Research Assistants

Amanda (aka Mandy) Abbott, RA, Climate Neutral Strategies and Tourism

Mandy is a native of Henderson, North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Duke University in 2008 and is currently a second-year student in the Master of Public Administration program at ECU, where her areas of emphasis include state and local administration and public policy. After graduating from Duke, she interned at the John W. Pope Civitas Institute in Raleigh, where she conducted legislative and public policy research, primarily in the area of family and life issues. Upon completing her master's degree, she plans to attend law school and to pursue a career in administrative law.

Shannon Arnold, RA, Networking and Political/Legislative Process

Shannon received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations and International Hospitality Management in 2008 from East Carolina University and is currently taking courses designed for the Masters in Sustainable Tourism. Her professional interests guided her to a position at the NC Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development after graduation. It was in this position at the Division that she realized the importance of good communication between legislators and tourism businesses. Her research is in the field of social networking, specifically creating a working relationship for tourism businesses in the political realm. When she is not in the office, you can find Shannon at ECU football games or on the sandy beaches of Eastern NC. 

Stefani Benjamin, RA, "Green" Promotion and Marketing; Equity Issues

Stefanie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism with a specialty in Hospitality and Event Planning from the University of Florida in 2006.  For the past two years she has worked as an event planner for a fashion house in New York City.  Currently, Stefanie is taking courses designed for the Masters in Sustainable Tourism and directing her research efforts to communication strategies in sustainability and how to one learns about becoming a responsible traveler. Recently she volunteered for a global trip for Habitat for Humanity and continues to volunteer with the local Pitt County Chapter.  Stefanie loves to hike, kayak, bike ride, travel, and attend town festivals with amazing live music and local food!  Her passion lies with maintaining high quality natural environments and communities for future generations and feels that educating current travelers about how to reduce their carbon footprint and become responsible travelers is key. 

Sarah Jessop, RA, Climate and Tourism Initiative

Sarah Jessop graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in May of 2009 with her BS in Atmospheric Science.  She is currently working toward her MA in geography.  Her interests lie in climatology and how people are affected by climatological or atmospheric occurrences.  Sarah's work at the center includes building a data base on how North Carolina tourism businesses are currently using climate and weather data in both short and long-term business decision making, as well as a cooperative project with the geography department in developing weather indices along coastal North Carolina.  Her experiences include a two week storm chasing trip in May of 2008, volunteering at the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, VA and two winters collecting northwest snowfall data in the mountains of Tennessee.  Sarah enjoys hiking, kayaking, wake-boarding and knee-boarding, and tries to be outdoors whenever possible.

Tetiana Lysenko, RA, Recreation and Leisure Studies 

Tetiana received her Bachelor of Science Degree in international Tourism from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, Ukraine. She is now working towards a master’s degree in Recreation and Leisure studies with emphasis in Facilities and Services Administration. Her previous experiences include work in the tourism industry on the Outer Banks, NC and in Virginia Beach, VA. She is currently involved in a project examining second home tourism development influences on resort communities. Tetiana is also interested in recreational resources of Australia, tourism infrastructure in Ukraine, international workforce in resort communities of USA and hospitality in general.

Whitney Knollenberg, RA, Community Sense of Place; Tourism and Second Home Impacts

Whitney Knollenberg graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors Degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Resources concentrating on Commercial Recreation and Tourism with a minor in Environmental Studies. She is now taking courses for the Master of Science in Sustainable Tourism. Her work at the Center includes the development of a resource database for Federal and State Agencies, tourism businesses, and non-profit organizations that are doing work in sustainable tourism. Whitney has a wide variety of interests in tourism, including agritourism, rural tourism, economic development, residents' perceptions of tourism and the incorporation of sustainable practices in the hospitality sector. For several summers she worked at the Arrowhead Inn, a bed and breakfast in Durham, North Carolina. Whitney enjoys traveling (her favorite trip was to Helsinki and Oulu, Finland), hiking, gardening and cooking.

 Whit Winslow, RA, Sustainable Tourism Inventory Research

 Whit was born and raised right here in Eastern North Carolina, enjoying everything the area has to offer. As the son of a farmer and a teacher, a respect and curiosity for the environment was unavoidable. Upon completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at Elon University, he moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, working directly within the tourism industry selling and renting kayaks, canoes and bicycles to people touring from all over the world. Upon the realization that cold weather was not for him, Whit moved back to the Greenville area to pursue an MBA from ECU. After a chance meeting with the staff of the Center for Sustainable Tourism, he immediately knew the direction he would take his degree. Now a Graduate Assistant in the Center, Whit is pursuing his MBA as well as taking courses designed for the MS Sustainable Tourism.