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ESF Student Awarded EPA Fellowship Grant
Daniel Gurdak, a graduate student at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), received a fellowship grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The grant is part of the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program and is awarded to support research on topics that will have significant impact in the environmental science field. STAR fellows receive maximum funding of $42,000 for one year for master's students and up to two years for doctoral students.
Gurdak, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, is conducting research to improve fisheries management and the conservation of floodplain habitats in the Amazon by exploring various aspects of Arapaima ecology. Arapaima are giant Amazonian fish that live in shallow lakes, flooded forests and connecting channels in the Amazon River basin.
Only 105 graduate students across the nation received the grants.
"These fellowships are helping our next generation of scientists and engineers earning advanced degrees in environmental sciences conduct cutting-edge research," said Lek Kadeli, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Research and Development. "Through this support, EPA is ensuring that the United States will have the scientific knowledge to meet future environmental challenges, which will strengthen our nation's economy and security, while better protecting our health and environment in addition to combating climate change."