OFFICERS & CONTACT INFO
Gabriella Frey - President
president@ewbconnecticut.org
Gabriella has been a member of EWB since the fall of 2011 when she joined the UConn Student Chapter. Currently she is working on the chapter ICPs in Tanzania. Gabriella works for Unilever as a Product Engineer. In her free time you can find her writing, gardening, and hiking (but usually not all at once).
Officer Bios and Contact Information
Griffin Pelaia - Vice President & Treasurer
treasurer@ewbconnecticut.org
Griffin joined Engineers Without Borders Connecticut Professional Chapter in 2024. He holds a degree in chemical engineering and has spent most of the past decade working in civil engineering, hydrology, and clean energy with the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. He currently works as an agricultural and energy engineer with the University of Massachusetts. Griffin is excited to continue contributing to the chapter's work in Tanzania.
Connor Perry - Membership Chair
Connor has been a member of the Hartford professional chapter since January 2018. He served as vice president from 2019 to 2021. He was also the in-country PMEL lead for the chapter’s assessment trip in Ndaleta, Tanzania in 2019. He is currently the the Connecticut State Representative
Connor currently works for Pratt and Whitney as a design engineer. In his free time, you can catch him biking around West Hartford or playing with his dog Teddy!
Max Fernandez - Secretary
secretary@ewbconnecticut.org
Max has been apart of Engineers Without Borders since 2019 when he joined the University of Rochester Student Chapter where he worked as an events coordinator and local project lead. Post-graduating Max joined the CT Professional chapter in 2023 where he has since been updating the website and assisting with the Tanzania and local volunteering opportunities.
Max works as a process engineer in Norwalk, CT and in his free time enjoys playing video games, trying out new restaurants with his friends, playing/writing music and hiking.
Jenna Douthit - Fundraising Chair
fundraising@ewbconnecticut.org
Jenna moved to Connecticut in 2020 and joined EWB’s Connecticut Professional Chapter in 2022, but has prior experience in leadership roles for other volunteer organizations she was a member of while getting her undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas and has a masters degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida. She works at Unilever as a scientist formulating personal care products.
Currently, most of Jenna’s free time is spent snuggling with her cat.
Natasha Wan - Social Media Coordinator
Natasha’s journey with EWB began in 2021 at Tufts University, where she led the Malawi international project and co-founded the local chapter (formerly known as the "Greenhouse Project"). She is excited to continue contributing to the world of international engineering through the CT Professional chapter. As social media coordinator, she aims to blend creative imagery with storytelling to spread the word about the incredible communities we work with, and the projects we are working on.
Natasha currently works as an Anesthesiology Neuroscience Research Associate in the Janna Helfrich Lab with aspirations to apply her engineering skills in the medical world. In her free time, you may find her biking around New Haven, sewing thrift flips, or 'baking' questionable creations.
Ed Lynch - International Project Lead
Ed is a Semi-Retired Chemical Engineer with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Rhode Island, a Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado, and PE licenses in Colorado, Indiana, and Massachusetts. Ed spent most of his career with Pfizer Pharmaceutical production with a specialty in process automation. He is presently the chairperson for the Town of Ledyard Water Pollution Control Authority and the treasurer for the Ledyard Rotary Club.
Evan Smith - Sports Fundraising Initiatives
Evan joined EWB in 2024 and brings over a decade of experience in process engineering, product innovation, and digital transformation within the consumer goods industry. He currently works at Unilever as a Senior Process Engineer and Value Creation Lead.
As the Director of Sports Fundraising Initiatives, Evan focuses on building partnerships, engaging the community, and creating sustainable funding opportunities to support EWB’s global projects.
Outside of work, Evan enjoys staying active through playing Flag Football and inspiring the next generation through his Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.