Staff

Our staff are highly skilled, passionate, and creative art, science, design, and nature educators and advocates with a variety of backgrounds. 

  • Leslie Sluger, Founder
Leslie (she/her) is a design educator, a chief curator, a practicing architect, and one of the NatureLab’s founders. She grew up locally in Northwest DC/Montgomery County, MD & has lived in Takoma Park for close to 30 years. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MBA from the University of Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys reading, sewing, being a non-practicing gearhead, and spending time with her family & many pets. Leslie is passionate about fostering and rekindling a closer understanding of our natural world. She’s proud to have created a space where so many can access that understanding, keep learning, and be themselves.
  • William Angelis, Founder
Bill (he/him) is a NatureLab founder, educator, and practicing architect. Bill is passionate about science and engineering, and loves to be outside. His programs combine his interests to reach new heights of creativity and discovery. He has a BFA and BARCH from the Rhode Island School of Design in Fine Arts and Architecture. 
  • Mei Mei Chang, Teaching Artist
Mei Mei (she/her) is an incredibly talented multidisciplinary artist. Mei Mei has been working with the NatureLab since 2015, leading beloved workshops on art, photography, sewing, animation, and many, many more unique and exciting topics. Mei Mei has an MFA in Photography from Ohio University. She has an extensive portfolio of mixed media and installation art. 
  • Oliver Trunk, Assistant Program Director
Oliver (he/they) is a creator, maker, and educator who loves to ask questions. He has worked as a special education paraeducator as well as his many years at the Nature Lab, encouraging children to question, create, and explore. He loves making silly drawings and playing with his cats.
    • Evalyn Angelis, Assistant Program Director
    Evalyn (she/her) is a self-proclaimed jack of all trades AND master of all. She’s grown up alongside the NatureLab since its inception in 2011 and is a proud Takoma Parkian, sister, anthropologist, and appreciator of the subversive. Evalyn spends her free time with her cat, Babycat, and cultivating her many hobbies with perfumery and stained glass being the most recent in her repertoire. She holds a BA in Anthropology and a minor in History from St. Mary's College of Maryland. She looks forward to building upon our Labbies' understandings of past and present material culture and their interactions with the natural world.

    In addition to our NatureLab staff educators, we also offer opportunities for counselors (high school and above) and counselors-in-training (middle school). If you are interested in working at the NatureLab for the summer, NoSchool days, or one afternoon a week during the school year, please check out our Interest Page.

      As always, if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Leslie at tnlsteam@gmail.com or (301)-814-9213.