Jennifer C. Smith-Lee

Biographical Details
"Long interested in both Russia and cultural influences on environmental issues, Jennifer graduated from the University of Vermont in 1999 with a double major in Russian language and Environmental Studies. A recipient of an IREX Young Leaders for Public Service Fellowship, Jennifer lived in Russia and studied environmental protection at Irkutsk State Technical University in 2001-2002. During her year in Irkutsk, she volunteered at Baikal Environmental Wave and led a summer ecology camp for local children. She has also taught environmental education for American middle school students in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Akron, Ohio), and worked for a year in Washington D.C. writing Environmental Impact Statements for a government contractor. In May 2004, she received an MS in Natural Resources and Environment and an MA in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Michigan. Her graduate research focused on environmental perceptions and attitudes in the Lake Baikal region. From late 2005 through the end of 2008, Jennifer was the Programs Director for TBI, managing all aspects of the Summer Environmental Exchange. She became the Executive Director in 2009."


 * Executive Director, Tahoe-Baikal Institute