Our Team

Director
Zakiya Leggett, Ph.D.
Office:Jordan Hall Addition 3124
zholmes@ncsu.edu

Dr. Zakiya Leggett is an associate professor in the Department of  Forestry and Environmental Resources in the College of Natural  Resources. She joined the faculty in 2016 but had previously served as an adjunct faculty member for several years. She also serves as the director of the High School Summer Research Program and program manager for the Scholars in Conservation Leadership Program (SCLP) funded by the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). She previously served as the campus director for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars (DDCS)  Program and the National Needs Fellowship (NNF) Program. All these programs train and expose students (high school, undergraduate, and graduate students) who are interested in research and hands-on experiences in conservation, natural resources, and/or environmental science. She also teaches Introduction to Environmental Science – ES  100, Analysis of Environmental Issues – ES 400, Forest Soils – FOR 472,  FER Seminar – FOR 801

Dr. Zakiya Leggett is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. Her mother planted the seed for her interest in natural resources/conservation at a young age as they spent lots of time camping, hiking, and enjoying outdoor activities. She then attended high school at The Piney Woods School (a historically African-American boarding school in Mississippi), where she learned about sustainability and environmental stewardship from working on the campus farm and other areas throughout campus. Dr. Leggett earned a B.S from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL, which was a life-changing experience. After completing a Master’s degree from Duke  University, she earned a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. She is married and has four children.

Associate Director
John Resnick-Kahle, M.A.Ed.
Office: Biltmore Hall 3005   
jfresnic@ncsu.edu

Throughout my life, I have grown and lived in many different places. I spent my childhood and high school years in Jersey City, NJ, before moving to Florida to attend Stetson University. Coming to college was an overwhelming but exciting new challenge as a first-generation student. At Stetson, I majored in political science with a minor in communications, and I also became deeply engaged with the community in various ways. I enjoyed engaging in a college environment through orientation, student government, and other leadership opportunities. After graduation, I moved to Washington DC and earned my Master of Arts in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University. In 2018, I joined NC State, and my wife and I relocated to Raleigh. During my career, I have been grateful to be able to support so many students as they pursue their goals and earn their degrees. Beyond work, I love to read, run, and spend time with my friends and family. My wife and I love taking our son and dog to all the parks and trails here in Raleigh to explore!

Coordinator of Student Success Initiatives
Dr. Kaly Wall, Ph.D
Office: Biltmore Hall 3004
kaly_wall@ncsu.edu

I grew up and spent my childhood in Lexington, North Carolina before arriving in Raleigh in 2011 to attend NC State, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in zoology. Following graduation, I served a 10-month term in AmeriCorps before returning to NC State to earn my Master of Science in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology. After graduate school, I taught high school-level earth and environmental science in the Wake County Public School System before returning to NC State to serve as an academic advisor. I have been serving in my current role since April 2020. I also recently began my Ph.D. in educational leadership, policy and human development. My favorite thing about my job is that I get to support students during their transition from high school to college. I am particularly passionate about supporting under-resourced students, as I was a low-income, first-generation college student myself. Outside of work, I enjoy baking, watching movies, reading (especially Harry Potter), traveling when I can, and spending time with my husband Blane and our cats, Enzo and Millie, and our dog Huck.

Lead Instructor ENV 101 and Program Director, EcoVillage
Haley Smith, Ph.D.
Office(s): Lee Hall 109 and Biltmore 3003
hesmith2@ncsu.edu

Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, I grew up surrounded by the beauty and biodiversity of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My early love for the natural world was fostered by summer camp experiences hiking and backpacking throughout the mountains of Western North Carolina and opportunities to conduct benthic macroinvertebrate samples, test water quality, and perform research on acid mine drainage in middle and high school. My interests led me to pursue a double major in Biology and Environmental Studies as an undergraduate at Washington and Lee University, located just up the Blue Ridge in southwest Virginia. While in college, I had the opportunity to participate in research on the soil microbial ecology of an invasive garlic mustard in Yellowstone National Park. I also studied abroad for a semester in Kenya and Tanzania at the School for Field Studies’ Center for Wildlife Management Studies, where I conducted collaborative research on water resources and public health. This experience opened my eyes to the complex relationships between humans and the environment, and set me on a path to becoming an environmental social scientist. After graduating, I spent two years serving as an Education and Outreach Associate with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy through the AmeriCorps Project Conserve Program, before relocating to Fort Collins, Colorado to pursue my Masters in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University. In 2020, I returned to North Carolina, this time to Raleigh, to begin a PhD in Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State, with a focus on studying the educational and behavioral outcomes of participatory science experiences. I have been involved with the Environmental First Year Program since the Fall of 2022, first as a TA, then as an instructor. I became the Program Director of EcoVillage in Fall 2024, and continue to serve as an instructor for ENV101 and the Coordinator of Experiential Learning for the Environmental First Year Program.

Academic Advising Graduate Assistant and ENV 100 Instructor
Matthew Ricigliano
Office: Biltmore 3003
mdricigl@ncsu.edu

While I was born just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, I have called North Carolina home for most of my life. Growing up in Winston-Salem, I have a love and connection to the state of North Carolina. I studied history and Italian at UNC-Chapel Hill, and following graduation, I served a two-year term with Americorps as a College Advisor through the Carolina College Advising Corps in Stokes County, North Carolina. Through this role, I supported many low-income and first-generation aspiring college students, and I developed a passion for student access and success. After my Americorps term, I worked as an advisor with the First in the Forest program at Wake Forest University, where I helped Pell-Grant eligible and first-generation students navigate their first year of college. Currently, I am pursuing my Master of Education in Higher Education Administration through NC State’s College of Education. I am new to the Raleigh area, and I am looking forward to getting to support the Wolfpack community! Outside of work, I love to watch sports, travel, and spend time with my friends and family.

ENV 101 Instructor (001)
Bethany Suarez
bkstepps@ncsu.edu

My name is Bethany, and I currently work in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. I am the Graduate Services Coordinator for the self-design Master of Arts in Liberal Studies students, and I also work as an administrative specialist in the Department of Integrative Humanities and Social Sciences. I completed my BS in Environmental Sciences in 2021, and went on to complete my MS in Forestry in 2023. My concentration as an undergraduate was conservation biology, and my area of research focused on genome editing of forest trees. After completing my graduate studies, I worked in cancer research at UNC Chapel Hill. My career has been very interdisciplinary so far, and I am looking forward to working with ENVFY and diving into all the broad applications of environmental science. Outside of work I enjoy cooking, baking, gardening, and playing with my two cats, Carrot and Muffin!

ENV 101 Instructor (002)
Dr. Maricar Aguilos
mmaguilo@ncsu.edu

Dr. Maricar Aguilos is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. She is an environmental scientist whose work focuses on carbon and water dynamics in forest ecosystems, including disturbed forests, pine plantations, bioenergy sites, and wetlands. She uses tools such as Eddy Covariance systems, soil respiration chambers, modeling, and machine learning to better understand how ecosystems respond to environmental change.
Before joining NC State, Dr. Aguilos worked as a researcher at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in France, studying carbon and water dynamics in the Amazon forest. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Hokkaido University in Japan.
Dr. Aguilos enjoys analyzing data and creating meaningful visualizations that help tell environmental stories. As an instructor, she loves sharing what she has learned in environmental science and supporting students through their academic journey. She is excited to teach ENV101 because she believes students can become thoughtful stewards of the environment and part of the solution to today’s environmental challenges.

ENV 101 Instructor (003)
Dr. Rich von Furstenberg
rjvonfur@ncsu.edu

Rich von Furstenberg, “Dr. V,” is a postdoctoral researcher in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management and an Associate Director of the Nature and Health Collaborative within the Global One Health Academy at NC State. As a conservation social scientist, his research focuses on making natural spaces and outdoor recreation more inclusive, relevant, and sustainable. Because wildlife management relies heavily on hunter and angler revenue, his work addresses the future of conservation funding by examining how to increase engagement within these traditional outdoor activities while simultaneously exploring alternative funding mechanisms. This includes evaluating learn-to-hunt programs, understanding non-traditional hunters’ experiences, and helping wildlife agencies secure community trust and financial resilience. Closer to the classroom setting, he also studies how college campus green spaces can benefit student well-being and the environment. In the classroom, Dr. V loves nurturing students’ natural curiosity and centering that lifelong, childhood magnetism toward nature. He is thrilled to rejoin the ENVFY program to collaborate with an all-star educational team, utilize innovative teaching techniques, and ensure incoming students from all backgrounds feel deeply valued and supported during their college transition.

Outside of research and teaching, Dr. V enjoys spending time with family, getting out in the woods, and keeping up with sports (Go Pack!).

ENV 101 Instructor (005H)
Meghan Teten
melobsin@ncsu.edu

Meghan Teten always wanted to be a veterinarian… and then she wanted to train Shamu at SeaWorld… and then she wanted to save sea turtles… and then she realized habitat is important so land conservation is probably really cool… and then she realized people need to know habitat is important in order to conserve it so she got into education… and so, Meghan Teten knows a thing or two about exploring careers in the environment. Mrs. Teten is an Assistant Director for the University Honors Program and teaches the Honors section of ENV 101 “Exploring the Environment” for University Honors students in the Environmental First Year Program. She specializes in sustainability education and experiential learning and loves taking her students outside for class.

Mrs. Teten earned her Master of Science in Natural Resources from NC State (Go Wolfpack!) and her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from UNC Wilmington.

ENV 101 Instructor (007)
Keondra Jenkins
kjjenkin@ncsu.edu

Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, I had the opportunity to participate in a specialized marine and environmental science high school program. Using our backyard as a classroom sparked my passion for conservation and community engagement, leading me to UNC Chapel Hill. There, I earned a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and a Master of Public Administration, focusing on sustainability and public service. As a Program Coordinator in the University Sustainability Office, I manage the Sustainability Fund (https://sustainability.ncsu.edu/get-involved/student-sustainability-fund/), Sustainability Stewards (https://sustainability.ncsu.edu/get-involved/nc-state-stewards/), and the Sustainability Career Development Program (https://sustainability.ncsu.edu/sustainability-career-development-program/). These programs allow me to have a meaningful impact through projects and student engagement. I’m looking forward to teaching ENV101 because I love supporting undergrads and creating experiential learning opportunities just like the ones that inspired me early on. My hope is that this course serves as a launchpad, inspiring students to engage with our campus programs or carry a lifelong green passion into their future endeavors.

Outside of work, I enjoy playing tennis, reading, and traveling.

ENV 101 Instructor (008)
Dr. Stephanie Sabatini
kjjenkin@ncsu.edu

Hello! My name is Dr. Stephanie Sabatini. I’ve been working as a lecturer in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Science (MEAS) department of the College of Sciences for the last couple of years teaching introductory geology courses. Prior to that I earned my PhD in Geoscience Education in MEAS where I studied spatial thinking instruction and skill development in the geology curriculum. Before I came to NC State 7 years ago, I also spent time working in the copper mining industry, environmental consulting, and K-12 education. I’m excited to join ENVFY this semester where we’re going to deep dive into important environmental topics and build connections that will (hopefully) provide the foundation for our students’ futures at NC State and beyond. My favorite part of working in education is getting to know my students’ goals/interests and supporting them throughout their college experience. Outside of work, I love reading (typically 50+ books a year) and spending time with my family, including my partner, 9-year-old son, and our two dogs and cat.