I enjoy: Photography, athletics, watching movies, being outside, and being in the water

My favorite class at Lafayette so far: I am currently in Conservation Biology, and it has been my favorite class.  I think it is because the topics of conservation, protection, and reconstruction of the environment really interest me.  The lab section is also all field labs, and we get to be outside which is another thing that I love. This class really solidified the fact that I want to work outside and want to do things like what we are doing in lab for a career.

Outside the classroom: I am a member of the varsity softball team, Vice President of the Sports Marketing Club, team representative for SAAC, and Membership Coordinator for Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

Over the summers: I usually spend my summers playing softball and doing workouts getting ready for the upcoming season, unfortunately not having a lot of time for internships, but I am looking forward to research this summer. I am planning on doing research with Professor Rothenberger. I will be sampling macroinvertebrates in the Bushkill Creek as indicators of water quality before and after dam removal.

After graduating Lafayette and why studying Environmental Science matters for me: I am currently working as an Environmental Education and Outreach Assistant for Washington AmeriCorps until August 2013. After that I will go to grad school to peruse a Masters in Teaching with the hopes of becoming an environmental education teacher.

The research that I did at Lafayette allowed me to sample macroinvertebrates at 5 dam sites along the Bushkill Creek and used them as indicators of water quality to assess the proposed removal of 3 of those dams.  This research project allowed for me to be a part of a collaborative think tank and to get outside and work in an environment that I like.  I was able to do research outside of a lab setting, explore some really awesome places, and have fun while learning a lot.

The Environmental Science Minor program allowed for me to learn a little about each side of environmental science.  I was able to take classes on the policy side, the theoretical side, the engineering perspective, as well as the biological side.  These opportunities allow me to be a multifaceted person in this field and it educates me see all sides of a topic so I am able to make a well balanced decision/opinion.