Team Bios

Hunter Williams biography picture

Hunter Williams

Co-Leader

Hunter Williams is a junior in Renewable Energy/Mechanical Energy (2025).

I am currently Project Co-Leader of Alfred University’s Tiny House Project. This multidisciplinary project was started in 2017 with the goal of being a completely off the grid home.   My role is working with Alfred University staff, private businesses, and students to build a self-sustainable tiny home. My team and I are currently working on the electrical, plumbing, and furnishing of the house!


Elise Wardour biography picture

Elise Wardour

Co-Leader

Hello! I'm Elise Wardour, a renewable energy engineering student at Alfred University, and I'm absolutely enthusiastic about sustainability and sustainable living. As part of our exciting project to construct a tiny house powered by solar panels, I take on the essential responsibility of liaising with our peers and professors to coordinate the building and furnishing process. Together, we strive to create a tiny house that not only showcases innovative solutions but also inspires others to embrace sustainable living for a brighter and more sustainable tomorrow

Grant R. E. Watson biography picture

Grant R. E. Watson

Carpenter


Andrew Cisco biography picture

Andrew Cisco

Member

Andrew is a junior in Mechanical Engineering ('25). He plans on adding information about why solar houses make life more efficient and less expensive over time.

 


Matthew Finley biography picture

Matthew Finley

Project Leader

Matthew Finley is a senior double major in renewable energy engineering and business administration. Matthew chose Alfred University for the unique educational ecosystem it provides which fosters deeper thought and character through interpersonal relationships between students and educators. Matthew is a participant of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams. He is the vice president of the Ski Club and actively participates in community service events. Matthew enjoys mountain biking, camping, and tinkering. Matthew hopes to use knowledge gained at Alfred to focus his skills and creative thought process on solving global problems in an effort to make a more sustainable human presence on Earth.

Jessica Scoones biography picture

Jessica Scoones

Project Leader

Jessica Scoones is a senior renewable energy engineering major with a double major in communication studies. She chose Alfred University because of the niche engineering programs and projects that are offered at few other universities. Jessica became interested in Tiny House after working on Solar Decathlon and was interested in developing a small scale version for hands on learning at Alfred without the competition element. She has also taken an active role on campus through athletics, first playing and now as an assistant manager for the volleyball team. She is also a member of Tau Beta Pi and Omicron Delta Kappa, the Honors Program and Ski Club. After graduation, Jessica plans on getting a job in industry because student loans do not pay themselves.

Zachary Mapes biography picture

Zachary Mapes

Project Leader

Zachary Mapes is a senior with a double major in renewable energy engineering and business administration. Zachary chose Alfred University after touring the facilities, seeing the new renewable energy engineering program, and getting to know some professors. Zachary is a jumper on Alfred's Track & Field team as well as a member of a few campus clubs including; ski club and renewable energy engineering society. Zachary enjoys being outdoors, traveling, golfing, photography, drone filming, and is an avid fan of the New York Yankees and the Indianapolis Colts. Zachary is looking forward to graduating from Alfred University and pursuing his dream of helping to create a better, more sustainable future for generations to come.

Seneca Collins biography picture

Seneca Collins

Home Automation

Seneca Collins is a senior at Alfred University with a major in renewable energy engineering. She transferred to Alfred after receiving her associates degree in engineering science and energy process technology from Corning Community College. She chose Alfred University after debating over several schools and realizing that Alfred had the best of both worlds; great education in a small-scale setting. Seneca is a member of Tau Beta Pi and enjoys drawing and gaming (AKA Zelda for hours) when time permits. She chose the Tiny House for her senior project because there is a lot of room to be creative and learn from the experience and her teammates. After graduation, Seneca plans to work in the Finger Lakes area.

Abbey Fox biography picture

Abbey Fox

Marketing

Abbey Fox is a senior marketing major at Alfred University. She is currently also going for a minor in psychology. Abbey decided to come to Alfred University because it was close to home and had a great sense of community. When asked to join the Tiny House project, she agreed to do so because it seemed like a great opportunity to test out her major while being able to help a group of her friends.

Ariana Dibble biography picture

Ariana Dibble

Marketing

Ariana Dibble is a major in marketing and a minor in interdisciplinary art. She choose Alfred University because of the friendly atmosphere, small town setting and gorgeous campus. Ariana is on the Hunt Seat Equestrian Team and also a member of AMA marketing club. One thing she really enjoys about the Tiny House project is how it allows students from a range of disciplines to come together and work as a team. In the future, she would love to be able to work on a creative design team.

Kevin Volz biography picture

Kevin Volz

Decking And Torque

Kevin Volz is a senior mechanical engineering student from Olean, NY. He is pursuing minors in mathematics and business administration. As well as working on updating the final report for the Tiny House project, Kevin is the program chair for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at Alfred University as well as a member of the Men's Tennis Team. In his free time, Kevin enjoys staying active by playing basketball and lifting in the weight room. After graduating from Alfred University, he intends to seek employment in the aerospace industry.

Sam DiRisio biography picture

Sam DiRisio

Structural And Solar PV

Sam DiRisio is a renewable energy engineering major with a minor in mechanical engineering. He is a member of the Men's Lacrosse Team here at Alfred University as well as a member of the Renewable Energy Engineering Society on campus. His role in the Tiny House project is as a structural engineer/designer as well as the Solar Engineer. Sam's plans after college are still up in the air but he will be ready to endure anything.

Mike Nowak biography picture

Mike Nowak

Heating Insulation

Mike Nowak is a senior at Alfred University majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in math. He chose Alfred because the class sizes are small, and it's surrounded by nature. He is currently president of the ski club on campus, and enjoys snowboarding whenever he can. He chose Tiny House because a project like this had never been done before, and it sounded rewarding, while challenging at the same time. After graduation, Mike plans to work at Owens Corning in the Manufacturing Leadership Program.

Matthew Derse biography picture

Matthew Derse

Materials And Beam Calculations

Matthew Derse is a senior mechanical engineering major with a double minor in mathematics and renewable energy engineering. He decided to come to Alfred University because it was a small compact school where the professors could become personable due to the small class sizes. When the Tiny House project was brought to him, he thought it would be a fun project to do because of the background he has with architecture. Through all the designing and researching for this project, he will be able to gain knowledge about his major.

Matthew Roder biography picture

Matthew Roder

Heating And Insulation (HVAC)

Matthew Roder is a senior at Alfred University with a major in mechanical engineering. He has minors in both math and renewable energy engineering. Matthew is on both the Alfred Cross Country team and the Track and Field team. After graduation, Matthew plans on return to his home city of Buffalo, NY. His favorite hobbies are watching anime and doing homework. His favorite food is fettuccine alfredo with shrimp.

Duncan Peterson biography picture

Duncan Peterson

Solar PV

Duncan Peterson is a junior renewable energy engineering major. He came to Alfred University because of the proximity to home and it had the major he was interested in studying. On campus, he is involved with the Forest People and often goes on club events on the weekends that include camping and hiking. Duncan chose Tiny House because it posed an intriguing challenge for him to work on that used the skill sets his major is teaching him. Duncan enjoys spending his free time playing games on his Xbox and PC.

Elizabeth Garofalo biography picture

Elizabeth Garofalo

Solar PV

Elizabeth Garofalo is currently a junior studying renewable energy engineering at Alfred University. Alfred wasn't initially her first choice, but Elizabeth soon came to realize that it had the most to offer, both in the quality of education and the strong sense of community. When Elizabeth heard about the Tiny House project, she knew it would be perfect for her, satisfying both her love for engineering and HGTV. In her free time, Elizabeth likes to take photos and travel with her family and friends, especially to local state parks (as seen in the photo).

Arica Enders biography picture

Arica Enders

Web Master

Arica Enders is a sophomore in mechanical engineering with minors in business administration and mathematics. She choose Alfred University because it is not only a great school, but is also only about 25 minutes from her home. The phenomenal academic opportunities offered by Alfred University made it an easy choice. Growing up in rural Western NY, she has always loved the outdoors and the idea of loving off the grid. After being a part of a similar project, Arica knew Tiny House would be an ideal fit for her.

David Jacobson biography picture

David Jacobson

Aerodynamics

David Jacobson is a 4th year Mechanical Engineer. He chose to study at Alfred University for a few reasons. Firstly, David has grown up with an engineering mind and he felt like Alfred University could expand and support his mindset. David also appreciates how Alfred University is tucked away in a valley and surrounded by beautiful nature. He chose to participate in the Tiny House Project because he appreciates the ability to design a house that is nearly self sustaining. One day, David would like to incorporate these self sustaining techniques in his home. In his free time, David enjoys playing the piano, riding his longboard, and fixing things.

Sheldon Palmer biography picture

Sheldon Palmer

Composting

Sheldon Palmer is a renewable energy engineer with a double minor in mechanical engineering and environmental studies at Alfred University. He decided to go to Alfred University and be a part of the renewable energy curriculum because of his interest in self-sufficient and alternative energy systems. While at Alfred, he has also become a member of the men's tennis team, the treasurer of the renewable energy engineering society (REES), and has become a resident assistant at Brick Hall. He decided to join the Tiny House project because an opportunity to combine acquired knowledge from both his renewable energy engineering degree and his environmental science minor was presented to him when he was offered to assist in the kitchen composting system for the Tiny House project. He looks forward to working alongside other members of this project and contributing to the design of a self-sufficient tiny house.

Nicholas Reitz biography picture

Nicholas Reitz

Composting

Nick Reitz is a junior who is dual majoring in renewable energy engineering and mechanical engineering while also pursuing a math minor. Nick is a member of the Alfred University Track & Field team as well a member of numerous engineering clubs such as ASME, REES, AU CAD and others. Nick chose Alfred because of the small class sizes. The Tiny House appealed to Nick because he wanted to get involved in a renewable project on campus. After graduating, Nick plans on attending graduate school.

Cory Stoelting biography picture

Cory Stoelting

Aerodynamics

Cory Stoelting is a sophomore mechanical engineering major. Cory is from Niagara Falls, NY. A fun fact about Cory is that he enjoys hiking and going on backpacking trips. The reason he chose to attend Alfred University is for the small school feel, where you're able to connect more with the other students and faculty. Alfred's location allows for lots of opportunities to explore the outdoors.

Randy Saffir biography picture

Randy Saffir

Water Filtration And Collection

Rand Saffir is a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Highland, NY. A fun fact about Randy is that he enjoys extreme sports, including mountain biking, downhill skiing, and skydiving. Randy is an avid outdoorsman, which is one of the reason he chose to attend Alfred University, a smaller campus in a rural area.

Jackson Norwood biography picture

Jackson Norwood

Solar PV

Jackson Norwood is a senior renewable energy engineering student. Jackson is a part of the solar system/ battery bank design team. This means he will be designing the electrical system that hooks the grid, solar panels, and batteries up to the Tiny House.