Faculty

The various gardens and horticulture programs are managed by a team of professional horticultural therapists and horticulturists, ably assisted by many volunteers. The staff includes:

Nancy K. Chambers, a Registered Horticultural Therapist, has been the Director of the Glass Garden at Rusk Institute since 1986. She is a passionate proponent of the therapeutic value of nature in healthcare environments. The many facets of the Glass Gardens' programs, including the new Rusk Children's PlayGarden, reflect her conviction. She writes, lectures, teaches and consults with programs both here and abroad, and has received many distinguished honors for her work.

Gwenn Fried is a Horticultural Therapist at the Glass Garden since 1997 and curator of the Rusk outdoor gardens. She focuses on the anthropological uses of plants through history and weaves these lessons into classes for seniors and children. She brings to her work a wealth of experience as the former Director of the Children’s Garden at Rutgers Gardens and advanced training in woody ornamentals, annuals, tropical plants and aromatherapy.

Matthew J. Wichrowski is a Registered Horticultural Therapist. He has been the Senior Horticultural Therapist and Conservatory Curator at the Glass Garden at Rusk Institute since 1993. With an affinity for research, Matt helps put the day-to-day clinical activities of the horticulture program in a theoretical framework. Matt is also active in developing the Glass Garden collections and Integrated Pest Management Program. He lectures at the New York Botanical Garden and Rutgers University.

Claire Biernoff has been maintaining the Glass Garden plants and facilities since June, 1998. Her extensive experience in the interior plantscape industry has professionalized the Glass Garden's plantscaping services throughout the Medical Center. The gardens, plants, birds, and fish have been thriving under her care and ministrations.

Mischa Lieber is the Glass Garden's part-time specialist for spring, summer, fall garden needs. Mischa has 30 years experience in the nursery/landscape business and had been a Glass Garden volunteer for 3 years before his hiring in March 1999.

Catherine Graham-Kohler Born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Catherine Graham-Kohler grew up with a great appreciation of fruits, flowers and vegetables sharing the duties of tending to a vegetable garden and orchard with her paternal grandparents. An avid gardener herself, Catherine has a passion for redesigning and landscaping as well as propagating and experimenting with new plants. Following her lifelong interests of psychology, education and the botanical world she is a staff horticultural therapist at the Glass Garden and an instructor for a children’s gardening program in New Canaan, CT.

Megan Driscoll, BFA/MS Megan specializes in working with children and originally came to us as an intern from Pratt Institute. On staff since 2005, she believes that using both art and horticulture can benefit the development of the child and she has begun to develop a new curriculum for the preschool program. In addition Megan works with our children’s outreach programs and is currently implementing a research project exploring the benefits of horticulture programs in early childhood education.

Kate Levy from Portland, Oregon is a plant science major with a specialization in horticultural therapy at Rutgers, the State University in New Jersey. She was hired as a staff horticultural therapist upon completion of her internship in 2006. Kate volunteers at Rutgers Gardens and has an affinity for strange and unusual plants.

Pam Meinwald has been at the Glass Garden since the summer of 2004.  Initially a volunteer, Pam became more and more interested in horticulture and the garden.  So much so, that she took classes at the New York Botanical Garden.  Now Pam is part of the staff at the Glass Garden, working primarily in  the Children’s Play Garden.  Pam loves animals and has a special interest in our new bunny, Butterscotch, brushing and socializing him whenever she is here.  

Steven Cheng began working for the Glass Garden in 2007 after successful completion of a vocational training program learning to maintain plants in greenhouses and offices. Given his background helping in youth church programs, Steven’s primary responsibility is the Children’s PlayGarden, but he assists in all areas of garden maintenance.