The Team
Ryan Palmer: BS Environmental Science, University of Rhode Island. Ryan Palmer joined SLC as Director of the Center for the Urban River in August 2013. A Hudson Valley native, Ryan previously was Director of Clearwater’s Green Cities Initiative, focusing on urban watershed and environmental justice issues, green infrastructure projects, community organizing, and urban planning. Ryan has training in Land Use Law, Stream Monitoring, Biodiversity Assessment, Watershed Management, and Planning, and 10 years of experience in the environmental non-profit field.
Christina Tobitsch: BS Environmental Science, University of Connecticut and MA Environmental Conservation Education, NYU. Christina joined the CURB team in 2025 as Director of Education. She has a deep passion for estuary ecology and enjoys enlightening New Yorkers on our urban ecosystems through hands-on experiences. She spent a decade with Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, overseeing student and family education programs at the waterfront park’s Environmental Education Center. Additional teaching experiences at the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuarine Research Reserve, Hudson River Park Trust, and City of Kingston Parks and Recreation helped her discover and hone her expertise in marine education, early childhood programming, and exhibit/curriculum design. Her upbringing in the Hudson Valley and experiences up and down river have shaped her knowledge and appreciation for NY ecology and local environmental issues.
Jason Muller: BA in Environmental Studies, MS in Educational Technology, Ramapo College of New Jersey. Jason Muller joined Beczak Environmental Education Center, now the SLC Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB), as an educator in 2008 and since then has also taken on the role of River Ecology Specialist. As an educator, he is responsible for developing and teaching hands-on environmental education programs. Jason also leads CURB's River ecology research, including eel migration studies, seining projects, environmental DNA sampling, and more. Additionally, he manages CURB's volunteer and internship program, working with students, community partners, and corporate volunteer groups. This includes CURB's EELS Team high school internship program. Jason has previously held positions at the Meadowlands Environment Center, the Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook, and as Park Ranger/Education Specialist for the National Park Service's Gateway National Recreation Area.
Kathalene Lamboy Roman: BS in Marine Environmental Science, SUNY Maritime College. Katie Lamboy is a Bronx native with a passion for her local environment and community. As a youth living within an incredibly urban neighborhood, it seemed impossible to be able to follow her dreams of becoming a scientist and conducting meaningful research. This long imagined dream became reality when she enrolled in the Marine Environmental Science degree program and graduated with high honors from a little college present within her home borough of the Bronx, SUNY Maritime. Obtaining a degree with a minor in Marine Biology, Katie sought out to learn and was accepted as Education Intern for the Bronx River Alliance in 2011. After a 3 year position as exhibit guide for the Bronx Children's Museum, Katie has returned to the Bronx River Alliance as head of the education and on-water recreation program from 2014-2019. Her efforts in making urban river learning fun and engaging have been recognized and she has been awarded as an Everyday Hero by Urban Health Plan in 2016 as well as the Keeping It "Reel" environmental education award by Bronx Council on Environmental Quality (BCEQ) in 2018.