R s ubensTein chool

The
Rubenstein School
of
Environment and Natural Resources
News for our alumni and friends
Fall-Winter 2010-11
Kimberly Wallin
To the Middle East, Costa Rica and Beyond: RSENR Campus
Expands Globally
Our students are
used to a water-rich
environment, and
this experience
opens their eyes to
how others view
water in a waterscarce environment.” UVM students help construct
bleachers from old
tires and walls from
used plastic bottles
covered in a special
formulation of
desert mud.
The class
spends three
days at the Arava
Institute for Environmental Studies
at its Kibbutz KeUVM students and Israeli school children learn about an ecologicallytura campus on the
sensitive environment as they plant a garden near a school in Arad, Israel. Israeli-Jordanian
border. “The Arava
The Rubenstein School campus and its
Institute is the premier environmental teach“classrooms” have expanded globally as
ing and research program in the Middle
more faculty and students take travel courses East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leadoverseas, conduct international research
ers to cooperatively solve the region’s enviprojects, and spend semesters and summers
ronmental challenges,” says Rabbi Michael
studying and working abroad. This year, 12
Cohen (UVM ’80), a founding member
RSENR faculty members will offer courses
and a director of Friends of Arava Institute.
abroad and approximately 45 students
“It provides students from UVM with a
will do study abroad programs or overseas
multi-faceted experience that involves enviinternships.
ronmental studies, learning peace-building
Since 2008, Research Assistant Profesand leadership skills, being exposed to and
sor Kimberly Wallin has taught a spring
gaining a deeper understanding of the many
semester service-learning course that begins
faces and facets of the Arab-Israeli conflict,
on the UVM campus and culminates in a
living in the Middle East, living on a kibtwo-week trip to Arad, Israel, Burlington’s
butz, and living in the desert.”
sister city. The course, Environment and
As an undergraduate, RSENR PhD
Art in Arid Ecosystems, offers RSENR and
student Joshua Halman (UVM ’01,
UVM students opportunities to work with
MS-FOR ’07) studied at the Institute for a
community partners and school children
year. “Coming from the U.S., my percepand learn together about Arad’s ecologically- tion of relations between countries in the
sensitive environment by planting gardens,
Middle East was largely dictated by evening
composting, and building walls and bleachnewscasts and the occasional story in local
ers.
papers,” Josh admits. “Once I arrived on the
“The key,” says Kimberly, “is that evKibbutz, it was obvious that I had no real
erything must be done with little to no water. idea of the state of affairs in the region. Go-
ing through the program allowed me to gain
realistic perspective on the situation in the
Middle East and understand multiple sides
of the same problem and, therefore, a variety of ways in which to approach solutions.”
Beginning in 2011, 10 UVM students
can earn 16 credits in a semester-long program at the Institute in collaboration with
Hillel at UVM, an international Jewish organization affiliated with college campuses
throughout the U.S.
“This new program will enable our students to become familiar with the ecological, social, cultural, and historical factors
that have shaped the development of the
modern Middle East,” says Kimberly. “The
program is designed for students concerned
about the global environment, ecology,
socio-political impacts of our environmental
decisions, and green technologies and who
are also interested in integrative studies of
natural and culturally built environments.”
In 1999, before there were official
faculty led courses abroad like Kimberly’s,
Professor Tom Hudspeth began leading
student trips to Latin America during winter,
spring, and summer breaks.
“In the 21st century,” maintains Tom,
“we as faculty members are derelict in our
duties if we do not insist that our students
gain exposure to ‘otherness’— other cultures, other landscapes, and environmental
issues that do not respect national political
boundaries.”
Continued on page 3
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Dean’s Message
Sally McCay, UVM Photo Services
New Faculty and New Opportunities in Health
and Environment
Dean Mary Watzin
This newsletter is produced bi-annually
to share news of The Rubenstein School
of Environment and Natural Resources
with alumni and friends.
School website: www.uvm.edu/rsenr
Dean
Mary Watzin (802-656-4280)
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Charles Hulse (802-656-4380)
Assistant Dean of Student Services
Marie Vea-Fagnant (802-656-3003)
Undergraduate Program Chairs
Environmental Sciences
Alan McIntosh (802-656-8885)
Environmental Studies
Stephanie Kaza (802-656-4055)
Forestry
William Keeton (802-656-2518)
Natural Resources
Clare Ginger (802-656-2698)
Recreation Management
Walter Kuentzel (802-656-0652)
Wildlife & Fisheries Biology
Allan Strong (802-656-2910)
Graduate Program Student Services
Specialist
Carolyn Goodwin Kueffner
(802-656-2511)
Newsletter Editor
Shari Halik (802-656-8339)
Please send news or suggestions to:
[email protected]
This fall marks my 20th anniversary in
the Rubenstein School. I remember vividly my thoughts as I arrived on campus
at the end of 1990 — the excitement and
energy to do new things and make my
mark on the world.
This academic year, we are recruiting three new faculty members to join
our community — energetic and creative
individuals in the fields of ecological
economics, aquatic ecology, and climate
science and adaptation. We look forward
to the new ideas and insights they will
bring into our School, expanding our
educational programs and helping to
craft solutions to the challenges of global
sustainability.
We also have begun an exciting new
collaboration with partners in the College
of Medicine and others — a new research
and educational focus on “Health and the
Environment.” There is little doubt that
the health of people, the health of our
communities, and the health of our planet
are intrinsically, intricately, and intimately
interrelated. Whether we are concerned about
climate change, the built environment,
habitat alterations and biodiversity, food
security and quality, or air and water
quality, the links to physical, mental, and
spiritual health are there. Only a transdisciplinary research and education effort
that brings together health and environmental sciences perspectives and practices will lead to healthy and just living
systems in the future. Watch for more on
this topic in coming issues.
While we honor our strong foundation,
the School continues to grow, change,
and excel. As this year comes to a close, I
want to thank all of you for your support
and wish you and your families a healthy
and happy new year!
Green Aiken Center to Use Local Rock, Wood
While contractor Pizzagalli Construction of Vermont deconstructed the interior
of the Aiken Center this fall, building
architects and greening coordinators announced that Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC)-certified wood from the Jericho
Research Forest and local boulders from
a gravel pit in Bolton will be used in the
renovation. The boulders will be placed
outside and inside the solarium on the
south side of Aiken to create natural seating areas in a light, welcoming space.
The Green Aiken Center plan currently
includes enough U.S. Green Building
Council Leadership in Energy and Design
(LEED) points to confidently achieve
Student Sean Mahoney (FOR ’12) measures a red
LEED Gold certification, with potential
for LEED Platinum, the highest possible maple to be used in the Green Aiken Center.
certification. As part of the certification,
The new building will display a Firewood used will be harvested from the
Earth-Wind-Water theme by floor. The
Research Forest and milled locally.
first floor will be trimmed in larch and
“Using wood harvested from the
cherry, red-hued woods, to complement
Research Forest...has provided a unique
the element of fire. The second floor will
opportunity to make a lasting and direct
represent the component of earth and will
connection between the Rubenstein comhighlight the wood of red oak. On the third
munity and one of its own resources,” says
floor, wind, or air, will be symbolized by
Brendan Weiner (MS-NR ‘07), Coorblue and white and will feature white ash
dinator of the Green Forestry Education
wood. The green conference room overInitiative. “Students have been involved
looking the solarium will be finished in
with JRF management for many years, and
hophornbeam, beech, birch, and maple.
the FSC-certification process will provide
Finally, the green roof and its focus on
students with skills and experience that will stormwater management will exemplify
be extremely valuable after graduation.”
the water portion of the theme.
2
Global Campus continued
In places like Belize, Brazil, Costa
Rica, Ecuador, and Honduras, Tom guides
students to learn about sustainability, ecotourism, and environmental interpretation
in communities that rely on nature-based
tourism. The students share their expertise on area projects, like developing an
interpretative display for a nature center
in Honduras, but according to Tom, they
learn far more from the local people.
Following Tom’s lead, Instructor David
Kestenbaum and Associate Professor
Walter Kuentzel teamed up to teach tourism courses in Costa Rica. During a past
course, students were inspired by the many
examples of Costa Rican tourism business
owners who integrated sustainable practices into their operations.
“It made us all question the implications of globalization on even the tiniest,
seemingly remote villages,” writes former
student Emily Lord Day (ENVS ’07).
“We had no choice but to reflect on our
own consumption simply in daily living in
the U.S. and how that measures up to the
consumption of a Costa Rican.”
2010 participant Joshua Carrera (NR
’12) writes, “My travel study to Costa
Rica was one of the best experiences that
I’ve had here at UVM so far. It led me to
change my major and gave me insight into
a field of work that I would enjoy. Learning
about sustainable development and ecotourism through the eyes of [Costa Rican]
stakeholders was an incredible opportunity.
It was the kind of experience that I could
never get in a classroom.”
Professor John Todd also leads a
winter break course to Costa Rica where
students work on ecological design and
entrepreneurial projects to address deforestation, erosion, and pollution problems
on the Rio Andamojo watershed. Students
produce aquaculture system designs,
eco-village plans, plans for value-added
products made locally, and educational
materials for local schools.
In Spring 2009, Associate Professor
Terri Donovan teamed up with PhD student Rebecca Stanfield McCown (MSNR ’06) to escort 10 graduate students
to Monteverda, Costa Rica where they
collaborated with conservation groups on
restoration of the Three-Wattled Bellbird.
Their task was to help in re-establishing
a conservation corridor to provide critical, connected habitat between the high
elevation continental divide and the Gulf of
Nicoya at sea level.
“This course was one of my favorite
academic experiences ever,” states USDA
Multicultural Fellow Nathaly Agosto
Filión (NR ’05). “Terri and Rebecca did a
fantastic job of teaching us the power in interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing each
of us to shine within our respective areas,
while challenging us to dialogue around
differences on important questions faced
by conservationists across the world.”
Since 2005, Professor Jon Erickson
and his wife Patricia Erickson, lecturer
in Animal Sciences, have regularly led a
service-learning course to the Batey Libertad in the Dominican Republic. Students
work with the Batey Libertad Coalition,
the Batey Relief Alliance, and Grassroot
Soccer and use the sport to educate at-risk
youth about HIV/AIDS.
Several faculty and graduate students
conduct international research projects. In
the Carpathian Mountain region of Eastern
Europe, a post-socialist, transitional economy provides opportunity for forest sector
investment. Associate Professor William
Keeton and graduate student Amanda
Egan explore potential for local communities to participate in forest carbon projects
to increase carbon dioxide captured by forests. Associate Professor Adrian Ivakhiv
examines how cultural and regional identity is affected by border regulations and at
the same time by attempts at transboundary
cooperation through environmental conservation initiatives.
Professor Saleem Ali is well-known for
his work promoting peace through peace
parks, or ecological preserves on national
boundaries, in regions of the world in conflict. This past fall, he received the Peace
Building & Environment Stewardship
Award from the Friends of the Arava Institute. Much of his work and writings center
on his homeland of Pakistan. Saleem also
explores the health and environmental risks
of gold mining in the South Pacific, South
America, Asia, and Africa with graduate
students, Mary Ackley (MS-NR ’08) (see
page 7) and Hajra Atiq.
To help support student international experiences, contact Kate Baldwin (kate.baldwin@
uvm.edu).
Marie Vea-Fagnant New Assistant Dean of Student Services & Staff Development
years. In 2005, she began a collaborative
position with RSENR and Career Services
and helped numerous Rubenstein students
obtain internships and develop other experiential learning opportunities.
In her new position, Marie will be
responsible for staff development in the
School. “My goal is to sit down with each
of our staff members to gather suggestions
and interests with regard to staff development. Our staff do a great job supporting
our faculty and students, and we need to
know how to best support the staff,” she
explains.
As a member of the RSENR Diversity
Task Force since 2005, Marie is a strong
advocate for diversity in the School. A
PhD student in Education Leadership and
Policy Studies at UVM, she co-teaches
with Matthew Kolan two diversity
courses: Power, Privilege and the Environment, a senior capstone course; and at
the graduate-level, Multicultural Perspec3
Shari Halik
Marie Vea-Fagnant is the Rubenstein
School’s new assistant dean of student
services & staff development. This is a
new position in the School, and Marie is
still juggling her old responsibilities as
career services coordinator in RSENR. A
new coordinator will start in December.
Marie will work closely with her
student services team, Marcia Caldwell,
Emilie Riddle, Carolyn Goodwin Kueffner, Kimberly DePasquale, and the
new coordinator, Anna Smiles-Becker, to
assess and raise the quality of the RSENR
student experience. “I’m fortunate to work
with a highly-skilled and dedicated team.
We will work together to provide exceptional service and support to all students
in the School,” says Marie.
As the ALANA recruitment coordinator in the UVM Admissions Office
and then as a career counselor in Career
Services, Marie has worked in student
recruitment and counseling at UVM for 11
Assistant Dean Marie Vea-Fagnant
tives in Natural Resources.
Marie, her husband Don, and their son
Jack enjoy living in Vermont and playing
in the many lakes, ponds, and streams the
state has to offer.
John Wilson Helps Keep RSENR Connected to the Real World
RSENR Board Member John Wilson practices sustainability at his home on Chebeague Island off
the coast of Cumberland, Maine.
Dr. John Wilson (FOR ’75) describes
living on Chebeague Island in Maine
as the best experience in his entire life.
John and his wife Susan Hudson-Wilson
(UVM ’76) were very determined in
their search for a coastal home in a small
community with strong environmental
ethics and a New England lifestyle. “My
living here is a culmination of everything
I learned at the School of Natural Resources and in graduate school studying
agricultural economics,” says John.
Not long after moving to Chebeague
Island in 2000, John and Susan found
themselves involved in a successful
secession effort. They joined 350 island
residents to break away from mainland
Cumberland to establish town government
and services for Chebeague Island. For
the new town, John has served numerous
roles, from Chebeague Transportation
Company board member to helping manage the finances of an assisted living residence. Today, John continues to be active
in many aspects of the Island’s sustainability including serving on the Zoning
Board of Appeals. John reflects, “Our major challenge is to maintain a year-round
community with affordable housing and
an economic development structure that
can support residents, especially younger
people.”
Honored to be asked to join the
RSENR Board of Advisors, John muses,
“I came to the Board at an exciting time
when the Board was reviewing the conceptual phase of the Greening of Aiken
project. I have been impressed with the
Board’s focus on improving — where
and when possible — the quality and
relevance of the School’s programs. It
was very exciting to return and see the
School’s transformation from technical
learning to a higher level of examining
the interplay of humanity and the environment. The progress has been from looking
at the trees to looking at the forest to looking at the forests and people.” John sees
his Board contribution as being a voice to
remind the School to stay grounded and
join theory and practical experience while
always including business and economics.
“I count on John to keep us connected
to the real world. The Rubenstein School
emphasizes an integrated approach to
environmental analysis, considering
people as part of the ecosystems we manage. Economic vitality and environmental quality can go hand in hand. John is
helping the School recognize that sustainability will only be achieved when we
understand these linkages,” states Dean
Mary Watzin.
After earning Masters and PhD degrees, John worked as an economist and
a consultant. During his career, he helped
launch John Hancock’s first timber-based
investment product. John is influenced by
Economist Alfred Marshall who defined
economics as the study of how we move,
live, and think in the ordinary business
of life. John adds, “I hope we can help
RSENR students and others understand
that it comes down to how people make
choices — at the individual level in a
household and at a higher scale of how a
business is managed.
He fondly remembers SNR faculty
members Pete Hannah and Frank Armstrong who made learning dendrology
4
fun and provided the basic investment
principle “it takes wood to make wood.”
John acknowledged his undergraduate
study of forestry and environmental business skills are applied every day he lives,
works, and helps to build a community on
Chebeague Island.
Contemplating the combination of his
formal and informal education along with
his work and island living experiences,
John advocates for a requirement that all
RSENR students write a business plan before they graduate. “This basic instruction
of writing a business plan puts theory into
practice and can be applied to business,
non-profit, and public service as well as
personal management,” John suggests.
John and Susan have been married
40 years. Susan is a member of the UVM
Board of Trustees. Their children, Connor,
Lehan, and Grace, enjoy visiting Chebeague Island for annual family reunions.
John’s pastimes include sailing, hunting,
learning to play saxophone, strumming
guitar, motorcycle touring, gardening, and
carpentry, and he recently completed a log
cabin guest house. This past summer, John
started a vineyard in hopes of harvesting
wine grapes for Chebeague Island wine.
Before the wine is aged, we offer John
a toast of thanks for his strong support,
incredible insights, quick humor, and
grounded advice.
—Kate Baldwin, Advancement Officer
The Rubenstein School
Board of Advisors
Chair
Mark Biedron (UVM ’74)
David Blittersdorf (UVM ’81)
Sally Bogdanovitch (FOR ’77)
Ed Colodny
Casey Cullen (ENSC ’11)
John Douglas
Kay Henry
Yumi Jakobcic (PhD-NR ’12)
Crea Lintilhac (UVM ’78)
Krissy Pisanelli (UVM ’97)
Will Raap
Peter Rose (UVM ’54)
Beverly Rubenstein
Ann Swanson (WFB ’79)
Ross Whaley
John Wilson (FOR ’75)
Honorary Members
Lola Aiken
Herb Bormann
Eugene Kalkin (UVM ’50)
The Rubenstein School Honor Roll of Supporters
The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources gratefully acknowledges the following contributors for their generous support
in fiscal year July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.
Class of 1941
Anonymous
Class of 1950
Jane Gates Capizzi
Class of 1954
F. Peter Rose
Class of 1955
Janet Tudhope Austin
Class of 1957
Edward L. Austin, Jr.
Class of 1964
Linda Herzenberg Sparks
Class of 1969
Nancy Ineson Bell
Class of 1972
Jacqueline Hoyt Ross
Class of 1973
Marcia Booth Murdock
Class of 1974
Mark Winslow Biedron
Deane Carlton Wilson
Class of 1975
H. William Smith, III
John D. Wilson
Class of 1976
Jill Jones Agnew
Scott David Baldwin
Peter Andrew Beekman
Kathleen Marr Chesney
Anonymous
Beth Frances Volker
Richard R. White, Jr.
Class of 1977
Charles Dutilh Agnew, Jr.
Sarah Bogdanovitch
Class of 1978
Marjorie Victor Alig
Donna Austin Hawley
Robert S. Houghton
Thomas Frederick Ketcham
Crea Sopher Lintilhac
Charles Robert Ross, Jr.
Kim Norman Way
Class of 1979
Julie A. Lundgren
Ann Pesiri Swanson
Eric Swanson
Robert Louis Wanner, II
Class of 1980
George Montgomery Lovejoy, III
Katharine Tannahill Sexson
Class of 1981
David Charles Blittersdorf
Jennifer Black St. Sauveur G ’90
Class of 1982
Mary White Carnal
Lorri Marquez Chapman
David Brian Krause
Mark Mazzola G ’85
Charles Richard Niebling
Jacquelyn Trilling Sattler
Class of 1983
Matthew Anatole Baratz
Kirsten Ryen Bitner
Michelle Simpson Mazzola
Mabel Churchill Niebling
Sam Wear
Member of Rubenstein School Board of Advisors
Class of 1984
Jan Blomstrann Blittersdorf
Class of 1985
Diane White Mealo
Joel Alexander Schmutz
Class of 1986
Adrian Santiago Villaruz
Class of 1987
Sharman Buechner Altshuler
Class of 1988
Lisa Peskin Sausville
Christine Denise Vitale
Stephen Hunter Witt, Jr.
Class of 1989
Lauren Valenti Compere
Lisa Paulsen Jensen G ’97
Ethan Shawn Meginnes
David John Sausville, Jr.
Class of 1990
Stewart G. Jensen
Class of 1991
Sarah Ibershof Bidwell
Class of 1992
Kenneth Karl Sturm
Class of 1993
Kyle Kennedy
J. Macveagh Murphy
Christy Anne Perrin
Class of 1994
Andrew Stephen Carlo
Holly Mason Macy
Sean Justin Macy
Kevin Charles Schmitt
Lisa-Anne Ferland Schmitt
Eli Weissman
Class of 1996
Eric Robert Lutz
Todd McMurray Rohlen
Class of 1997
Martha Sansbury Manning
Kristina M. Pisanelli
Sherman Edward Waldron
Class of 2000
Megan Sandlin O’Reilly
Class of 2002
Jamie Keith Weaver
Class of 2004
Joseph Hollis Bartlett
Eric Thomas Heineman
Class of 2005
Adam Anthony Lucas
Mark Robert Miller
Class of 2006
Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch
Class of 2008
Miranda Thomas Curzon
Caitlin E. O’Neil
Jacqueline R. Schlein
Class of 2010
Lindsay Jennings Gilbert
Class of 2011
Casey Leigh Cullen
Class of 2012
Yumiko Lea Chattulani
Faculty and Staff
Kathleen Howrigan Baldwin ’78
Marcia McAllister Caldwell
5
Anne Trask Forcier ’79
Lawrence K. Forcier
David and Jane Kaufman ’84
Carolyn Goodwin Kueffner ’83
Gary Jon Hawley ’78, G ’83
Philip M. Lintilhac ’63
Robert E. Manning
Jane K. O’Neil
Matthew Jason Sayre
Friends
Lola Pierotti Aiken
David Altshuler
Linda S. Ashcraft
Holly Ehug Bartlett
Amy Elizabeth Beckwith
Barbara B. Beekman
Penelope I. Bellamy
Gretchen Johnson Biedron
Alfie and Gary Blanchard
Jean-Jacques Landers Carnal
Joan Carson
Susan Claro
Edwin and Nancy Colodny
John and Julienne Douglas
Anonymous
Michael S. Freeman
Ruth Fried
Anonymous
Amelia Grele
Marian P. Grey
Anonymous
Phyllis A. Harmon
Linda P. Hasert
Kathryn Wilson Henry
Anonymous
Mary Ann Klemm
Anna Mae Klock
Anonymous
Leonard Langman
Alexandra Loeb
Jo-Ann Giordano Lovejoy
Casey Justin Lyon
Benjamin Lyons
Louis Malfaro
Peter Martin
Celia Betsky McGee
Patricia C. McGuire
Barry Stern and Peggy Mendes-Stern
Alexander and Sally Nestor
William and Colleen Clark Osantowski
Sue Langman Pitler
Margaret E. Prough
William Raap
Betty and Steve Rambur
Richard L. Ritter
Charlotte H. Ross
Peter H. Ross
Andrew and Victoria Rubenstein
Beverly H. Rubenstein
Motoe Shiratori
Brigitte K. Smith
Dorothy Ann Streeter
Ross S. Whaley
Susan P. White
Robert and Victoria Young
Edward and Susan Zephir
Continued on page 6
Rubenstein School Honor Roll of Supporters continued
Corporations, Foundations, and
Organizations
ABC Federation of Teachers
Adirondack Community Trust
Aetna Foundation, Inc.
AFT Michigan
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Charles & Mabel P. Jost Foundation, Inc.
Conservation & Research Foundation
Delibac Construction Company, LLC
Exxonmobil Foundation
Fall Mountain Regional High School
Frost Pond Carpentry
Anonymous
Grassroot Soccer, Inc.
Kate Svitek Memorial Foundation
Lintilhac Foundation, Inc.
Mother Jones Staff Union
Partners of the Americas
Rhode Island Federation of Teachers
Rohlen Foundation
Shelburne Shipyard, Inc.
Steve & Beverly Rubenstein Foundation
Taupo Fund
The Elm Foundation
United Academics-AAUP/AFT
Anonymous
VT Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
Vermont Haiti Project, Inc.
Vermont Institute on the Caribbean
Retirement Celebration Held for Dave Capen and Dave Hirth in Forrest
E. Orr Conservation Center at Jericho Research Forest
Allan Strong
Renovations Continue
on the Forrest E. Orr
Conservation Center
A retirement celebration for Dave Hirth and Dave Capen was held in the Forrest E. Orr
Conservation Center at Jericho Research Forest. From left: Barbara Capen, Dave Capen, Dana
Hirth, and Dave Hirth.
A fine time was had by all who attended the September 2010 retirement
party for Dave Hirth and Dave Capen,
RSENR faculty members who jointly
formed the wildlife faculty core of the
Wildlife and Fisheries Biology program in
the School for over 30 years. Now fully
retired, Dave Capen semi-retired in 2002
and concentrated on advising graduate
student research. Dave Hirth retired at the
end of the 2009 academic year, but returned in the fall to teach one more class.
Their celebration was held in the Forrest E. Orr Conservation Center, the renovated pole barn at the Jericho Research
Forest (see box). A substantial crowd of
faculty, staff, former students, families,
and four-legged pets was entertained
with remembered stories of humorous
and meaningful moments from classes,
research projects, and faculty activities. The retirees’ impacts on the academic pro-
grams of the School and on the training
of undergraduate and graduate students
are particularly notable. Dave Capen and
Dave Hirth were honored for their collegial, spirited, and generous contributions
to the RSENR community.
Associate Professor Patricia Stokowski recalled Dave Hirth’s long-time
service as UVM and RSENR grand
marshal at commencement, “We will long
hold in our memory his stately march into
graduation ceremonies and his exuberant
announcing of wildlife student names.”
Of Dave Capen, she noted, “Over the
years, Dave made us better citizens, and
contributed to clearer thinking about
policy in RSENR. We especially miss his
good cheer, his skill for analyzing details,
his sense of humor, and also his welldeveloped curmudgeonly persona – which
really hid a heart of gold.”
6
The Forrest E. Orr Conservation
Center will soon have a small kitchen
and two full bathrooms to support
increased activity at the Jericho Research Forest. The Forest Orr Center
is located in the former pole barn,
built in 1969 and renovated in 2009.
Renovation involved restoration of the
roof, installation of 14 large windows,
re-siding, and insulation. Jericho wood
was used for the framing and finish
lumber, and local clay and wood shavings were used for insulation. Over 65
students were involved in all phases of
the restoration.
Work on the septic system, and
perhaps the radiant slab, should be
finished by fall 2010. The interior will
be completed by early spring 2011.
One of the bathrooms, the kitchen, and
the current classroom area will feature
universal access and the building will
be heated with wood.
We hope these new facilities will
attract even more students to Jericho
to experience this special research
and community forest. The next steps
will be to create short-term residential
facilities in the form of tent platforms
and cabin tents. Once the Forrest Orr
Conservation Center is complete, we
will turn our attention to restoring the
heart and soul of the Jericho Research
Forest: the 1832 Thompson House.
Please stay tuned.
─David Brynn, Director
Green Forestry Education Initiative
Alum Chris Masson Challenges Local Students to Pursue College Science
UVM memories took place in that lab and
involved my relationships with John and
Doc.” Chris analyzed carbohydrates and
measured photosynthesis of red spruce
with graduate students Michael Snyder
(FOR ’85, MS-FOR ’90) and John Alexander (FOR ’86, MS-FOR ’91).
After a stint at the Hubbard Brook
Experimental Forest in New Hampshire,
Chris earned his teaching certificate from
Lyndon State College in Vermont. He
taught science for grades 7-12 in nearby
Pittsburg, New Hampshire for four years
and returned to Canaan in 1999 to teach
for seven more years.
Chris Masson and son Hayahn: a teaching moment
“I wanted to do for my students what
John Shane and Doc Donnelly did for
“I did not plan on living in Canaan
me—kept me interested, engaged, and
[Vermont]. As a high school student, I
challenged,” states Chris. In both Pittsburg
dreamed of being a ski bum/elk guide in
and Canaan, Chris taught a popular class
Colorado,” admits Chris Masson (FOR
in forest ecology, an amalgamation of
’91), who attended Canaan Schools
Doc’s dendrology, Dale Bergdahl’s forest
from preschool through high school and
pathology, Roy Whitmore’s wood techreturned to teach science. He is now
nology, and Pete Hannah’s siliviculture,
superintendent of Vermont’s Essex North
with a little NR 1 thrown in.
Supervisory School Union.
“If most people enjoy their college
Chris counts himself lucky, while at
courses better than high school classes,
UVM, to have landed a work study job
then high school teachers should approach
in forest physiology with John “Doc”
their classes like they were college offerDonnelly and John Shane (FOR ’81,
ings,” asserts Chris. For an independent
MS-FOR ’88). “I ended up working with
study course, he required his students,
John and Doc for all four years, includincluding Audrey Reid (ENSC ’10),
ing two summers, and some of my best
to read Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared
Diamond. “I wanted them to be able to
carry on conversations with people who
were much older and farther along in their
education,” he explains. Chris also taught
Tyler Brousseau (WFB ’12) and mathematics/biochemistry major Kara Cummings (UVM ’09).
Chris spent two years as principal of
Canaan School, while earning his Master’s degree in education leadership, and
became superintendent in 2008. “It’s an
unusual position,” points out Chris. “There
is only one school and fewer than 300
students in the entire supervisory union.”
When asked why he left teaching,
Chris replies, “I loved teaching but after
11 years, was considering new challenges.
From [my current] job, I can do a lot for
the school and community that I could not
do from the classroom.”
Chris and his wife Amy Beth Keafer,
an art teacher, live on ten acres in Canaan
along the Connecticut River with their
adopted son Hayahn and daughter Sunnyeo. Chris taps nearly 90 maples each
spring, and the family gardens and raises
chickens. An avid hunter, Chris claims
there are three reasons he has not left Canaan: family and friends; the surrounding
woods; and the fact that he has yet to shoot
a 200-pound buck.
Alum Mary Ackley Aids Communities in Developing Countries
Mary Ackley (MS-NR ’08) is an
environment foreign service officer with
USAID, the principal U.S. agency that
aids countries recovering from disaster,
working to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. “My position
with USAID requires a M.S. in natural
resources management, so my RSENR
studies positioned me well for this job,”
she emphasizes.
Prior to her graduate work with faculty
advisor Saleem Ali, Mary spent two years
as a Peace Corps volunteer in the South
Pacific. In Fiji’s rural village of Vunisinu,
she helped construct composting toilets
and institute a solid waste management
and recycling system and taught environmental education at the local school.
With graduate research funding from
The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, Mary
returned to Fiji in 2007. In the remote gold
mining town of Vatukoula, which means
“rock of gold,” she conducted a survey
of over 400 households to explore local
residents’ perceptions of environmental
and health risks of mining.
“Perceptions of local people regarding
risks and benefits may differ significantly
from those of [mining] company represen-
tatives, policymakers, and the scientific
community,” explains Mary. “Furthermore, men and women have been shown
to perceive risks differently.”
“We found that women feel they have
less knowledge about risks of mining compared to men, have less control to avoid
risks of mining compared to men, and tend
to receive information about risks from
different sources than men do and that air
pollution is the risk of greatest concern
to the communities,” notes Mary. Her
findings will aid local stakeholders in risk
management and decision-making.
Mary and her husband, Kristian
Maynard, a professional filmmaker who
worked on Discovery channel’s Planet
Earth, produced a documentary film related to her research. Rock of Gold: Inside
Mining and Bottled Water in Fiji looks at
the impacts of both gold mining and bottled water industries in Fiji. The Vatukoula
mine is located under 30 kilometers from
the source of Fiji Water, one of the world’s
most well-known brands of bottled water.
Narrated by Mary, Rock of Gold
explores connections among industry,
community, and the global environment
from a local Fijian perspective. The film
7
Mary Ackley and her husband Kristian Maynard
on Flag Day
presents lessons for communities around
the world that are striving to sustainably
manage wealth from their natural resources. With fiscal sponsorship from the Center
for Independent Documentary, the film
has been shown at film festivals around
the U.S. and won the El Capitan Award for
Environmental Film at the 2009 Yosemite
International Film Festival.
Currently training with USAID in
Washington, DC, Mary, along with Kristian, will live and work in Sri Lanka for
two years beginning summer of 2011.
Alumni Notes
’77
’88
Nancy Boldt (WFB) is co-owner of
Vermont Gemological Lab, a Burlington,
VT-based business specializing in jewelry
appraisal, design, and repair. After 12 yrs.
as an endangerd species biologist for the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Washington, DC, Susan Jewel (WFB) coordinates
the listing of injurious wildlife. She has
also published 3 books on the outdoors.
Alma Ripps (ENVS) was promoted to
deputy chief of staff for the National Park
Service in Washington, DC. She lives with
her husband and 2 sons in Alexandria,
VA. They camp at nearby mountains and
seashores.
’79
’92
Shari Sarnevitz (RM) writes, “So
excited about Kidder Award for Bob Manning! Well deserved!” Her oldest child is
a first-year student at UVM.
’80
Dawn Francis (ENVS/RM, MS-NRP
’83) has completed 5 years as government affairs director for Lake Champlain
Regional Chamber of Commerce and
Greater Burlington Industrial Corp. Beth
Giron Pendleton (WFB) is a regional
forester for the U.S. Forest Service, stationed in Juneau, AK, with management
responsibilities for 22 million acres.
’83
Eileen Ahern (FOR) keeps busy as
owner of a garden center in Bethel, VT.
Barbara Lareau-Tenney (RESC/ENVS)
teaches English as a Second Language in
St. Albans, VT area schools and incorporates environmental issues as much as
she can. Stephen Shea (WFB) directs
the Ecological Services Division for St.
Joe Timberland Company in Panama City
Beach, FL where he lives with his wife
Angel and 2 of his 6 children, Ashley and
Courtney. He recently received awards
from The Wildlife Society and the Quality
Deer Management Association.
’85
Krister Adams (RM) lives in Waterbury,
VT with his wife, Kiki (UVM ’90), and
daughter, Sydney. He develops affordable
housing for the VT State Housing Authority. Mark Maghini (WFB) is refuge
manager for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service’s Silvio O. Conte National Fish
and Wildlife Refuge, stationed at the Nulhegan Basin Division in Brunswick, VT.
’86
Jennifer Larsen (FOR) graduated June
2010 from Woodbury Institute at Champlain College in VT with her MS in mediation and applied conflict studies.
’91
Andrew Gale (ENVS) lives in Denver, CO.
Kellie Martin (ENVS) is a mother of 3,
town selectman, parent teacher organization president, Daughters of the American
Revolution chapter regent, member of a
community center board of directors, and
is a neuro-resources facilitator for the
Brain Injury Association.
’93
Mitchel Lazar (FOR) lives with his wife,
Jenny, and their 5 kids in southern NY.
Mitchel sells and installs tree products
(wood doors). Contact him at Rapiddoor.
[email protected].
’94
Robert Pellegrini (ENVS) practices law
in a private firm in Bridgewater, MA.
’96
Kevin Twombly (NR) works for Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
(ESRI) in Washington, DC and lives with
his wife and triplet sons in northern VA.
’97
Nicole Ballinger (MS-NRP) markets energy efficiency opportunities to VT businesses in the Efficiency Vermont program
at Vermont Energy Investment Corp.
’06
After working as operations manager for
Democracy for America, Dave Santucci
(ENVS) left Vermont to attend NC State
University to earn his MS in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. He
hopes to continue his research in social
justice at national parks.
’07
Christine Casey (WFB) is working on a
Master’s of Veterinary Science and hopes
to continue on for a PhD and DVM. Bryan
Davis (MS-NRP) is a transportation planner at Chittenden County Metropolitan
Planning Org. and founding board member
of Car Share Vermont. Nathan Johnson
(FOR) is in graduate school in forest
pathology at the University of WA. Ashley
Wright (ENSC) seeks a position in environmental science/education with children.
’08
Debbie Krug (ENVS) is the CEDO
AmeriCorps VISTA team leader for the
2010-2011 service year in Burlington’s
City Hall. Jaime Recore (FOR) is a
wildlife technician for USDA/APHIS
Wildlife Services located in Berlin, VT.
’09
Anneli Berube (MS-NRP) spent 4 mths.
in Australia before becoming a canvas
director for Fund for the Public Interest in
Boulder, CO. Valerie Esposito (PhD-NR)
is director of Environmental Policy at
Champlain College in Burlington.
’10
’00
Amy Kirschner (MS-NR) partnered with
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) to create the VBSR
Marketplace, a peer-to-peer mutual credit
system based on her master’s thesis work.
Sarah Williams (MS-NR) became assistant director of the Lake Champlain Land
Trust in June 2010.
’04
Were you a member of
a chapter of the Mortar Board
Senior Honor Society?
’05
The Akraia Chapter of Mortar Board at
UVM is seeking alumni from all Mortar
Board chapters that want to become a
more fundamental part of our program.
We believe that alumni participation
will aid tremendously in the strengthening of our individual chapter and the
Honor Society at large.
Gretchen Alexander (ENSC) has worked
as a river scientist for the VT Agency of
Natural Resources Water Quality Division
since 2006 and runs a small art business.
Lindsay Harrington Ahsan (ENSC) is
married and lives in North Pomfret, VT.
She teaches first/second grade at Bridgewater Village School.
David Alexander (RM) recently published Hop Into Action, The Curriculum
Guide for K-4 Students, an introduction to
environmental science for young learners.
If you would like to get involved please
email [email protected].
The Rubenstein School, George D. Aiken Center, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405-0088
8