The Big Green Bus :: Meet the Crew

:: Meet the Crew

We are a group of Dartmouth College students out to change the world — one waste vegetable oil powered bus at a time. Some of us are new environmentalists who have become concerned only recently, others have grown up with a deeply ingrained environmental ethos. Although we are many different things, we are united in a common belief that a group of enthusiastic, informed individuals armed with the right information can change the world for the better. So we’ve chosen to spend the summer together to teach Americans about climate change and the energy issues facing our nation, as well as — and this is the important part — what they can do about it.

2010 Crew

	Andrew Ching Hometown: Calgary, Canada Major: Sociology & Environmental Studies Growing up with the view of the Rocky Mountains from my back window and downtown Calgary out my front prompted my passion for balancing urbanity and the natural environment. Whether it's experiencing new cities or hiking through national parks, I've developed a love for traveling and the brilliance of both manmade and natural phenomenons has inspired me to ensure that they exist and thrive efficiently for future generations to come. The Big Green Bus is a perfect combination of exploring America and actively making it aware to people that in a sustainable and environmentally-conscious world future generations can enjoy the things we enjoy. Outside of the Bus you might find me long jumping at the track, shooting photos in the mountains, kicking back at my fraternity or planning my next trip. Hope to see you on the road!
	Olivia Kent Hometown: Key West, FL Major: Undecided In high school, I was involved with the alternative energy program at my school. At the end of my senior year, I heard about The Big Green Bus and decided I wanted to be a part of that when I came to Dartmouth. Being on the Bus fulfills two of my current/lifelong goals: 1) spreading my passion for the environment and sustainability, and 2) doing a cross-country road trip. Also, living on a bus with 11 friends, talking about the environment, is a pretty cool way to spend a summer.
	Emily Pizzichemi Hometown: Scranton, PA Major: Biology, with a concentration in Ecology and Evolution Minor: Psychology Since I was a child, I have been enamored of the biological world in general. I adopted an orca when I was six years old after director Simon Wincer inspired me in "Free Willy". I volunteered at the ASPCA when I was nine years old after witnessing the old curmudgeon down the street abusing his black lab. I started clipping plastic six-pack containers when I was twelve years old after hearing that they often became entangled in ducks' feet. I ordered an organic tee shirt under the influence of "Save the Pandas" propaganda when I was nineteen years old. After all of these seemingly superficial efforts to have an impact on the future health of wildlife, I realized that I needed to dedicate myself to something that would have a meaningful and concrete impact on the health of the planet and all of its creatures. At Dartmouth College, I found my passion lies in the study of conservation biology. Growing up in a delapidated old coal-mining town, I saw the impacts of industry on the environment daily. My incessant reading of National Geographic aside, I never understood the magnitude of mankind's impact on the earth until arriving at Dartmouth. The Big Green Bus is giving me the opportunity to share my innate passion and newfound knowledge with diverse people of this amazing country.
	Becky Niemiec Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Major: Environmental Science In my senior year of high school, two friends and I loaded up my car with a tent, Top Ramen, and Bob Dylan CDs and embarked on a two week road trip up the coast of California. Since then, I've developed a love for road trips and travel in general. However, growing up in a family of environmentalist ex-hippies living in the midst of the smog of LA, I was often concerned about how my love for road trips was impacting the environment. That is why the Big Green Bus was the perfect opportunity for me- I could indulge my love of the road in a low-impact way while simultaneously working to spread a message of sustainability and environmental activism. I am excited for the most epic summer I could ever imagine- hopefully filled with more adventures and less Ramen!
	Emily Mason-Osann Hometown: Gorham, ME Major: Engineering I have friends who have been telling me for years that I'm a hippie, which I never really understood. I grew up in southern Maine, amidst forests, beaches, and mountains. It was nearly impossible to not develop a basic love for the natural world. As I got older, this love developed into a more educated environmental consciousness. Between high school and college, my appreciation of the natural world changed from sitting outside every afternoon in the grass into learning about sustainable design and the capacity people have to change the world positively and negatively. The Big Green Bus is the perfect opportunity to not only spread my love for the natural world but also spread the more practical message and applicable lifestyle changes. Plus who can really turn down a cross country road trip with 11 friends? When I'm not engineering or working on the Bus, I spend my time playing rugby, cooking dinner, or dressing up in tie-dye onesies.
	Ann Elise DeBelina Hometown: Palatine, IL Major: Engineering modified Environmental Science I did not grow up in the Pacific Northwest, and I did not spend my time hiking and rock climbing every weekend, while listening to birdcalls and composting my waste. Quite on the contrary, I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, watching the Bulls dominate the NBA in the ’90s while dining on Vienna beef hot dogs and deep-dish pizza. My time at Dartmouth has opened my eyes to wonderful things like birdcalls and composting, and through my engineering studies, I have become increasingly passionate about topics of energy, climate change and sustainability. However, sustainability and energy cannot just be tackled from the academic side; they are also inherently social, political and cultural. This summer, I am excited to engage in conversations with people all over the nation about these topics
	Brandon Cohen Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ Major: Engineering modified with Environmental Science Like many other people on the bus, I come from a suburban area, pretty disconnected from the environment. I've spent every summer since I can remember and all of my spare time in between hanging out of doors: hiking, skiing, canoeing, and what not. I guess the only thing better than hanging out in nature is to make sure future generations can have the same experiences that I have
	Robert Collier Hometown: Etna, NH Major: Engineering Three things that I care deeply about are exploring, preserving the environment, and eating grapefruit. In the bus, I have found two of those. While sadly lacking in fresh produce, the big green bus does provide an incredible opportunity to learn and educate others about the environment, all the while exploring every corner of the country. I'm incredibly excited for the opportunity to spend the summer than in a tin can with a dozen smelly Dartmouth students, following my passion around the country!
	Betsy Dain-Owens Hometown: Mercer Island, WA Major: Engineering modified with Environmental Sciences Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, in a family that took to the mountains and waterways every school vacation my sisters and I had, it was pretty near impossible to not be "environmentally aware" from a young age. I saw my first Grizzly Bears and humpback whales while rafting and kayaking through the Alaskan wilderness, and spent summers on Lake Washington, surrounded by a ring of snow-capped mountains that drifted just beyond the city skyline. Now at Dartmouth, my awe and appreciation for the natural world has taken on a much more complex role, as I have been able to explore the social, economic, political, and technological factors that affect our ability to be "sustainable". Always an avid lover of traveling and the outdoors, I see this summer as an opportunity to learn about the countless and varied ways in which people relate to the environment around them, be it city buildings or rolling hills. I'm a strong believer in our power to be responsible stewards of our environment, and see The Big Green Bus as an exciting and effective means to make a difference, talking one-on-one with people around the country and building a network to motivate and inspire sustainable actions - at both the individual and community levels. I know I have miles of road ahead of me and even more miles of things to learn, and I cannot wait to get started!
	Esop Baek Hometown: Long Island, NY Major: Biology "No more!" I said. No longer would I be the wasteful and indoor-loving, non-composter of old. My short time at Dartmouth has helped me to understand that I have a responsibility to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and share this philosophy with others as well - hence, the bus! I hope to make this summer as much a learning experience for me as it will be a life-changing epiphany for the trillions of people we meet across the country. At the end of all this, I aspire to become the tree-hugging, longhaired, tie-dye wearing hippy that I know I have the potential to be.
	Ben Paly Hometown: Marblehead, MA Major: Environmental Studies Keywords: 10 week road trip, environmental education, crazy fun interesting Dartmouth friends, the whole country. That’s just too good, I had to get onboard. Two realizations led me to frantically shoot in an application for the BGB while in South Africa. First, environmental awareness is easy and it saves you money. I am confident that if everyone knew just how easy it is and how much could be saved (for the earth and their wallets), they would be amazed they ever did anything else. Second, I’ve seen far too little of this beautiful country. Giddy-up!

2009 Crew

	Mike Wood '10 Hometown: Bethel, Vermont Major: Engineering modified with Studio Art The joke is that every engineer grew up playing with legos, so maybe my fate was sealed when at the age of 10 I decided it was possible to build a windmill out of the little red blocks. It wasn't. Growing up in Vermont taught me how to ski on ice and rock climb in the mud, but neither will compare to what an adventure touring across the country in a waste vegetable oil powered bus will be. Two things I'm passionate about are reusable dining ware and carpooling, but who could live on a bus for three months with 13 other college students and not be?
	Kari Cholnoky '10 Hometown: Darien, Connecticut Double majoring in Environmental Studies and Studio Art At Dartmouth I am the Director of the Dartmouth Ski Patrol, I have a very hard time matching my socks, and my parents tell me that I was raised by wolves, but we don't have time for that. Hunter S. Thompson once famously stated, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro". It has been reasonably established that the going has officially gotten weird. With this in mind, as a member of the Big Green Bus crew of 2009 (which is the weirdest group of students ever assembled) I have decided to turn Pro. I'm going to educate the living daylights out of anyone that comes my way in an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues and help people make smart decisions on how to live more sustainably. Why not? Get it on.
	Anna Wearn '12 Hometown: Portland, Oregon Major: Latin American and Caribbean Studies modified with Spanish. Dartmouth's Teacher Education Program to become certified as a secondary education Social Studies teacher. This summer I am stoked to travel with an energetic, adventurous, and passionate family of Dartmouth students committed to encouraging communities across the country to practice sustainability and conservation for personal, global, and environmental benefits. I hope to inspire fellow Americans to re-evaluate our relationship with the environment and make daily decisions with consideration of future generations and the global community in mind. At Dartmouth I love tossing the disc with the Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team, leading outings for local middle school students through the Outdoor Leadership Experience program, and going on spontaneous adventures and to "flair" dance parties with friends. At home I love going with friends to the Columbia River Gorge to hike, to the beach to discover tide pools, and to the Northern Cascades to go climb. I also love talking around the dinner table and watching movie marathons with my family. Guilty pleasures include eating bags of candied ginger, stomping on bubble wrap, and snuggling with my Yellow Labrador, Winnie.
	Grayson Zulauf '12 Hometown: Telluride, Colorado Major: Yet to be decided The Big Green Bus allows me to take the values I learned in my hometown, Telluride, Colorado, and talk about them with the rest of the country. Respecting the environment, love for travel, and and an active lifestyle are all things that my parents and the surrounding community have ingrained in me, and I can't imagine a better venue to share these passions than the Big Green Bus. My love for the environment was cemented during my gap year which I spent working with a non-profit called Earth Train in Panama, reforesting jungles destroyed by irresponislbe cattle ranching. I hope to see you on the road!
	Matt Smith '12 Hometown: Moultonborough, New Hampshire Major: Classics or Government As a lover of travel, the outdoors, and living on buses for months at a time, I consider the Big Green Bus the ideal way to have a positive impact over the summer. Despite my lack of a life plan, I know that environmental stewardship will always be a top priority of mine. Talking with people from all over this diverse nation about environmental issues will, for me, be the most exciting aspect of the bus experience. I'm a firm believer in education through dialogue, so let's start talking!
	Sarah Rocio '10 Hometown: Weston, CT Major: Engineering When I was little I was fascinated by technology and I constantly attempted to take apart appliances around my house thinking I could put them back together again. I was wrong. And my mom and dad got mad. I dont think they thought a future in engineering was imminent. Regardless, my curiousity led me to study engineering, and at Dartmouth I have combined this with a newly discovered passion for environmental sciences. My mantra for the summer was told to me by a wise man (hey Scott Stoeke!): "There is no such thing as free lunch!". Literally, it's hard to come by unless you are on Dartmouth's campus. But even more important is the message that In there is no "ideal" solution. As stewards of this planet we need to make decisions that minimize the consequences of our actions by taking responsibility for them. This is the mentality I hope to convey during our epic cross-country road trip. I can't wait to see what the summer will bring - it is going to be unreal...
	Merritt Jenkins '10 Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Major: Environmental Studies with a focus in Economics Growing up in a Philadelphia suburb, I mysteriously developed a passion for the outdoors and the environment. The Big Green Bus is the perfect outlet for combining those passions, and I am excited to spend a second summer on the road with the '09 crew. While the Bus consumes most of my life, I enjoy boxing and climbing in my free time. This summer on the Bus, I hope to help educate our nation on the interconnectedness of our economy and the environment. After I graduate next year, I hope to pursue my interest in clean energy or, if I don't find a job, bike across the continent of Asia.
	Annabel Seymour '09 Hometown: New York, NY Major: Comparative Literature, with a concentration in French and Film As someone born and raised in New York City, I never really got a chance to make a strong connection to nature as a child. However, being at Dartmouth for four years has made me completely fall in love with the outdoors, and the effort to protect all that we take for granted on this earth. I spent most of my time at Dartmouth performing improv comedy, experimenting with film and working on a thesis in comparative literature, but this summer, I want to get my hands dirty. I could not be more thrilled to be joining the Big Green Bus this summer. I see this summer's trip as a chance for me to try things I've never tried, meet people I've never met before and understand the country in a way I never thought I would.
	Marissa Knodel '09 Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota Major: Environmental Studies Minor: Public Policy: International Relations Growing up in Minnesota, I became inspired at a young age by the honest conviction, passionate leadership, and grassroots activism of Senator Paul Wellstone. For me, activism begins with education and consciousness about the consequences of our choices and the interconnections between each other and the environment. Hopefully, this conscious awareness may transform itself into actions that make a more equitable and sustainable world for present and future generations. I was inspired to join The Big Green Bus because I see it as activism on wheels. I am looking forward to learning from the people and communities we visit as well as providing the inspiration or assistance needed to make their daily lives and communities more environmentally-conscious and sustainable. In addition to environmental activism, I try to be as open-minded and spontaneous as possible, always looking for new and unique opportunities to expand my worldviews and push my body to its limits. I enjoy hiking, martial arts, farming at the Dartmouth Organic Farm, reading, listening to live jazz, wine tasting, miming and acting, and spend most of my spare time reading cookbooks, exploring local farmers' markets, and performing culinary experiments in my kitchen.
	Kawa Amina '09 Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii Major: Biology Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i, I grew up immersed (quite literally, I love surfing) in all the natural beauty that the great outdoors has to offer. Consequently, the continental US has always been an enigma to me. This summer as we circumnavigate the country, I look forward to being both a student and a teacher of how we all can make America lean and green. The Big Green Bus isn't your normal mishmash of college students, we're out on a mission to educate through innovation, teach by example, and learn with laughter. I love photography and the camera rarely leaves my side. As the summer progresses, let my lens be your eyes and travel with us through the hilarity, wonder, and excitement that is the Big Green Bus. The Big Green Bus: Vehicle for Change.
	Ben Gifford '10 Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts Ben Gifford was raised according to strict, Teutonic principles of child-rearing. He summered at the Rainbow Hotel, frequently pretending he was a trout, sometimes for days on end. To break him of this practice, Benjamin was, for months at a time, restricted to a diet of boiled potatoes and throttled carrots. At the age of 11, he developed a severe case of halitosis. This, combined with his sleep apnea induced his parents to enroll him in a militant, British boarding school that stressed the importance of lacing ones' shoes according to astrological signals. Benjamin thus spent his formative years.
	Kate Parizeau '10 Hometown: Wellesley, Massachusetts Major: Geography modified with Medical Anthropology Minor: Education I came across a tiny article about the bus the summer before my freshman fall at Dartmouth and announced to my sister, "I want to do that before I graduate." October rolled around and I had signed myself up for a summer aboard Big Green Bus 2007. Mission accomplished? Apparently not: three months of sharing a tiny space with lots of other dirty college kids must be my kind of thing, because I'm back on the bus for another summer. As a geography major and education minor, travelling the country while talking about a subject I love is the perfect combination. When not living on a bus, I can be found in Hanover running, reading, or studying global health. Because personal and social health are so intertwined with our surroundings, environmental responsibility and sustainable action seem like natural and obvious ways to create a safer, healthier world. Riding on the Big Green Bus is my way of being a part of that!
	Tessa Murphy '09 Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia Major: Biological Sciences "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." As a busser, I hope to learn more about what we can do to protect this pale blue dot of ours and to share whatever I may learn with as wide an audience as possible, both in person and through film. As a soon-to-be graduating senior, if I'm not working on the bus, wandering around in the woods, or watching TED talks, I am probably chugging coffee at the bookstore and valiantly attempting to reconcile my interests in bioengineering, English, and wildlife filmmaking into a coherent career outlook.
	Dylan Nelson '09 Hometown: Bellevue, Washington Government Major, Public Policy and Religion Minors I've wanted to do a cross-country road trip since I graduated high school and to have the opportunity to do it now with 13 other amazing people and an amazing purpose makes it so incredibly happy. At Dartmouth I've been a leader of the DREAM Mentoring Program, a member of the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble, a tour guide, and a brother at Sigma Phi Epsilon. I am excited about what comes after graduation, but I'm happy to put off the real world for a couple months while I travel the country!
	Lucas Schulz '08 Hometown: Johnson, Vermont Major: Engineering