EHS 2024 Summer Interns

Ahmed Abdulghany
EHS Integrator Software Intern
Supervisor: Stephanie Perry

Ahmed Abdulghany (he/him) is a computer science engineer currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at UCONN. In his free time, Ahmed enjoys outdoor activities with friends, playing basketball, or going to the gym. His lifelong dream is to start his own business and use his innovative approach to grow it.


Nile Bennett
Environmental Affairs Intern
Supervisor: Dan Schott

Nile Bennett (he/him) is from Atlanta, Georgia and is studying environmental science at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama. He is a passionate football and track & field athlete. Nile loves playing video games, sci-fi fantasy, and studying animals in his free time. 


Josh Collins
Health Physics Intern
Supervisor: Neil Whiteside

Josh Collins (they/them preferred, but also fine with masculine pronouns), is currently a student getting their master’s degree in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Health Physics program. Their hometown is Eufaula, Alabama, which is a smallish town in southeast Alabama. They got their bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management at UAB, but up until April 1st was in an office management position at UAB. On April 1st, they transitioned to a research project dealing with radiation laws and regulations with one of the program directors for the Health Physics program at UAB. Outside of work and class, they generally spend time with their fiancé and their two cats. They describe themselves as a huge nerd, so they read (books and comics), watch anime/superhero movies/etc., and play video games. 


Josiah Ford
Instructional Design Intern
Supervisor: Stephanie Perry

Josiah Ford (he/him) was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut and has spent his entire life under his single mother’s roof along with his two younger siblings. His defining interests include superheroes, both writing and reading fantasy novels, different forms of interactive media, and anything that could be deemed fantastical. While charity and volunteer work isn’t his main focus, he will never refuse to help people who need it. If he were to describe his family tree, he would call it a maze made up of different mazes all interconnected by the Long Island area. As far as he knows, the farthest spanning his blood relatives reach is the Caribbean. He loves his family for its interesting history and its kind people. He tries everyday to live up to what they expect of him. As of now, he is a college student attending Quinnipiac University for a four-year degree in video game design and development. His goal or big picture is to become someone who is skilled in most, if not every, form of interactive media. He wants to put his ideas into the world and reach as many people as he can with them.


Gabriella John
Research Safety Intern
Supervisor: James D’Addio

Gabriella John (she/her) is a lifelong resident of New Haven. Currently, she is a rising sophomore at the University of Connecticut, majoring in Animal Science with a minor in Food Science, and is on the pre-vet track. In her free time, Gabriella enjoys diamond painting, reading, playing video games, and watching TV with her family. Her passion for baking stands out as her favorite hobby, where she delights in trying new desserts and breads and perfecting her recipes. Gabriella’s lifelong dream is to convince her mom to get a Dobermann or Rottweiler.


Brooke Jones
Biological Security Intern
Supervisors: Maren Schniederberend and Julia Kontos

Brooke Jones (she/her) is from Denver, Colorado. She is a senior biology major at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is an aspiring OB-GYN who dreams of opening women’s clinics is low-income communities. In her free time, Brooke loves to recreate family recipes, explore cities, go on walks, play video games, eat new foods, see Broadway shows, spend time with family, and go dancing.


Sofia LaFalce
Infection Control Intern
Supervisor: Emily Bludnicki

Sofia LaFalce (she/her) is from Fairfield, Connecticut. She is entering her junior year at the University of Rochester and is majoring in Health, Behavior, and Society (Public Health) with a minor in Psychology. Athletics have been a large part of her life in Connecticut, and she plays field hockey at Rochester. Sofia likes to spend her free time with family/friends, working out, cooking/baking, and being outside as much as possible.


Charlotte Mulungula
Safety Advisor Technician Intern
Supervisors: Maren Schniederberend and Jason Small

Charlotte Mulungula (she/her) is originally from Congo. She immigrated to New Haven, Connecticut, in 2015. She recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Science. She is a new incoming nursing student at Quinnipiac University. During her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors. Charlotte likes reading, hiking, playing tennis, running, going to the beach with family or friends, and writing short stories and poetry. She loves exploring new places and trying new foods. She speaks three languages swahili, english and french. She has just started learning korean. A fun fact about Charlotte is that she has watched all 20 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy twice.


Lillie Scanlon
Instructional Design Intern
Supervisor: Courtney Drayer

Lillie Scanlon (she/her) is from Bethany, Connecticut, and is interested in pursuing a degree in graphic design. Passionate about storytelling and visual arts, Lillie is an avid reader of light romance novels and a fan of anime and manga. In her free time, she enjoys video games with some of her favorites being The Sims 4, Overwatch, and GTA 5. Lillie loves her dog Daisy, a Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix, who adds joy to her days.


Mark Taylor
Industrial Hygiene Intern
Supervisor: Paula Castagna

Mark Taylor (he/him) is from New Haven, Connecticut. He is a rising sophomore at the University of New Haven with a major in Mechanical Engineering. In his free time, he enjoys reading fictional novels, playing video games, and listening to/playing Caribbean music. He loves taking part in hands-on activities that relate to science, technology, and/or engineering.