ESF Students Awarded Environmental Internships
Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation
5/6
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Sixteen graduate students at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) have been awarded internships by the Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation. The summer internships provide opportunities for students to pursue "careers, the activities of which affect the environment, to understand the interaction of their chosen profession with environmental concerns."
"Competition for the internships was keen. The process of writing the proposals and collaborating with outside agencies provided the students with practice in proposal writing, an endeavor that gives them real-life exposure to the skills they will use as leaders in environmental policy-making," said Dr. Marla A. Bennett, Assistant Dean of Instruction & Graduate Studies and Sussman campus coordinator.
The 2004 Sussman Interns, their research topics, faculty advisors, and host organizations are:
- Chris Akios, "Stream and terrestrial surveys in Olympic National Forest," Mark Lomolino, USDA Forest Service
- Clifford Blizard, "Encouraging environmental stewardship with elementary school children," Rudolph Schuster, Candor Elementary School
- Jennifer Fredenburg, "Evaluating GIS data to form long-range plans to protect the Thousand Islands Region," Robin Hoffman, Thousand Islands Land Trust
- Kevin Grieser, "Educating landowners on conservation issues at one of the "Last Great Places," Diane Kuehn, Mohonk Preserve Inc.
- Adam Harpster, "Bat communities and how changes in the landscape affect their habitats," Mark Lomolino, USDA Forest Service;
- Christina Hazard, "Research on the frequency of pinedrops in Letchworth State Forest," Thomas Horton, Letchworth State Park
- Wendy Jensen, "Determining the success of restoration of wetlands by private landowners," Guy Baldassarre, US Department of the Interior
- Scott LaPoint, "Use of I-87 underpasses by wildlife & impact on conservation efforts," Mark Lomolino, New York State Museum
- Paul Lilly, "Long-term effect of liming on soil properties," Ruth Yanai, USDA Forest Service
- Angelina Ross, "Grouse survey using radio telemetry and habitat data collection," James Gibbs, NYSDEC
- Margaret Soulman, "Assessment of stream restoration projects via sampling of fish and macroinvertebrate populations," James Hassett, Greene Co. Soil & Water Conservation District
- Carolyn Spilman, "Collection of data on loon populations in the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program," William Porter, Wildlife Conservation Society
- Adam Storch, "Experiments on invasive aquatic vertebrates and their impact on the food chain of larger fish species," Kim Schulz, Cornell Biological Field Station
- Robin Tait, "Goldenseal and identification of suitable habitat for populations of endangered plant species," Robin Kimmerer, New York Natural Heritage Program
- Marie Terlizzi, "Rare plant survey at the Zurich Bog Perserve, A National, Natural Historical Landmark," Greg McGee, Bergen Swamp Preservation Society
- Fang Zhou, "Beetle behavior support of the spread of fungus to humans," Alex Weir, NC Department of Agriculture
The Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation supports internships for students matriculated in graduate degree programs at nine institutions: The Colorado School of Mines, Cornell University, Duke University, Scripps Institute of Oceanography at University of California at San Diego, SUNY ESF, the University of Colorado, the University of Michigan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and Yale University. Historically, ESF has been invited to submit the most applications for student internships.
"SUNY ESF is the leader in the Sussman Internship Program, a commitment that underscores the importance of SUNY ESF in environmental research," said Bennett. "I am confident that these students will direct their energies to confront the challenges posed by national and international influences on the global environment."
