FracTracker Alliance has some amazing staff, affiliates, and interns. Get to know them! Jump to:  Staff  |  Interns

FracTracker Staff Listed Alphabetically

Ted Auch, PhD

Ted Auch, PhD

Midwest Program Director

Ted’s primary responsibilities include mapping and bringing to light data gaps associated with the waste, water, and land-use footprint of the unconventional oil and gas build-out across the Midwest/Great Lakes region of North America. Ted’s primary interests include frac sand mining, watershed security... Learn more

Sarah Carballo, BA

Sarah Carballo, BA

Manager of Communications

Sarah translates FracTracker’s extensive body of work into compelling digital content to communicate the risks of oil, gas, and petrochemical development. Learn more

Karen Edelstein, MPS

Karen Edelstein, MPS

Consulting Cartographer

Karen Edelstein’s work with FracTracker involves mapping oil and gas infrastructure and associated community responses, transitions to clean energy, and demographics of impacted communities. Primarily she works on oil and gas development issues along the East Coast. Learn more

Kyle Ferrar, MPH

Kyle Ferrar, MPH

Western Program Director

Kyle manages work in the west coast region, where most of the current projects focus on extraction activities in California and Colorado. He is constantly managing relationships and collaborating with allies, including community groups, other researchers, and both local and national advocacy groups. Learn more

Dawn Hawkins

Dawn Hawkins

Manager of Operations

As Manager of Operations, Dawn oversees financial, HR, grant and other administrative tasks in support of the mission of FracTracker. She has extensive experience in accounting and grant management, and has a long history of environmental protection work in Kansas. Dawn loves enjoying the outdoors, especially kayaking in the Wakarusa and Kansas River watershed areas. Learn more

Katie Jones

Katie Jones

Ohio River Valley Coordinator

Katie Jones is the Ohio River Valley Coordinator at FracTracker. She works to monitor and analyze data associated with oil, gas, and petrochemical activities in the Ohio River Valley and nationally. She uses this information to keep the public informed and provide resources to support the needs of frontline communities, organizations, and campaigns.Learn more

Matt Kelso, BA

Matt Kelso, BA

Manager of Data & Technology

Matt Kelso has been with the FracTracker Alliance since 2010. Matt maintains numerous oil and gas related maps and performs data analysis for the FracTracker site. He also works extensively with other nonprofit organizations in order to help them with... Learn more

Gwen Klenke, MS

Gwen Klenke, MS

Midwest Program Coordinator

Gwen (she/her/hers) is the Midwest Program Coordinator at FracTracker, working to bolster FracTracker’s Midwest network and aid in mapping and data collection efforts. Gwen applies a critical geography lens to her work at FracTracker. She has a special interest in food systems, remote sensing, and drones. Learn more

Chloe Mankin

Chloe Mankin

Air Monitoring Technician

Chloe serves as Air Monitoring Technician for FracTracker’s ambient air quality study of the Ohio River Valley. In addition to field duties, Chloe works to build and sustain community partnerships and to connect concerned residents to local resources and regulatory agencies.... Learn more

Cullen Smith

Cullen Smith

Data Integration Specialist

As FracTracker’s Data Integration Specialist, Cullen focuses on delivering timely and accurate data throughout the organization. Learn more

Shannon Smith, BA

Shannon Smith, BA

Executive Director

Shannon lead‘s FracTracker’s strategic growth and development and translates FracTracker’s extensive work and research into content that speaks to various audiences such as partner organizations, communities concerned with fracking, policy makers, researchers, and financial supporters. Learn more

FracTracker Interns Listed Alphabetically

Sara Chojnowski

Sara Chojnowski

Data and GIS Intern

Sara (she/her) is a senior undergraduate studying Earth and Environmental Science as well as Computer Science at the University of Michigan. At Michigan, Sara has focused much of my professional experiences on understanding the future of agriculture in the Midwest. Her primary internship focus is on the oil and gas industry in the Midwest, with a goal to gain insights into stakeholder needs through survey development.

Nick Hadjimichael

Nick Hadjimichael

Data and GIS Intern

Nick (he/him) is a 2024 Spring GIS Intern, brought on to support Fractracker’s Western network and to research mid-stream activities and expansion within Washington. Nick is a Ph.D. student at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, before which he received an MPP from the University of Southern California.

Sarah "SJ" Liez

Sarah "SJ" Liez

Communications Intern

Sarah (she/her) is a recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science along with a Bachelor of Arts in Public and Professional Writing. Her passion lies in environmental communication and journalism, and she plans to pursue a master’s degree next year in a related field.

Laura Santos

Data and GIS Intern

More information coming soon.

Cara Steinburg

Cara Steinburg

Data and GIS Intern

Cara (she/her) is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing an Environmental Studies degree. She is driven by the positive impact she is capable of having on the world and the people in it. At FracTracker, Cara’s work is primarily focused on supporting efforts updating the FracMapper project. Additionally, Cara is working on an independent project centered on environmental justice in Cancer Alley, Louisiana.

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