Living Routes faculty are highly skilled and experienced educators and group leaders with Master's or Ph.D level qualifications. With broad inter-disciplinary academic expertise, our faculty possess a strong sense of integrity and commitment to sustainability, community development, and progressive education. Faculty live and travel with students to facilitate a positive community-building and mentoring process and to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of all participants.

India - Integral Sustainability at Auroville

Bindu Mohanty - Spring Semester

Ph.D., Comparative Studies in Integral Yoga and Transpersonal Theories, CIIS
M.A., English Literature, University of Kentucky
B.A., English Literature, Sambalpur University

A writer and senior faculty, Bindu Mohanty has lived in Auroville since 1994. Committed to the practice of Integral Yoga, she believes that social change requires a radical transformation of the individual. She is passionate about promoting social justice and ecological sustainability in a globalized world through an integral and transdisciplinary approach to education. Her current research interests include interpersonal dynamics and social evolution.

Ethan Hirsch-Tauber - Spring Semester

M.S. Environmental Education, Audubon Expedition Institute/Lesley University
B.A., Environmental Studies, New College of Florida

Ethan Hirsch-Tauber spent five years working in the field of green building and energy efficiency through a non-profit in Atlanta and then leveraging US government efficiency initiatives with a consulting company in Washington DC. In 2007, he returned to graduate school to focus on experiential and community-based environmental education. Hirsch-Tauber joined Living Routes in 2008 and continues to teach and be a teacher-trainer for the Auroville program. He has developed a strong passion for transformative, ecological, and integral education. More recently, he has begun visiting ecovillages around the world to explore the different ways that communities are approaching the present sustainability challenges humanity faces. His core goal as an educator is to inspire students on their personal journeys to create positive social and environmental change.

Andrea Vecchione - Fall Semester

Ph.D. (ABD), Asian Comparative Religions, California Institute of Integral Studies
M.A., Education, Mills College
B.S., Environmental Science, University of Rhode Island

Andrea Vecchione's love of nature and science began in Brazil and in the Pacific Northwest conducting wildlife surveys of rare and endangered animals. When she realized that human encroachment was the basis for most habitat destruction, her quest for sustainability led her to a path of organic farming, permaculture and teaching; bringing both nature into schools, and students out of the traditional classroom. Her master's thesis focused on how organic gardens can create a greater sense of community in public schools. Her thirteen years of teaching has afforded her experience with students from grade school through graduate programs, from a curriculum of environmental science to Permaculture and systems theory. After repeated trips to India, including working with Living Routes, she is completing her Ph.D.  dissertation on the topic of, "Sacred Groves and Traditional Environmental Knowledge" fusing both environmental ethics, and spirituality.

Min Ameen - Fall Semester

MBA, Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK.
BS Mechanical Engineering, Vikram University, India

Min lives in Auroville, is actively engaged with the Sadhana community and works on issues relating to environment and sustainability on the local and national level. In addition to working at Auroville’s Center for Scientific Research (CSR), he is involved with projects throughout India ranging from carbon offsetting, sustainable development, influencing government policy and rural empowerment through renewable energy and awareness. Min is currently working with the Ministry of Renewable Energy in India to develop favorable policies that will accelerate solar water heater distribution throughout the country. He is also in the process of creating an Eco-Exhibition in Auroville, for up to 500,000 visitors a year, that will improve awareness about sustainability and developing a program to deploy solar energy solutions for lighting and pumping water in deprived regions of India.

Mark Millstone Naveh

M.Sc., South Bank University in London; Honours (MA equiv.), James Cook University of North Queensland;
B.Sc., University of Sydney

Born in England, Mark grew up in Australia, and graduated with degrees in Ecology and Education for Sustainability. A resident of Kibbutz Lotan since 1989, he is the principal guide at the Center for Creative Ecology and is responsible for the Center’s educational programming.

Michael Livni

MD, University of British Columbia

Born in Vienna, Michael grew up in Vancouver B.C. and graduated with a specialization in Social Psychiatry. Livni served as coordinator for the Israeli Reform Youth Movement and has worked in various agricultural and economic fields. Since 1986, he has lived on Kibbutz Lotan, where he has been instrumental in establishing a widely successful program of educational ecology and eco-tourism.

Leah Zigmond

M.S., Environmental Science and Management, Duquesne University
BA, Biology, Chatham University

Leah has been a Lotan resident for 8 years and works at Lotan’s Center for Creative Ecology overseeing new developments in the ‘Eco-Kef’ ecology park as well as creating environmental education programs for visitors of all ages. She also manages the Kibbutz 1/2 acre vegetable garden and teaches classes on plant biology and sustainable desert gardening. Zigmond has also worked for the Southern Arava Research and Development Station, overseeing various field experiments. With a backgound in both market gardening and agricultural research Zigmond’s particular passions include sustainable irrigation practices and community supprorted agriculture.

Rabbi Daniel Burstyn

M.A., Jewish Studies, Hebrew College Boston; Rabbinical Ordination, ALEPH: the alliance for Jewish Renewal

Since 1990, Burstyn has made his home as a member of Kibbutz Lotan in Israel's Arava Desert. Daniel holds a Master's Degree in Jewish Studies through Boston's Hebrew College, where his research focus was on Judaism and the Environment, and was ordained Rabbi through ALEPH: the alliance for Jewish Renewal. He also holds a certificate in Permaculture. On the kibbutz, Daniel has worked in the kitchen, early childhood daycare, and as editor of the news magazine of the Eilot Regional Council. He currently manages the landscaping department and does his rotational work milking the cows.

Graham Meltzer

Graham Meltzer, PhD, Architecture and B.DesSt., Built Environment, University of Queensland, Australia

Meltzer has a deep abiding interest in communal living, architectural design, and green building. His academic research, teaching and experience over the last 20 years have focused on co-housing, looking specifically at the links between social cohesion, design theory and the human environment, environmentalism and sustainability. Meltzer is on the board of ICSA, the International Communal Studies Association, and is currently working for the Findhorn Foundation as Community Architect and Project Manager. He has written numerous articles, chapters, and books including, Sustainable Community: Learning from the Cohousing Model and Another Kind of Space: Creating Ecological Dwellings and Environments (co-author).

Gill Emslie

Diploma (M.A. equiv.) in Process Oriented Psychology, School of Process Oriented Psychology
Portland, OR, and London UK; Certificate in Holotropic Breathwork, School of Holotropic Breathwork, CA

Gill has extensive experience as an international trainer and facilitator, drawing on her training in transpersonal psychology, as a consultant to organizations and communities, and as a psychotherapist. She delivers trainings in group dynamics and conflict facilitation, social design, personal development, staff training, supervision, and developing the relationship between individual purpose and its application in the workplace and the world. Gill currently works within the corporate and voluntary sectors both in Europe and Latin America, as well as teaching in a variety of educational program.

Melissa Godbeer

B.MSc, M.MSc University of Metaphysics, California

Melissa is passionate about Living Education and personal sustainability, and teaches on a range of themes from green mind programming to pro-peace activism. She has been an educator with the Findhorn College since 2005 where her key area of interest is the beneficial communal effects of right-livelihood. With a diverse history originating in Zimbabwe, Africa, Melissa dynamically draws on over 10 years of team leadership and group facilitation experience, and utilizes advanced facilitation technology as a means to reach her audience. While maintaining an authentic level of compassion to support and mentor students through the academic demands of the rigorous Findhorn Community Semester program, Melissa’s capacity to demystify the seriousness of sustainable education brings relief to the learning community.

Lisa Shaw

M.F.A.,Grays School of Art, Aberdeen; B.F.A., The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, NYC

An artist, designer and educator, Shaw is the art director of the Ecovillage Institute, an ecological design and engineering firm based in Findhorn, Scotland. She has worked on projects for the restoration and sustainable use of water and soil in India, China, Bolivia, Russia and the UK. This work targets problems of water scarcity, contamination and land degradation. Shaw is involved in ecological art and is currently researching issues of self-image in relationship to the environment in Scotland.

Patricia Ortiz - Spring Semester

Licenciature (like a Bachelor but with a thesis) Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
M.S. Biological Science. University of Costa Rica
Post-graduate diploma on Natural History Filmmaking and Science Communication, Otago University, New Zealand.

Patricia Ortiz’ teaching and research focus in on behavioral ecology and using video filmmaking as a tool for studying animal behavior.  She has taught Tropical Biology and Conservation at MVI since 1997 and Environmental Sustainability and Tropical Ecology since 2009. She has made several documentary films about the Monteverde area and issues affecting sustainability in Costa Rica. She excels at working with students to create their own films that document their individual research or group projects in the field.  Born in Quito, Ecuador, and raised in Vienna, Austria, Patricia has resided in Monteverde for the last 14 years, where she is raising her 2 year old son, who is fast becoming a naturalist by traveling almost everywhere with his mother.  Patricia is a member of La Asociación Agrocultural-Cultual, a community association that supports local agricultural producers and the Farmer’s Market.

Adam C. Stein - Fall Semester

Ph.D., Evolutionary Biology, Syracuse University
B.S., Zoology, Northern Arizona University

Adam Stein is a seasoned field biologist and teacher with a strong background in evolutionary theory. A large portion of Adam's career has been spent in the Caribbean lowland forests of Costa Rica and other localities in Central America where he conducted research on tropical birds to help elucidate the process of speciation. Most recently, Adam has been involved with environmental work and teaching in the Russian Far-East. Both of these environments are completely different to the southwestern deserts Adam was born and raised in, but being professionally knowledgeable with all three of these ecosystems has given him a intimate understanding of the uniqueness and key differences of tropical ecosystems. More information on Adam and his background can be found on his website, www.adamcstein.com.

Ernesto Ruiz

Ph.D. (ABD), Applied Anthropology, University of South Florida
M.P.H., Public Health, University of South Florida
B.A., Anthropology, University of South Florida

Ernesto Ruiz is an experienced anthropological and public health researcher who has focused on the biological and cultural dimensions of social and economic transformations. A Costa Rican native and a resident of San Luis, our students’ host community, Ernesto Ruiz brings a deep connection to the issues, people, and sustainable development of the Monteverde area. For the past several years, he has engaged in ethnographic research in the Monteverde Zone, exploring people's perceptions concerning the transition from a small-scale agricultural to an economy heavily reliant on eco-tourism. Recipient of the 2009 University of South Florida Whiteford Research Achievement Award in Medical Anthropology, Ernesto is the co-author of numerous peer-reviewed papers and articles, including Without tourism, this town doesn’t eat: Food insecurity in Monteverde, Costa Rica, presented at the 108th annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association.

Cristina Rubio Rey

Ph.D. (ABD), Spanish Philology - Universidad Complutense, Madrid.
M.A., Spanish Philology and Hebrew Studies, University of Tel-Aviv, Israel

Cristina Rubio Rey, Coordinator of Monteverde Institute’s Spanish Department, has over 10 years of professional experience teaching Spanish, including appointments with the Cervantes Institute and Bosphorus University. Her academic focus has been on Spanish Philology, Hebrew Studies and Second Language Acquisition. In her classes, she emphasizes the cultural, social justice and ecological issues of Costa Rica and Central America. Before settling in Costa Rica, Cristina lived and worked in Spain, Israel, England, France and Turkey. She speaks four languages fluently and has a deep interest in language learning and intercultural communication.

Fran Lindau

M.A.T. - Master’s of Arts in Teaching (with Distinction), Colorado College
B.A., Political Science, Colorado College

Fran Lindau’s academic focus is on comparative politics of Latin America, the environment and the peoples of the Southwest [USA], and Teaching—with a particular focus on the environmental, economic, social and political challenges of the American Southwest. After completing the Master’s she was invited to design and co-teach a course about her thesis, on the impact of extractive industries in the American West. She simultaneously worked as a research assistant and traveled extensively throughout Mexico to study trans-migratory patterns and the political ramifications of the drug war. In Costa Rica, she spent a year researching these same issues, along with the effects of ecotourism, globalization and sustainable development. Fran is concurrently Living Routes faculty and Academic Director of the Monteverde Institute.

Min Ameen

MBA, Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK.
BS Mechanical Engineering, Vikram University, India

Min lives in Auroville, is actively engaged with the Sadhana community and works on issues relating to environment and sustainability on the local and national level. In addition to working at Auroville’s Center for Scientific Research (CSR), he is involved with projects throughout India ranging from carbon offsetting, sustainable development, influencing government policy and rural empowerment through renewable energy and awareness. Min is currently working with the Ministry of Renewable Energy in India to develop favorable policies that will accelerate solar water heater distribution throughout the country. He is also in the process of creating an Eco-Exhibition in Auroville, for up to 500,000 visitors a year, that will improve awareness about sustainability and developing a program to deploy solar energy solutions for lighting and pumping water in deprived regions of India.

Tara Mirel

M.S. Community Development with a focus in Public Participation, University of California
B.A., Sociology and Cultural Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Mirel works as a senior consultant for the International Institute for Facilitation and Change  in Cuernevaca, Mexico, providing facilitation services, consulting, and training to international organizations and governments. She has also facilitated community and international development with several organizations including working with indigenous communities in Panama through the Peace Corps and negotiating human rights policy at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Switzerland.

Giovanni Ciarlo

MA, Sustainable Communities and Socially Responsible Businesses, Goddard College
B.A. Education. University of Connecticut

Founding member of Huehuecoyotl and President of the Global Ecovillage Network, Ciarlo's consulting, teaching and facilitation work emphasizes team building, group decision making, diversity, deep democracy, environmental and social responsibility. He is an experienced Spanish language teacher and a world-traveled musician and performer working for educational reform and sustainable living through the arts. Ciarlo is multilingual and multicultural.

Frédérique Apffel-Marglin

Ph.D., Anthropology Brandeis University

Frédérique Apffel-Marglin, PhD. is Professor Emerita, Dept. of Anthropology at Smith College. She founded the non profit organization Sachamama Center in 2009 which she directs. She was born in France and raised in Tangier, Morocco. She came to the US to do her University studies. She has spent years in India and Peru working with indigenous peoples and with farmers and campesinos. She was a research associate at the World Institute for Development Economics (WIDER) in Helsinki, a part of the United Nations University, for several years in the 1980's and early 1990's. Along with the Harvard economist Stephen A. Marglin, she has directed several research projects questioning the dominance of the modern paradigm of knowledge. She has authored as well as edited eleven books, three of them resulting from the work at WIDER: Dominating Knowledge: Development, Culture and Resistance, and Decolonizing Knowledge: From Development to Dialogue, both with Oxford Clarendon and both co-edited with S.A. Marglin; the 3rd book out of the WIDER work is Who Will Save the Forests? co-edited with Tariq Banuri.

Gillian Goslinga

Ph.D., History of Consciousness Program, University of California, Santa Cruz
M.A., Visual Anthropology, University of Southern California
B.A., Anthropology and Comparative Religions, Smith College

Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Wesleyan University, Goslinga is interested in the poetics and politics of incommensurable knowledges and has worked in South India on so-called "virgin birth" beliefs (the attribution of reproductive agency to gods and goddesses) and in Peru and the U.S. on shamanic traditions of healing self and community. She is attentive to the post-colonial charge of inter-cultural spaces where understandings of what it means to "be in right relationship with" come to matter ethically, politically and ecologically. She has served as the Academic Director of the South Indian Term Abroad (SITA) in Madurai, Tamilnadu, and participated in Living Routes' Peru program in 2007. Goslinga is also an ethnographic filmmaker, with three films to her credit (see www.der.org) and an avid horsewoman.

Barbara Galinda Rodrigues

M.A., Brazil Spanish and Portuguese Literature and Theory, Federal University of Pernambuco.

Rodrigues received her licenciatura in Spanish and Portuguese from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil in 2007 and her masters in Theory of Literature with a specialization in Spanish language and literature from the same university in 2010. Her other areas of interest are: comparative literature, linguistics, and anthropology. She is currently assistant professor in the undergraduate course in Spanish literature with distance education program at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Rodrigues has published several essays on the Peruvian authors José María Arguedas and Mario Vargas Llosa.

Max Lindegger

Mech. Eng. Design, Gewerbeschule Luzern, Switzerland

As the creator and director of the Oceania/Asia secretariat of the Global Eco-village Network and primary designer of the Habitat Award winning Crystal Waters Permaculture village, Lindegger is a one of the leaders of the ecovillage movement. Faculty and lecturer in areas such as Environmental Change, Ecology, Sustainability, and Permaculture. Max is also the author of publications such as The Best of Permaculture (Nascimanere) and a frequent contributor to journals such as Simply Living and the International Permaculture Journal. Max was recently awarded the Australian Prime Minister’s Centenary Medal for distinguished achievement in the field of developing sustainable communities.

Steven Whitman

M.A., Environmental Policy and Planning, UMass Amherst;
B.A., Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island

Whitman is a professional focused largely on community and environmental planning issues. He is also adjunct faculty member at Plymouth State University where he teaches courses at the graduate and undergraduate level in environmental planning, community planning, and sustainability. During the past four years, he has been teaching field study courses in sustainability, permaculture, and ecovillage design in Iceland, Scotland, Sweden, Australia, and India. Steve lives in Plymouth, NH, and participates in a wide range of grassroots efforts that promote sustainability.

Lucia Legan

M.Ed. Science and Environmental Education, Deakin University, Australia

Diplomate of the Permaculture Institute of Australia, has worked in community development for more than 15 years with Aboriginal communities, women's groups, young people, and farmers. Since arriving in Brazil, she has co-founded both IPEC and the Mollison School for Sustainable Studies where she remains as Executive Director. Lucia has authored a nationally selected prize-winning environmental education guide called "Escola Sustentavel" ["Sustainable Schools"] which is currently in its second edition. She has recently launched a nationwide program, "Habitats na Escola," which empowers students, parents, and teachers with the skills to create sustainable habitats in school.

Hildegard Magdalena Klever Krause

PhD, Sustainable Development of the Humid Tropics, Federal University of Para, Brazil

Hildegard has lived in the Amazon since the age of nine, presonally witnessing the vast and varied impacts generated by humans on the forest. Through psychology, she works to increase awareness and empower people to change their behavior and renew their relationship with nature.  Hildegard has a masters in teacher training in public school systems and her Doctorate in public policy and the implementation of environmental education programs. Through Ecocentro IPEC she came into contact with permaculture and social technologies, and currently serves on the teaching and administrative staff there and at University of the State of Goiás in Pirenópolis.

Andre Jaeger Soares

PhD, Sustainable Development of the Humid Tropics, Federal University of Para, Brazil

Soares is a master’s candidate in environmental education at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, and is a cofounder of Ecocentro IPEC, a trilingual teacher, natural builder and permaculture designer. He founded the Permaculture Institute of Central Queensland in Australia. As national coordinator with the United Nations Development Program, Andre taught more than 2000 people throughout the country in permaculture design. Andre was given the Casa Claudia award for innovative design in natural construction and is acknowledged as one of the 50 most important people in environmental development in Brazil. His leadership in sustainability has attracted a partnership with the Swiss foundation AVINA creating new projects in the area of low impact architecture and social development in South America. In 2005, Andre also worked as an international aid worker in Haiti as a team leader in sustainable development. He is a diplomate of the Permaculture Institute of Australia.

Simi Hoque, UMass Faculty Sponsor

Ph.D. Architecture, UC Berkeley
M. Arch. 1st Professional Degree, Architecture, UC Berkeley
M.S. Civil and Envir. Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
B.A. Design Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Hoque teaches environmental systems and sustainable design principles. Her research is focused around the application and development of energy efficient buildings. She specializes in energy modeling, resource efficiency, and systems design and is seeking to improve the way buildings use the earth's resources. Simi is the co-founder of Floodspace, a research and design collaborative, whose mission is to develop strategies for improved housing, infrastructure, and livelihood in communities subject to climate change-related flooding.

Kay Cafasso

B.S., Environmental Geosciences, Boston College
Natural Building and Solar Home Design Certification, Solar Energy International
Permaculture Design Certification, Naropa University
Permaculture Instruction Certification, Dynamics Ecological Design

Kay Cafasso is a natural builder, a certified permaculture design course instructor, and a designer of ecological landscapes. Kay holds certificates in Solar Home Design and Natural Building Construction and has many years of experience specializing in earth plasters and natural finishes for straw bale and other natural buildings. After documenting ecological design applications in homes and landscapes in arid, temperate and tropical climates worldwide, Kay founded Sowing Solutions, offering education and ecological design and consultation services for homeowners and land stewards. Kay practices what she teaches: thoughtful and holistic design of landscapes, agriculture, dwellings, and communities.

Mark Krawczyk

B.S., Environmental Studies, University of Vermont
Diploma of Applied Permaculture - British Permaculture Association

Mark is a permaculture designer, traditional woodworker, natural builder and community organizer who resides in Burlington, VT. After studying Integral Sustainability with Living Routes in Auroville, India and earning his degree in Environmental Studies, he compiled A Directory of Useful Plants of New England - a comprehensive resource detailing the uses and ecological characteristics of over 115 useful plants hardy to Zone 5. Today, he directs Keyline Vermont, RivenWoodCrafts, and Burlington Permaculture and is an active member of Seven Generations Natural Builders, and EcoSystems Design Inc. Mark's teaching credits include Edible Forest Gardening, Coppice Forestry the Re-vitalization of Urban Landscapes, Lawn to Garden Conversions, Farm Scale Agroforestry, and Keyline Design and Soil Building. At RivenWoodCrafts, he produces chairs, agricultural implements and other useful objects from raw logs and also works as both a natural building educator and contractor, specializing in cob, adobe, wattle and daub, light clay, natural plasters and dry stone construction.

Jono Neiger

M.A., Landscape Design, Conway School of Landscape Design, MA
B.S., Forest Biology, SUNY Syracuse College of Environmental Science and Forestry, NY

Jono has a diverse background in ecology, environmental research, conservation, restoration, land stewardship, and landscape design. A permaculture teacher and designer since 1996, he was the Land Steward and Permaculture Apprenticeship Program Director at Lost Valley Educational Center in Oregon for 5 years. Jono is a Conservation Biologist with 17 years experience, is founder of Regenerative Design GROUP, a permaculture design and consultation firm in Leverett, Massachusetts and is a faculty member at the Conway School of Landscape Design. A sought after speaker at events, businesses and workshops, Jono's recent presentations include: Moving Towards Sustainability, Questioning the Invasive Species Paradigm, Urban Permaculture, Northeast Permaculture, and Natural Building Alternatives: Strawbale, Cob and Living Roofs.

Simi Hoque, UMass Faculty Sponsor

Ph.D. Architecture, UC Berkeley; M.Arch. 1st professional degree, Architecture, UC Berkeley
M.S. Civil and Env. Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University; B.A. Design Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Hoque teaches environmental systems and sustainable design principles. Her research is focused around the application and development of energy efficient buildings. She specializes in energy modeling, resource efficiency, and systems design and is seeking to improve the way buildings use the earth's resources. Simi is the co-founder of Floodspace, a research and design collaborative, whose mission is to develop strategies for improved housing, infrastructure, and livelihood in communities subject to climate change-related flooding.

Ryan Harb LEED AP

M.S. Green Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst
B.B.A., Business Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Permaculture Design Certification, Regenerative Design Group
Permaculture Instructor Certification, Dynamics Ecological Design

Ryan Harb, a certified permaculture designer and LEED Accredited Professional, received his BBA in Business Management and his M.S. in Green Building from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduating in 2010, Harb created a job for himself as the first Sustainability Specialist at UMass Amherst. He then facilitated one of the first student-led university permaculture gardens in the nation that supplies produce to its dining commons. Together, Harb and his students converted a traditional ¼ acre grass lawn into a thriving, productive, edible landscape that improves ecosystem health and provides education to the campus community. He is passionate about solving the world's social and environmental issues and is constantly inspired by others who are making a positive difference. Harb teaches courses in sustainable design and permaculture and is the first person in the nation to hold a Master of Science degree in Green Building. Currently he lives at Sirius Ecovillage and believes in modeling sustainability to learners of all ages. His projects are receiving national recognition.

Kay Cafasso

B.S., Environmental Geosciences, Boston College
Natural Building and Solar Home Design Certification, Solar Energy International
Permaculture Design Certification, Naropa University
Permaculture Instruction Certification, Dynamics Ecological Design

Kay Cafasso is a natural builder, a certified permaculture design course instructor, and a designer of ecological landscapes. She holds certificates in Solar Home Design and Natural Building Construction and has many years of experience specializing in earth plasters and natural finishes for straw bale and other natural buildings. After documenting ecological design applications in homes and landscapes in arid, temperate and tropical climates worldwide, Cafasso founded Sowing Solutions, offering education and ecological design and consultation services for homeowners and land stewards.

David T. Damery, UMass Faculty Sponsor

Associate Professor. Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Amherst
MS Industrial Administration (MBA), Carnegie Mellon University
BS Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

David T. Damery received the BS from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1980), the MS in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University (1988) and PhD in Resource Economics from the University of Massachusetts (2006).  He has worked in engineering, management, business consulting, entrepreneurship, secondary manufacturing and retailing of lumber and building materials.  He was hired as a Lecturer in the Univ. of Massachusetts, Building Materials and Wood Technology program in 1997.  Dr. Damery is currently Assoc. Professor and Director of the Building and Construction Technology program at the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst. He teaches and conducts research in green building, sustainable design and construction of the built environment, and forest products and building materials management, marketing and economics.