Acting Executive Director: Stephanie Hitztaler graduated from Grinnell College in 1996 with a B.A. in Russian and Environmental Studies and was a participant in AASEI's first annual student ecological research program conducted at Nizhnesvirsky Reserve (Summer 1996). After the completion of this program, she remained in St. Petersburg, teaching English and pursuing volunteer work with environmental NGOs. Following her stint in northwest Russia, she worked as an intern at the Taiga Rescue Network (TRN) in Sweden. (TRN is a non-governmental organization that unites the efforts of conservationists and ecologists working to protect and promote sustainable use of the world’s northern boreal forests,.) Stephanie also served as the assistant editor for the English-language publication, Russian Conservation News, from 1998-2000 in Moscow, Russia. In 2003 she received her M.S./ M.A. degrees in a dual program offered through the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Currently, she is pursing her Ph.D. at Michigan, focusing on non-timber forest products in the Russian Far East (Kamchatka Peninsula).
President and AASEI Founder: Brendan Sweeney has extensive experience in international environmental projects in the United States, the former Soviet Union, Malawi, Albania, Indonesia, and Cuba. His specific fields of interest include: integrated coastal zone management, strategic environmental planning, economic and tourism development, and water quality monitoring projects. He has a B.S. in Environmental Education from the Ohio State University and a M.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland. He founded AASEI in 1989.
Vice-President: Sandy Williams has extensive experience in Russia as a student and educator and has worked several seasons with the U.S. National Park Service as a park ranger. Sandy received a B.A. in Russian from Grinnell College and an M.A. in Russian from Stanford University. He currently manages the interactive marketing division of The Barnett Group in New York City.
Secretary/Treasurer: William K. Wasch, Sr. provides AASEI with a major strategic vision in the areas of fundraising and nonprofit management. He has over thirty years of experience in the nonprofit and higher educational sector and has traveled extensively through the outback of the former Soviet Union.
Board Member: Kate Ballantine was a participant in AASEI’s ecological research program in Nizhnesvirsky Reserve, summer 1997. Having lived in and traveled extensively in over 75 countries doing research and service work, Kate maintains that her internship with AASEI has been one of her most rewarding international experiences. Kate is currently a Ph.D. student in Cornell University’s Program in Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity. Her research is in water resources, wetland restoration ecology, and soil ecology.
Board Member: Bill Wasch, Jr. has a background in marketing, public relations and nonprofit management. Fluent in Russian, German and Spanish, Bill has spent the last four years involved in Russia through development of AASEI and various consulting projects in the private sector. Bill received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and an M.I.M. in International Business from The American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).
