About Us

PopEd is the only national education program focused on human population growth.

Meet Our Team

Lindsey Bailey

Education Network Director

As the Education Network Director, Lindsey oversees all aspects of Population Education’s network of volunteer trainers and facilitators. She also coordinates Population Education workshops, staff trips, and program outreach in the northern U.S. states and Canada. Lindsey has been with the PopEd team since 2011, facilitating over 350 teacher workshops and webinars. She also assists with developing new teacher resources and curricula, oversees aspects of PopEd’s marketing, and conducts the program’s biennial evaluation. Lindsey enjoys being able to use her teaching background to inspire educators to teach about the many global challenges ahead. When not working with teachers, you can find Lindsey relaxing at home with her husband and spoiled pets, or traveling, camping, or attempting to tame her vegetable garden!

Carol Bliese

Senior Director of Teacher Programs

Carol is PopEd’s Director of Teacher Programs, overseeing the day to day functioning of the workshop program. She facilitates teacher training workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has led over 700 workshops in her 10+ years with the program. Additionally, she is involved with curriculum development, manages the program website and blog, and is part of the World of 8 Billion annual student contest strategic team. Being from Wisconsin, Carol is an avid Green Bay Packers fan and enjoys playing board games and volleyball in her spare time.

Katie Grams

Education Program Associate

Katie is an Education Program Associate and coordinates the Population Education workshops, staff trips, and program outreach in the northeastern part of the U.S. She also conducts workshops online and in-person across the country. As a classroom teacher, Katie taught Physics, Anatomy & Physiology, Earth & Space Science, Biology, and AP Environmental Science. In her spare time, Katie loves cooking, going on walks, and spending time with her cat, Ichabod.

Barbara Huth

Online Learning Manager

Barbara supports all Population Education staffs’ online workshop facilitation, utilizing her background in digital learning and professional development. She also oversees a graduate course for teachers, coordinates the annual World of 8 Billion student video contest, and contributes to the development of new curriculum materials and blogs. A former National Board Certified AP & IB Environmental Science teacher, she brings ten years of classroom experience to this role.  In her free time, she enjoys live music, traveling, and biking on all the amazing trails DC has to offer.

Ava Moore

Education Program Assistant

As the Education Program Assistant, Ava oversees the administrative side of the PopEd program. She is responsible for ensuring tailored sets of workshop materials are provided to our hundreds of annual workshops, writing the Population Educator newsletter, and managing the online PopEd store. Ava also serves as PopEd’s in-house designer, creating lesson PDFs, program flyers, and other visual content for the program. Outside the office, Ava enjoys hanging out with her (celebrity) dog Pascal, doing jigsaw puzzles, making crafts, and reading mystery novels.

Laura Short photo

Laura Short

Senior Education Program Associate

Laura is an Education Program Associate and coordinates workshops, staff trips, and program outreach in many Midwestern and Western states. She also oversees the partnerships between PopEd and various AP Summer Institutes and helps develop K-12 teaching materials. Laura has extensive experience in outdoor education having worked in various capacities at Nature’s Classroom in Massachusetts, and most recently taught a middle school environmental education elective that she designed. In her spare time, Laura loves relaxing with a good book, playing outside with her wife and daughter, and like a good Texan, smoking barbeque and riding horses.

Bennett Steidinger

Curriculum Development Fellow

Bennett is the Curriculum Development Fellow for PopEd. Using her experience as a teacher, Bennett revises current lesson plans and writes new materials for the program’s elementary, bilingual and ESOL resources. She also contributes articles to the PopEd blog. Outside of the office, Bennett enjoys reading, yoga and crafting.

Pam Wasserman

Senior Vice President, Education

Pam has been leading Population Education’s team for over 20 years and has been working on population issues since 1987 (when world population was only 5 billion!). Over the years, she’s had the pleasure of engaging with so many fantastic educators from around the country and wonderful colleagues here in D.C. In addition to curriculum development, workshop facilitation, event planning, fundraising, and program outreach, Pam is responsible for the strategic planning of the program’s future. Pam also serves as one of Population Connection’s senior managers. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling and skiing with her husband and son, pastel drawing and challenging crossword puzzles.

Sally Watanabe

Student Engagement Fellow

Sally is the Student Engagement Fellow for PopEd. She helps coordinate all aspects of the World of 8 Billion student video contest, and also oversees PopEd’s social media accounts and contributes to the PopEd blog. Sally is a talented musician, loves outdoor activities like hiking, camping and skateboarding, and is passionate about gardening and farming.

Abby Watkins

Senior Education Program Associate

Abby is an Education Program Associate and coordinates the Population Education workshops, staff trips, and program outreach in the southeastern part of the U.S. She leads workshops throughout the States and Canada, and is develops teaching materials for secondary classes and ELL. Abby previously served as the Population Education Fellow. Outside the office, Abby enjoys listening to podcasts, traveling, and hiking through national parks.