 Regan Cassady graduated with her B.S.J. in Public Relations and is pursuing an accelerated M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. She is the Outreach Assistant for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center; in this role, she is in charge of social media, website updates, promotional materials, & event planning/prep for WV Brownfields & TAB. Outside of work and school, Regan loves to stay active and spend time with her two cats. She is an active member of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority and serves on the Professional Greek Council executive board.
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 Luis Cervantes is a graduate research assistant pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management at West Virginia University, with his research focusing on the biological recovery of streams treated for acid mine drainage. He graduated with an Associate of Science Degree in Natural Resource and Wildlife Technology from Garrett College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Frostburg State University. Before starting at WVWRI, Luis worked for the Maryland State Park Service at Rocky Gap State Park as both a park ranger and naturalist, leading educational programs for the public about the aquatic ecology of the park’s lake and waterways of Western Maryland. In his free time, Luis enjoys fishing, hunting, kayaking, and spending time in the outdoors.
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 Ada Chen is a graphic designer for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Game Design & Interactive Media with a minor in Creative Writing. In this role, she will design a variety of materials, print and digital, to help support the center’s outreach efforts. When Ada isn’t studying or working, she enjoys spending time with her friends and reading!
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 Wesley DeLeurere is a sophomore Chemical Engineering student currently working with the WVWRI as part of the SURE Program. He is working on commercial feasibility testing for REE extraction from Acid Mine Drainage. Wesley has been passionate about sustainability from a young age, and hopes to use this opportunity to advance his knowledge into economical methods of advancing sustainable practices. Outside of research, Wesley is a massive theatre nerd and king of the pickleball court.
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 Fisher Hemwall is a graduate research assistant for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center. He graduated from Kent State University in 2025 with a bachelor's in Architectural Studies and a Business minor. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design and combined GIS and Spatial Analysis certificate. In his role, he uses his landscape architecture skills to design initial concepts for communities with brownfields sites. Additionally, he uses GIS to expand his understanding of the community through spatial-driven research and analysis. In his free time, he likes to mountain bike, hike, and collect comics.
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 Chayce Hill is a junior from Preston County, West Virginia that is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical engineering and a minor in Photography. Currently, He works as a lab assistant to aid in the day-to-day operations in lab and on site. He often enjoys the chance to photograph nature and West Virginia’s environment. He hopes to continue pursuing chemical research opportunities with WVWRI.
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 Alexander Himes is a sophomore pursuing a degree in Environmental Engineering and a minor in Geographical Information Science (GIS). Alex is originally from Grafton, West Virginia. He also works with the Common Waters project to assist watershed organizations across the region. Alex has a strong interest in geography and the natural world, and he takes pride in supporting the environment. He enjoys the outdoors, as he loves to fish, kayak, and hike.
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 Jordan Kincaid is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Water Research Institute while he pursues his master's degree for Civil/ Environmental Engineering at WVU. Kincaid graduated from WVU in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and has spent the last nine years working in the field of experiential education, where much of his work involved teaching whitewater paddling and river safety. As an avid kayaker and canoeist, he hopes that this opportunity with the WVWRI will help him develop new skills and discover more opportunities to have a positive impact on the rivers he loves.
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 Cally Lange is a PhD student in Human and Community Development at WVU with a focus on rural development processes and policies. She has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from The Ohio State University and a Master of Architecture with a concentration in Historic Preservation from Ball State University. As a Graduate Research Assistant for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, she develops case studies on downtown revitalization in rural communities, conducts research on local and state policy initiatives, and supports the Downtown Appalachia Working group.
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 Adelita Maddy is a senor pursuing a dual degree in Psychology and Criminology. She is the summer intern for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, assisting with outreach efforts and measuring impact. Outside of work and school, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Puck, going on hikes or long walks. After graduating, Adelita hopes to attend law school. |
 Jolie Mongeau is a graduate research assistant pursuing a master’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management. She graduated from WVU in 2024 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Soil and Water Science. She has been with WVWRI for a little over a year now but in the past, she has worked at an environmental consulting firm, she was a student leader for the E3 Summer Camp (Energy, Environment and Excitement) hosted by WVU, and worked as a greenhouse assistant. Additionally, Jolie is from Philadelphia PA and when not at school, she loves hiking, fishing and she is an active sister of Omega Phi Alpha and dedicates a lot of her time to community service. In the future she hopes to continue graduate school and receive her PhD or attend law school to study environmental law.
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 Sarah Nelson is a Graduate Research Assistant pursuing a master's degree in Civil Engineering. Her research focuses on the characterization of acid mine drainage and evaluation of treatment options in Deckers Creek. Previously, Sarah was an undergraduate student worker for WVWRI from 2023-2025 and completed the SURE program with WVWRI in 2023. Sarah's prior research analyzed water quality data in the Monongahela River basin to support the 3RQ program.
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 Quinn Raffo is a Common Waters VISTA with the West Virginia Water Research Institute, where she will support education and outreach initiatives related to water resources in West Virginia. She graduated from Davis & Elkins College in 2024 with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, with minors in GIS mapping and nonprofit management. Quinn will develop interactive educational materials for K–12 students to help connect students with environmental topics and watershed stewardship. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and getting coffee with friends.
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 Abby Thornbury is pursuing a master's degree in Civil Engineering at WVU and is from Canonsburg, PA. For the first half of the summer, she will be working at WRI as an undergraduate researcher and for the second half she will be doing Environmental Engineering research in Costa Rica. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and camping.
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 Jacob Williams, a Junior Environmental Engineering student at West Virginia University, is a student worker on the Critical Materials team. He is passionate about advancing sustainable resource recovery, specifically focusing on extracting rare earth elements from acid mine drainage. He will take part in helping with the daily workflows of the team, while collaborating with staff engineers on varying projects. A native of Preston, WV, Jacob brings that same drive to his personal life; when he isn’t in the lab, he is likely skiing, mountain biking, or pushing his limits training for Hyrox and endurance running.
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