The 35th United States President John F. Kennedy once said that "leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." So true is this statement for our 13 alumni leaders who were chosen to help motivate, engage, and lead learning for current Dragonfly students in the 2023-24 academic year. Dragonfly Alumni Leaders (DALs) volunteer their time to support students in three Dragonfly classes, including Science Leadership & Media Workshop, Biology in the Age of Technology, and Master’s Capstone.

Kayley Bateman ‘20 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Bateman works as a program manager for the Snow Leopard Conservancy. 

Aislinn Benfield '19 earned a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in the Biological Sciences from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Benfield works as a STEM coach in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. 

Kate Clemens '20 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Clemens is currently working on a doctorate. Her Ph.D. journey started in the fall of 2021.

Charmin Dahl '22 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program. Dahl’s experiential learning took place at Missouri Botanical Garden. Dahl works as a freelance writer and in-person youth advocate and improvised theater instructor in New Zealand.

Jesze Doleh '22 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Doleh works as a park specialist at Thousand Hills State Park in Kirksville, Missouri.

Hilary Hirtle '20 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program. Hirtle’s experiential learning took place at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Hirtle works as a communication specialist for the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Joanna Johnson '17 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Johnson is the Program Director for Sustainable Learning, an education nonprofit organization based out of New York that designs and facilitates environmental leadership and innovation programs for high school students. Johnson currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina.   

Cameron Kniffen '22 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Kniffen is the Curator of Education for the Detroit Zoological Society.

Lori Lindsay '20 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program. Lindsay’s experiential learning took place at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Lindsay works as a bear response contractor for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Kayla Muench '23 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Global Field Program. Muench works as an environmental educator for the Raritan Headwaters Association and a course coordinator at Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown, New Jersey. 

Mark Plunkett '18 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program. Plunkett, now retired, took Miami web-based classes while participating in unique learning experiences on the grounds of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and in natural settings around Ohio. 

Barbra Sobhani '20 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program. Sobhani’s experiential learning took place at Denver Zoo. Sobhani is the Director of the Colorado Space Grant Consortium at the University of Colorado in Boulder. 

Allison Terlacher '14 earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program. Terlacher’s experiential learning took place at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Terlacher works as a family and community engagement coordinator for Red Oak Behavioral Health services in Akron, Ohio.