LANEY WYATT

she/her

Staff engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is excited to announce that Laney Wyatt has joined our Boston office as a staff engineer. Laney recently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, MA. We are thrilled to welcome her back full-time as last summer she participated in our summer internship program contributing to site and stormwater design and engineering peer reviews.

Growing up in Billerica, MA, Laney knew she wanted to remain local for college and considered engineering seriously as both of her sisters and her brother-in law are engineers! One could say that engineering runs in the family! Laney is the third member of her family to graduate from UMass Lowell.

During college she gained experience with consecutive internships and by participating in the Stream Team project which was a joint program with the Town of Lexington and the UMass Lowell Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Laney gained hands on experience with fieldwork and enjoyed helping other students. She also relished being a teaching fellow starting in her sophomore year.

Laney has a strong interest in digital art and enjoys online drawing with her friends. She is also learning to sew and has considerable experience in special effects makeup. Laney is getting to know Boston better and looks forward to time off with her dog Finnegan!

Welcome to HW Laney! We are glad you are here.

 

Sydney stanton, P.e.

they/them

project engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is excited to share that Sydney Stanton, P.E. has joined our growing engineering team in Boston, MA. Sydney earned a Bachelor of Science in Ecological Engineering, with a minor in Irrigation Engineering from Oregon State University. As a busy student, they found time to be an eco-representative at the university and a sustainable agriculture intern with the Corvallis Environmental Center, completing a sustainability initiative featuring work on community gardens. Sydney had the opportunity to further their musical interests (a hobby since 4th grade) while fulfilling the role of captain on the Oregon State University Drum line!

A California native, Sydney grew up in Victorville, Southern California. They thrived in this location enjoying, skiing, hiking in the desert, and trips to the coast. Sydney competed as an alpine skier in high school and was influenced by a 9th grade earth science teacher, who encouraged them to consider environmental engineering.

Sydney has worked as a civil design engineer in Washington, as a project engineer in Massachusetts, and is currently working on a lake stormwater analysis in New Hampshire and fieldwork for the Boston Office of Green Infrastructure.

When Sydney is not working, they enjoy listening to science fiction/fantasy audio books, sewing costumes, running, and hiking with their five-year-old Golden Retriever, Strawberry.

Welcome to HW Sydney! We are glad you are here.

 

 

jennifer jackson

She/her

Scientist

The Horsley Witten Group is happy to share that Jennifer Jackson, Scientist and Certified Drinking Water Operator, has joined our growing firm in Sandwich, MA. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Environmental Science, with minors in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She received a Certificate in Cultures and Communities which included courses and volunteer time. Jen also holds water operator licenses in the states of MA, ME, PA, RI, and WI, and will be assisting with many of our water sector projects.

Jennifer has experience as a Public Water Systems Manager, a Water Chemist, and as a Lab Technician. She is currently working on a high priority water systems project for the EPA, providing technical assistance for lead service line inventory and replacement.

 

Jennifer Jackston

Jennifer grew up in South Boston and attended Boston Latin School. She enjoyed taking language courses and completed four years of Latin and Spanish and one year of Greek. Jennifer worked as a camp counselor for a few years and tutored young students in high school. This experience helped her when she worked for a year as a teacher right after college.

When Jennifer is not working, she enjoys attending concerts and participating in a running group plus hiking with her two dogs, Serenity and Patriot.  Welcome to HW Jen!

 

matthew hui

he/him

staff engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is proud to announce that Matt Hui, Staff Engineer, has joined our engineering group in Boston, MA. Matt earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering with concentrations in Hydrology, Site Remediation, and Urban Planning from Tufts University in Medford, MA.  

As a recent graduate, Matt has worked on several class projects and part time work, focused on ecological restoration, site remediation, GIS, and living shorelines. He completed an internship as a highway engineer with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and was a research assistant with an offshore wave energy lab.

Matt grew up in the east bay area of San Franciso in Alameda, CA. This environment provided him with numerous outdoor nature-oriented experiences such as hiking, camping, and becoming a Boy Scout. To earn his Eagle Scout rank, he organized a project of designing and building a 3-bin composting system for a local garden. He has worked as a camp counselor and participated in club soccer and biking while at Tufts and was on a competitive gaming team that competed nationally.

Matt is especially excited about urban planning and creating green spaces in cities. We know our clients will appreciate his enthusiasm and commitment to protecting our environment. When he is not working, Matt can be found discovering new places in the Cambridge area by bike or on foot. Welcome to HW Matt!

 

 

charlie effman

staff engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is happy to share that Charlie Effman, Staff Engineer, has joined our site remediation team. Charlie earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Brown University in Providence, RI.  

As a recent graduate, Charlie is not a new HW team member as he completed an engineering internship last summer with our survey group and also conducted sampling and water quality measurements as well as measured river geometry and flow rates. He also accompanied engineers on soil assessments.

Charlie has completed research experience in the lab at Brown and Yale University. He also participated in an internship at Woods Hole Marine Biological Lab where he presented his findings at the 2020 International Science Youth Forum in Singapore.

Charlie grew up in Westport, CT near two nature preserves with his family who encouraged nature exploration. His childhood was filled with science kits, catching frogs with his siblings and enjoying the outdoors. As a young 7th grader, he learned he had a strong interest in chemistry when his older brother began using their kitchen as a chemistry lab. Charlie ran track and field in high school, excelling at discus and shot put. He likes to write music and enjoys gardening when he has the space.  He has begun engraving stones with various images from nature and music. Charlie learned this skill during his college years at Brown. He also is fond of silkscreen printing and creating wax seals for people to use in letter writing.

When he is not working, Charlie can be found exploring Cambridge by bike admiring the historic houses and parks. Welcome to HW Charlie!

 

johanna walczak

SHE/HER

environmental planner

The Horsley Witten Group is excited to announce that Johanna Walczak, environmental planner, has joined our planning team in Providence, RI. Johanna earned a Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in International Development and Social Change from Clark University in Worcester, MA.  

With over 10+ years of experience in urban planning and community development, she has supported public, private, and non-profit organizations. Johanna has extensive experience in public engagement, program development/management and building partnerships. She is passionate about creating equitable communities and vibrant public spaces through urban forestry, recreation, public art, climate resilience, and transportation projects.

Johanna’s experience includes over six years as a senior planner for the City of East Providence. She led numerous urban forest management/planning projects, expanded the city’s tree planting program and secured funding for urban forestry. She was the staff liaison to the East Providence Arts Council and their public art subcommittee.

Growing up in Bath, NY, Johanna spent her early years hiking and exploring the woods and gorges of the Fingers Lakes region. Throughout her childhood she participated in dance (ballet and modern), soccer, and music (piano, clarinet). In college years she joined activist groups on campus and completed internships with the Lead Action Collaborative and the South of Market Community Action Network in San Francisco. She also traveled to the World Social Forum in India and spent a semester abroad in the Dominican Republic.  

When Johanna is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and young child and playing trombone in a 15-piece brass band. A Providence resident for over 16 years, she loves Rhode Island’s beaches, hiking trails, and Providence’s amazing restaurants. Welcome to HW Johanna!

 

 

alexandra goodenough

she/her

landscape designer

The Horsley Witten Group is proud to announce that Alexandra Goodenough, landscape designer, has joined our design team in Providence, RI. Alex earned a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and a Bachelors of Arts in Studio Art from Mills College in Oakland, CA. Alex is especially interested in how everyday landscapes impact us and the role of mindfulness, routines, and ceremony in the landscape. Her everyday life is heavily influenced by the year she spent abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and she hopes to continue international travel and study in the future.

Growing up in Southern California Alex enjoyed being part of a creative family. Her father, a fashion photographer, took her and her siblings on frequent off road desert trips to enjoy nature firsthand. Her mother, a graphic designer and painter, frequently took her to art museums for new sources of inspiration. She was influenced early on by nature and determined to find a course of study that included design and the environment.

Alex completed two internships with landscape architecture firms where she gained experience determining site conditions, using wetland plants, fostering client communications, and producing illustrations to support various designs. When Alex is not working, she enjoys cooking, baking (she worked as a baker), quilting, sewing, gardening, and being outdoors. We look forward to sharing her creative nature and excellent design skills with our clients and partners. Welcome to HW Alex!

 

ariel shramko

they/them

Staff Engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is happy to share that Ariel Shramko, staff engineer, has joined our engineering group in Boston, MA. Ariel is a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering. They are currently pursuing a graduate degree in Environmental Engineering.

Growing up in Attleboro, MA Ariel lived close to a nature preserve and was fascinated by nature and interested in solving complex problems as a young person. Engineering runs in the family as their great-grandfather was an electrical engineer, their grandfather a civil engineer, and their mother is a retired chemical engineer.

 

staff member

Ariel has completed internships as a research assistant and an engineering intern at a wastewater utility. As a research assistant, Ariel learned about heavy metal testing in drinking water and found the experience personally worthwhile as the group evaluated a handheld device to assess water instead of samples being sent to a lab. They found the outreach component of the project fulfilling as they were able to use language skills to reach an audience that felt left out of the process. The wastewater internship included survey work and finding buried manholes.

The Arrakis Terrarium Project/Auto Terra Project was a special experience. After placing in two college competitions, Ariel’s team was one of the top 25 US Teams in the NASA Deep Space Food Challenge, a national competition to make the first Mars habitat food production system. Their team’s solution was an automated, closed system garden in a box. The project was exciting and fulfilling on many levels. The food grown included radishes, spinach, mustard seed, and potatoes.

When Ariel is not working, they enjoy listening to music in any language! Ariel is especially fond and nostalgic for Cantonese ballads as their mother played them when they were young. Ariel has a fondness for merengue and bachata music as their father’s family is from the Dominican Republic. Ariel loves cooking and can be found making stir fry dishes and dumplings with big groups of friends. Welcome to HW Ariel!

 

logan troy

land surveying technician

The Horsley Witten Group is pleased to share that Logan Troy, part-time land surveying technician, has joined our survey team in Sandwich, MA. Logan is a current student at the MA Maritime Academy. He is working on his Bachelor’s Degree in International Maritime Business.

Logan has assisted students with tutoring and enjoyed being both a Petty Officer and a Squad Leader. He has acquired many technical skills and has experience as a survey technician and engineering draftsman. Other skills include survey and mapping, site design, and bid specifications development. He has completed several internships with MASSDOT, participating in lab work, testing products, and safety permit processes.

When he is not working Logan enjoys freshwater fishing, landscaping, and thinking up new businesses with his friends! He has a strong interest in car and motorcycle mechanics and frequents Vermont mountains during the snow season to ski and snowboard, depending on the conditions. Cannon mountain in New Hampshire is also a favorite. Welcome to HW, Logan! We appreciate your assistance with the survey work.

 

sarah simon

environmental planner

The Horsley Witten Group is pleased to announce that Sarah Simon, environmental planner, has joined our team. Raised in Wellesley, MA, Sarah grew up with a love of dance and books. She also enjoyed plants and gardens from an early age, and wondered what it would be like to have a deeper relationship with land and nature than what she experienced in the suburbs.

Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comparative Literature with certificates in creative writing, dance, and urban studies from Princeton University. She has a Master of City Planning with a focus on environmental policy and planning from M.I.T.

As the manager of a student garden in college, she caught the “farming bug” and worked as an apprentice on a vegetable and dairy farm in Maine. A move to New York was in her future, so she found a rewarding opportunity leading the Common Ground Farm in Beacon, NY. Over her five years on the farm, she managed a team of farmers and five acres of vegetable production, as well as expanded the organization to run farmers’ markets and food access programs. The farm also sold fresh produce and offered cooking education in the public schools. Sarah worked to upgrade farm infrastructure by raising money for a new tractor, colorful delivery van, and metal deer fence.

Sarah continued her career by transitioning to supporting other farmers and the local food economy while moving back to Maine. She worked as a farm viability program director for the Maine Farmland Trust. She created a new climate resilience program at the land trust, which supports farmers in developing climate adaptation plans for their farms and provides grants to help farmers implement their adaptation projects, including agroforestry practices, improved water management, and renewable energy generation.

During graduate school, Sarah participated in internships with the National Park Service and the City of Portland, ME. She is happy to call Portland her home. When she is not working, Sarah enjoys playing with her young son and cat. She also dances with a local contemporary dance group and likes to spend time cooking and eating with family and friends. Welcome to HW, Sarah!