Abigail Alling, M.S is the Co-founder and CEO of PCRF. For the past 25 years, Ms. Alling has been actively engaged in marine, environmental and closed systems research and development projects. At Biosphere 2, she created and operated the largest artificial ecological marine system, a 1,000,000 gallon mangrove, marsh and ocean coral reef, served as Scientific Chief for over sixty research projects, and was one of the eight �biospherians� to live inside the closed system for two years. A Fellow of both the Linnean Society and Explorers Club, Ms. Alling is a cum laude graduate of Middlebury College in Biology and also received an M.S. degree in Environmental Studies, cum laude from Yale University.
Dr. Paul J. Coleman, Jr. is professor emeritus of space physics at UCLA. The former president of the Universities Space Research Association, he also served as the head of NASA�s interplanetary sciences program and the director of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change at the University of California. Dr. Coleman�s research has included work with the Explorer, OGO and ATS earth satellites, the Pioneer deep-space probes, the Mariner series of planetary spacecraft, Apollo�s 15 and 17 and Galileo. He has twice received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.
Orla Doherty, M.S.was born to Irish immigrant parents in England on January 10, 1969. She received a Masters in Chemistry at Oxford University and from 1991 to 1999 she become a television director and producer for the BBC and participated in the production of over fifty documentaries and factual programming all over the world including: South Africa, Mexico, Spain, France, Ireland, Slovakia, Alaska, New York City, and Los Angeles. In March 2000, Orla joined PCRF in Papua New Guinea and is now the Managing Director on board SV Infinity.
Kenneth R. Heitz is a Senior Partner in the Los Angeles based
law firm Irell& Manella where he served as managing co-partner
for six years. Mr. Heitz�s areas of expertise include securities
litigation and corporate governance as well as the negotiation of
complex financial transactions.
Cynthia Lazaroff is Vice President of PCRF. A magna cum laude graduate in Politics and Russian Studies from Princeton University, she brings more than twenty years of experience as a Russian-American relations specialist, educator, filmmaker and activist to the job. Previously, Ms. Lazaroff served as Co-founder and President of the US-USSR Youth Exchange Program where she pioneered exchanges, developed and distributed an innovative curriculum and conducted a successful campaign to breakdown enemy stereotypes.
Bruce Ludwig is the Senior Relationship Manager for ING Clarion in the Middle East. He is a Trustee of the American University in Cairo, a founding Chairman of the Directors Roundtable of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a founder of the Music Center of Los Angeles, and serves on a variety of other local, national and international boards including Earthwatch International. Mr. Ludwig and his family have also been the principal benefactors of historic archeological projects in Egypt, Jordan and Africa.
Sally Silverstone is Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Board of PCRF. For the past twenty years, Ms. Silverstone has been engaged in agricultural, environmental and closed system research and development projects. She served as the Co-Captain for the Biosphere 2 experiment where she managed the half-acre agriculture system that fed the crew during the two year closed mission. Presently, she is Director for Las Casas de la Selva, 1,200 acre rainforest enrichment demonstration project in Puerto Rico.
Mark Van Thillo is Chief Operations Officer of PCRF and manages all of the research equipment and technical systems required to maintain and operate the SV Infinity on its continuing expedition to map and monitor coral reefs worldwide. Previously, Mr. Van Thillo served as Co-Captain for the two year Biosphere 2 experiment where he was responsible for the maintenance and operation of all technical equipment.
William G. Walker is a Tucson-based attorney whose practice emphasizes civil trial litigation. He has represented a wide variety of persons, institutions and causes, including the Tucson City Council, several current NBA basketball players, and is a legal advisor to PCRF. He has been specially honored by the Southern Arizona and the Southern California Chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union as their Co-Honoree of the Year (1987), and has won a special award for Law in the Public Interest from the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
Dr. Hugh Wheir, DVM, founder and executive director of Animal Alliance, graduated from Texas A & M University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1979 and conducted a mixed animal vet practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico for 20 years. He has been a pioneer of animal acupuncture and vigorously involved in thousands of spay-neuter clinics in the US and Latin America. In 1989 he founded Animal Alliance to reduce animal suffering and protect endangered species.
