks Room. He holds a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education and a bachelor of science degree in elementary teaching from Eastern Michigan University. He also holds a State of Michigan teaching certificate with an early childhood education endorsement. In 2018, he was on the team that piloted the first forest classroom for the University of Michigan Children’s Centers. His classroom traveled daily to Nichols Arboretum where they focused on play and place-based experiences. Christian has presented on topics ranging from risk taking, challenging behaviors, teacher relationships, and nature connectedness. This fall, he had the opportunity to cultivate a new outdoor classroom at the university's Health System location.

Colleen M Greene, MA, BA, Senior Wellness Coordinator for MHealthy, the University of Michigan’s Wellness and Risk Reduction Program - Stretch Break Lead

Colleen Greene is a graduate of the University of Michigan. Colleen joined the UM as a staff member in 1996 as a Wellness Coordinator for MHealthy, the University of Michigan’s Wellness and Risk Reduction Program. She has been quoted in several national, as well as local, publications on employee wellness, as well as being interviewed on “Good Morning America”. She has spoken at several nationwide conferences on stress management, physical activity, and wellness programming. Her current responsibilities as Senior Wellness Coordinator include teaching exercise classes (Zumba, body sculpting, muscular fitness, etc.), leading population-based programs such as “Active U”, and the “Be Well in the Big House” event, and presenting seminars on all areas of well-being.

Connor B. Crawford, LLMSW, Post-MSW Fellow at University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services - Prescriptions Panel

Connor B. Crawford is in his second year as a Post-Master of Social Work Fellow at the University of Michigan's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), where he offers mental health counseling to both undergraduate and graduate students through individual, relationship, and group sessions. He co-founded the first ever CAPS Nature Therapy Group, reflecting his commitment to exploring the relationship between mental health and the natural world.

Connor earned his Master of Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Before transitioning into a career in mental health, he spent nearly a decade in the music industry, working in New York City and Nashville. Originally from Memphis, he completed his undergraduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, majoring in Spanish and English Creative Writing. Connor is especially passionate about men’s mental health and fostering wellness through nature-based approaches.

Jason Duvall, Ph.D., Lecturer IV in Program in the Environment - Research & Practice Panel

Jason Duvall is a lecturer in the Program in the Environment at the University of Michigan. He is broadly interested in understanding how environments impact people’s ability to function effectively and how health-related beliefs and motivations interact with and influence pro-environmental behavior. His research has focused on the use of nearby nature and environmental engagement to support well-being and encourage more physically active lifestyles. These efforts have included work with the Sierra Club to explore the impact that group-based nature recreation experiences have on military veterans. Jason also regularly teaches a first-year seminar called Prescription Nature that explores the theories and empirical evidence behind the benefits of nature exposure.

Joseph Trumpey, Associate Professor of Art at the Stamps School of Art & Design and an Associate Professor of Natural Resources at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan - Research & Practice Panel

Joe Trumpey is a Professor of Art, Environment, and Natural Resources. He is also the director of the Sustainable Living Experience, soon to become the Michigan Sustainability Community. He lives and works on a farmstead where he grows over half his annual food and lives in a strawbale home he designed and built. He has lived off the power grid using solar power since 2007. His work focuses on natural building materials and designs projects that connect humans to place. He has worked extensively on UM campus-based sustainability projects.

Julie Piazza, Senior Project Manager for the Office of Patient Experience at University of Michigan Health - Lightning Talk

Julie Piazza has led and collaborated with many multidisciplinary teams facilitating compassionate connected care and creating healing environments with patient-family centered engagement across the care continuum. She leads with compassion, evidence-based experience, and intentional inclusion. A seasoned Certified Child Life Specialist for 30+ years, serving pediatric patients, and families in Dallas, Boston, and Ann Arbor, Julie leverages her clinical skills as she leads and manages engagement projects, supports and coaches providing innovative foundational learning opportunities locally and nationally. Many of these engagement initiatives are related to reducing pain and anxiety through healthcare experiences. These individualized comfort tools originated in pediatrics have now expanded to adult care areas. Piazza is the lead investigator of a multidisciplinary team studying the impact of an adapted child life role applied to adult care settings focusing on anxiety, pain, procedural preparation/education, wellbeing, and overall human experience. An interprofessional educator, Julie earned her MS in Child Life/Healthcare Administration at Wheelock College and her BS in Child Development at Iowa State University.

Kallie England, Adventure Therapist, Adventure Leadership and School of Social Work - Lightning Talk & Research and Practice Panel

Kallie England, LMSW, is an adventure therapist, university instructor, yogi, occasionally-successful-gardener, & facilitator from Ann Arbor, MI. She teaches Adventure Therapy at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, where she invites students to develop and share their own connections with nature with their (future) therapy clients to deepen the therapeutic process (and protect themselves against burnout). She co-founded the Adventure Wellness Program at UM Adventure Leadership, which invites participants into mindful relationship with themselves and the natural world. She supervises MSW field placement students at Adventure Leadership, where they learn experiential facilitation, adventure therapy, and how to craft creative, fulfilling social work careers. In 2018 Kallie founded Akasha Wellness, a nature based experiential psychotherapy practice that was the first adventure therapy private practice in the Midwest. She adores spending her work days immersed in the local forests. She founded Great Lakes Adventure Therapists (a fun-loving professional group) in 2023 to bring together practitioners of outdoor therapy for mutual support and professional development. You can learn more about her work at www.akashawellness.org.

Kate Schertz, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Psychology Department, Emotional and Self Control Lab - Research & Practice Panel

Dr. Kathryn Schertz is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Psychology department at the University of Michigan, working in the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. Her research focuses on how our surrounding physical environment influences how we think and feel, with a particular interest in how natural environments can improve various measures of mental health, cognition, and wellbeing. Drawing on approaches from social, cognitive, and environmental psychology, she investigates how nature exposures can shift self-referential processing, or how one thinks about themself, in the service of emotion regulation and improved interpersonal relations. A second line of work explores how neighborhood physical and social characteristics are associated with social behavior and mental health outcomes. She is interested in how natural spaces can contribute to healthier and more equitable communities. Dr. Schertz received her PhD in Psychology in 2022 from the University of Chicago.

Kaylynn Budreau, Undergraduate Student - Student Panel

Kaylynn Budreau is a junior at the University of Michigan, majoring in Program in the Environment with a focus on Business and Sustainability. Driven by her commitment to sustainability, Kaylynn is actively involved in several campus organizations, including ECO-UM. She is an Erb Undergraduate Fellow, serves on the Dean of Students Advisory Board under Laura Blake-Jones, and works as a peer advisor for the Program in the Environment. Additionally, she interns with the Planet Blue Ambassador Program at the Graham Sustainability Institute. In her free time, Kaylynn enjoys spending time outdoors and capturing nature through photography.

Kelcey Statton, Ph.D., Chief Behavioral Health Strategist, Health & Well-being Services; Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School - Research & Practice Panel Moderator and Sara Newman's Moderator

Kelcey Stratton serves as Chief Behavioral Health Strategist at the University of Michigan and is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School. Her career has focused on “helping the helpers,” by providing mental health support for military veterans, healthcare workers, educators, and international development volunteers. In her current role, she develops collaborative and strategic initiatives to promote mental health for the university and academic medical center staff and faculty at the University of Michigan. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and has interests in the areas of stress and resilience, trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and the use of reflective practices to cultivate compassion and wisdom.

Leah Crosby, MFA, Creative Careers Fellow at the Arts Imitative - Nature Journaling Workshop Organizer

Leah Crosby is a multimedia artist using sound, performance, machines, and text to make work about paid caregiver relationships, memory loss, and human connection. They are currently a Creative Careers Fellow at the Arts Initiative and their MFA is from the Penny Stamps School of Art and Design. Leah is the front person of Iconic Chronic, a band you've never heard of.

View a selection of their creative work at leahcrosby.cargo.site

Lee Smith Bravender, M.Ed, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum - Research & Practice Panel

Lee is deeply curious about the intersections of human learning, health and wellbeing, and nature connection; her curiosity continually points her to the value of nature-based, outdoor play. As UM MBGNA’s Nature Play Advocate, Lee is responsible for Gaffield Children's Garden where she creates dynamic outdoor environments for nature-based play, seeking to build joyful community partnerships to increase childhood nature access and play equity. Drawing on scholarly evidence as well as professional experience, Lee knows outdoor play is essential, healthy human development, a pathway to pro-Earth behavior, a powerful practice of self-directed learning.

Lisa Shea, MS, Associate Director of Programs for Recreational Sports, Well-Being Collective Steering Committee - Prescriptions Panel

Lisa Shea, the Associate Director of Programs for Recreational Sports and a member of the Well-Being Collective Steering Committee, is passionate about helping people find their motivation to stay active and engaged. When she’s not at work, Lisa leads fitness classes, encouraging others to move. Whether it’s walking, biking, or enjoying the outdoors, she believes that life is best lived with plenty of fresh air and physical activity!

Maggie Fritz, North Campus Children's Center, Teaching Staff - Lightning Talk

I am a lover of the outdoors and nature! Michigan is my place, especially the lakes and rivers. I enjoy travel, music, birdwatching and fishing, foraging and wildcrafting, homesteading projects and taking care of my chickens and dogs. I am an Eastern Michigan graduate, with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I also hold a Nature Based Teacher Certification from Association for Nature Based Education. I am passionate about child development and nature connection, originally inspired by a close relationship with my three nephews. I also love to sing and tell stories, which is often my way of connecting with young children.

Marsha Benz, Assistant Director, Wellness Coaching and Wellbeing Academy, Wolverine Wellness - Prescriptions Panel

Marsha Benz serves as Assistant Director at Wolverine Wellness, Student Life. She manages Wellness Coaching for students and motivational interviewing trainings for the university as well as internal projects. She’s working to get the word out about Nature Rx, Art Rx and Movement Rx through Wellness Coaching as these are stellar ways to support mental health. Here I am working on the community garden in the library parking lot downtown Ann Arbor.

Nate Phipps, Managing Director of the Marsal Family School of Education’s Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research - Lightning Talk

Nate Phipps is the managing director of the Marsal Family School of Education’s Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research (CEDER). In his role, he oversees all of CEDER’s design, evaluation, and educational programs, including collaborating with project leads, fielding requests for new projects, and supporting projects throughout their lifecycle. He serves as director for CEDER’s program offerings, including the Dow Innovation Teacher Fellowship, Bosch Eco and STEM Teacher (BEST) Grant Program, and a student innovation competition, the James A. Kelly Learning Lever Prize Program. Nate works with CEDER colleagues to set the vision for CEDER’s work and to ensure CEDER is a positive organization. At the Marsal School, Nate is active in serving and building community. He has served as a member of the Staff Development Committee, where he has led efforts to engage with the topics of positive leadership, “deep work,” focus, and work-life balance.

Robert W. Marans, Research professor emeritus at U-M’s Institute for Social Research and professor emeritus of architecture and urban planning in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning - Research & Practice Panel

Robert W. Marans is research professor emeritus at U-M’s Institute for Social Research and professor emeritus of architecture and urban planning in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Throughout his career, Dr. Marans has conducted research dealing with various aspects of communities, neighborhoods, housing, and parks and recreational facilities. His research has focused on attributes of the physical and sociocultural environments and their influence on individual and group behavior, well-being, and quality of life. His current work deals with cultural issues of sustainability and climate change in institutional settings including universities and the impact of place on quality of life. His most recent co-edited book, Handbook of Quality of Life Research: Place and Space Perspectives was published by Edward Elgar this past spring. Marans is also involved in recreation policy. He is a member of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and the county’s representative on the board of the Huron- Clinton Metropolitan Authority (HCMA). He also serves as a trustee of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.

Shire Sheahan (they/them), LLMSW, Post-MSW Fellow at University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services - Prescriptions Panel

Shire Sheahan is in their second year as a Post-Master of Social Work Fellow at the University of Michigan's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), where they offer mental health counseling to both undergraduate and graduate students through individual, relationship, and group sessions. Shire co-founded the first CAPS Nature Therapy Group with Connor Crawford.

Shire earned their Master of Social Work from the University of Denver where they concentrated in experiential therapy modalities, particularly utilizing nature-based group and individual therapy interventions. They also had a first career in theatre as an educational director of a Queer youth ensemble in Chicago and studied Drama at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. They specialize in creative and experiential care, peer support, crisis interventions, grief & loss work, and gender-affirming care for college students.

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