The DBN Team
Bio
Adam is a Master of Urban Planning Candidate at Wayne State University and a Trainee in the NSF NRT Transformative Research in Urban Sustainability Training (T-RUST) program. He is passionate about Detroit and integrating green stormwater infrastructure into the urban landscape. In his free time, Adam is an avid rock climber, adventurer, and all-around outdoor enthusiast.
Adam Pruett
DBN Co-Founder
Bio
Natalie is a MUP Candidate and Trainee in the NSF NRT T-RUST program at WSU. She works with Healthy Urban Waters to conduct research on urban sustainability issues including green stormwater infrastructure, the interface of natural and urban systems, urban biodiversity, and invasive species management in cities. Her cat is named after a native plant.
Natalie Lyon
DBN Co-Founder
Bio
Eli holds a BS in Geographic Information
Science and has worked with native plants since 2014, first at Western Michigan University and later with the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado. Eli joined the DBN team in the summer of 2018. He coordinates Science Hall greenhouse operations and manages native plantings and GSI installations on campus and throughout Midtown.
Eli Lowry
DBN Coordinator
Bio
Brittny joined the DBN team as an Urban Ag Intern in 2018. She is a recent WSU alum with a degree in Public Health, and is passionate about increasing access to fresh food in Detroit. When she is not busy training for marathons and monitoring our Monarch chrysalises, she continues to expand her knowledge of native plants and their applications in urban areas,
Brittny Leenknegt
DBN Fellow
Bio
Lee is a Freshman at Wayne State University majoring in Environmental Science and Spanish. He is from Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he gained experience in urban agriculture interning with the non-profit Growing Hope. His interests include tennis, playing jazz clarinet and scuba diving. He loves aquatic plants, but he is developing an appreciation for native terrestrial plants as well.
Lee Simmons
DBN Fellow
Bio
Dimitri is a Civil and Environmental Engineering student who has been involved with DBN since 2019. He has assisted with soil contamination research in bioretention basins and continues to offer assistance with native plant production and daily greenhouse operations. He is very interested in wild foraging and learning from the land.
Dimitrios Kakaris
DBN Fellow
Bio
Dr. Carol Miller is Director of the interdisciplinary Healthy Urban Waters research program at WSU. As a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Miller is an invaluable mentor and supporter of the Detroit Biodiversity Network.
Dr. Carol Miller
Director
Healthy Urban Waters
Bio
Michelle Serreyn is a life-long naturalist and native plant enthusiast. She serves as DBN's official Staff Advisor and is an indispensable mentor to students in the DBN program. She now runs a nature blog at WSU called 'Warrior Wildlife,' where she reports about Old Main's peregrine falcons, campus' squirrelly residents, and other natural happenings around Midtown.
Michelle Serreyn
DBN Staff Advisor