Who Are We?
Meet The Team
The Project Team
Student Team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Ryan Hanna
Physics
Ryan is a Physics major at WPI. He is involved in WPI's energy research facilities hoping to make the world greener.
Erik Herrera
Mechanical Engineering
Erik is a Mechanical Engineering major in WPI's class of 2022 and is plays for the WPI varsity men's soccer team. He grew up in San Diego, California and is inspired by the connections between both the land and water.
Catherine Masiello
Biology & Biotechnology
Catherine is a Biology & Biotechnology major in WPI's Class of 2022 from Maryland. Having grown up right by the Chesapeake Bay, she's passionate about environmental sustainability and restoration.
Andrew Yatsuhashi
Chemical Engineering
Andrew is a Chemical Engineering major in WPI's class of 2022 and runs for the Varsity Track and Field and Cross Country teams. He is an avid outdoorsman, spending his free time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
The Project Collaborators
Our Collaborators at the Vacaresti Nature Park Association
Dan Barbulescu
VNPA Executive Director, Founding Member
He has 15 years of experience working in non-governmental organizations and 10 years in ecology and environmental protection projects. Before Văcăresti, he was the executive director of the Save the Danube and Delta organization. He has a degree in history (University of Bucharest), a master's degree in public policy (Queen Mary, University of London) and is in a doctoral program at the Faculty of Biology (University of Bucharest) studying the ecosystem services offered by Văcăresti Natural Park .
Nicoleta Marin
VNPA Project Manager
She is a graduate of the Faculty of Geography at the University of Bucharest. Since 2004 she participates voluntarily in the educational and maintenance programs of the tourist infrastructure developed by the Kogayon Association in the Buila-VînturariÈ›a National Park.
She has worked in the country and abroad (Japan and France) in multidisciplinary teams with which she developed environmental management systems for various projects.
She is currently a park ranger and divides her time between regular monitoring and office patrols, writes funding proposals, coordinates education and research projects, and corresponds with authorities, institutions and others interested in park management.
