Welcoming New Staff!

The year may be winding down, but the Stone Living Lab team is growing! We are thrilled to welcome three new team members to the Lab, who will help us grow and strengthen our work in community engagement, data science, and communications and operations.

First is Elisa Guerrero as our Community Engagement Manager in partnership with Sustainable Solutions Lab. She will help foster relationships with community partners and ensure that our work is grounded in community needs and priorities. Her background is in municipal and regional climate action planning, state-level resilience frameworks, and community engagement efforts. She received her BS in Community and Environmental Sociology from the University of Wisconsin Madison and her MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University.

Second is Katie Zarada, our new Data Scientist! Katie is responsible for data management and analysis support, by managing and maintaining the Lab’s data, performing statistical analyses, and developing data-driving applications, dashboards and tools for the public, stakeholders, and decision makers. Before the Lab, they worked as an Environmental Scientist in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Assessment and Restoration Division. She received her BS in Ecology and Biochemistry from the University of Georgia and her MS in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida.

Third, this week we welcomed Alexis McLean as our Communications and Operations Coordinator. Alexis will be developing content and materials for our outreach channels, as well as leading our operations with updated systems and organization. Before the Lab, she  managed social media and developed communications campaigns for Special Olympics Vermont. She also interned at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she supported outreach initiatives aimed at preventing lead poisoning in children. She received her M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Northeastern University and her B.S. in Communications Technology Management from Ateneo de Manila University.

We are so excited to close out the year with three incredible new team members. Stay tuned in 2026 for new and growing initiatives supported by Elisa, Katie, and Alexis!