Trevor Denning is on a mission to make the outdoors more accessible for people with physical disabilities. And he’s starting with Peavy Arboretum, in the Oregon State University College of Forestry Research Forests.
Denning, who graduated in 2022 from the College of Forestry with his bachelor’s degree in tourism, recreation and adventure leadership, with a double minor in natural resources and leadership, has been in a wheelchair since 2011, after a spinal injury when he was 15. With the guidance of his major professor Ashley D’Antonio, he focused his final capstone project on ways to make Peavy Arboretum more accessible to those with physical disabilities. That project launched him into a short-term position with the research forests.
“I believe there needs to be more people who are disabled making decisions about accessibility because we are the ones with the real-world experience and know what needs to change,” said Denning. “On many occasions, I have visited a local, state or national park that is deemed ‘accessible,’ when in fact, it is not.”
Accessibility, according to Denning, is “not a one-shoe-fits-all type of problem to address.”
“One of the greatest barriers or obstacles to accessibility is the lack of knowledge about the vast amounts of disabilities that exist,” said Denning.
His work in the research forests will include providing trail information to people with disabilities so they can be empowered to make the best and most informed decision for themselves about whether they can navigate the trail. Information like trail length, width, travel surface, grade, elevation gain, location of the steepest pitch, as well as trail conditions, will be posted on the research forest website.
As the research forest team and volunteers perform trail maintenance and work on new trails, Denning will provide input and guidance and review processes like entrance and gate accessibility.
“Most people don’t think of the research forest as a place for people with physical disabilities. But it needs to be,” said Stephen Fitzgerald, director of the Oregon State University Research Forests. “Peavy Arboretum has shorter trails with less elevational pitch that have the potential to be modified easily. Trevor had a plan, ideas, expertise and the lived experience to help us begin to make these changes.”
“Navigating a nondisabled world is tough,” said Denning. “Restaurants, grocery stores, bookstores, classrooms and housing are some of the many things that need to be made more accessible. The first step is having people who are disabled in a position to make these changes. For the longest time, I have wanted to be one of those people.”
And now he is. After his work in the research forests, Denning hopes to work for a federal agency such as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service or the Army Corps of Engineers, helping give people with physical disabilities greater access to the outdoors.
OSU Extension quickly mobilizes to respond to emerald ash borer discovery.
In late June 2022, the dreaded emerald ash borer, which has decimated hundreds of millions of ash trees east of the Rocky Mountains, was discovered in Oregon. Oregon State University Extension Service, working with Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Forestry and other partners, responded immediately.
After ODA confirmed and announced the identification of the invasive insect in Forest Grove in Washington County, OSU Extension stepped in to curate and disseminate essential information about the devastating pest and assist with initial monitoring efforts to determine how far and fast the insect is spreading in Oregon.
“For emerald ash borer, and other known and emerging issues, OSU Extension has become a valued and trusted partner because of our ability to quickly bring relevant expertise to the table and effectively share research-backed information through our statewide network,” said Alex Gorman, OSU Extension forester. “With this foundation and our established connections with agency partners, we were poised not only to contribute to the immediate response, but also to longer-term actions.”
Gorman had only recently started in his new position serving Washington, Columbia and Yamhill counties. His first reaction, he said, was a sense of dread followed by sadness. Gorman knew what to expect from his exposure to EAB while a graduate student at the University of Minnesota.
Guided by Oregon’s existing emerald ash borer readiness and response plan,he knew how to quickly contribute that expertise. OSU Extension’s role is to conduct and share results of relevant research, which includes coordinating Oregon Forest Pest Detector training programs and providing information through its established channels and programs, including Master Gardeners, Master Woodland Managers, Master Naturalists and other volunteer networks.
The same day the detection was announced, OSU Extension activated an interdisciplinary team that includes faculty and staff with expertise in forestry, pest management, invasive species, horticulture and communications. The OSU team quickly organized essential information on their online EAB resources webpage and shared it through social media, announcements on county webpages and newsletters. The page includes information on how to identify ash trees, how to identify the insect and recognize look-alikes, how to monitor for EAB and report sightings and recommendations for tree protection.
An existing publication, Oregon Forest Pest Detector Pest Watch — Emerald Ash Borer, was rapidly updated online and a pocket guide was reprinted. Copies immediately went to ODF and all OSU Extension offices around the state for distribution. The guide includes insect identification, host plants, signs and symptoms and what to do if you suspect an insect you’ve seen is EAB.
“We have infrastructure, expertise and capacity to disseminate information in a way that makes sense and is helpful and productive and informative,” said Chris Hedstrom, communications and outreach coordinator for the Oregon IPM Center in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Extension does a great job moving quickly. We have the ability to publish quickly and to house all the information in one place.”
OSU Extension’s EAB resource page includes several publications, articles, a video and a podcast episode. Extension foresters have distributed information through educational workshops, webinars, community events and social media posts through OSU Extension’s Master Gardener program.
This year’s Dean’s Dinner was a celebration of our scholarship recipients, outstanding alumni, donors, and college community.
Dean Tom DeLuca started the formal awards ceremony by recognizing professor emeritus Darius Adams for being the recipient of the 2023 International Marcus Wallenberg Prize. He shares the award with Joseph Buongiorno, Professor Emeritus of Forest Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Richard W. Haynes, the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland, OR. They were recognized for their work on the original and groundbreaking forest economic models, the Timber Assessment Market Model (TAMM) and PAPYRUS, a spatial equilibrium model of the North American pulp and paper industry. Both models extend to the widely used Global Forest Products Model (GFPM). Dick Waring was the recipient of this significant honor in 2020 and we recognized him here last year (after two postponements due to COVID). It’s rare to have a professor from a college recognized once, let alone twice in three years, yet that’s what’s happened within our incredible College of Forestry community!
Randy Rosenberger introduced Dr. Suzanne Simard, Forest Ecosystem’s & Society’s Outstanding Alumni awardee. Suzanne is a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia and the author of the book, “Finding the Mother Tree.” She is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence. Her work has influenced filmmakers (the Tree of Souls in James Cameron’s Avatar) and her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide. Suzanne is known for her work on how trees interact and communicate using below-ground fungal networks, which has led to the recognition that forests have hub trees, or Mother Trees, which are large, highly connected trees that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. Suzanne has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and presented at conferences around the world. In 2023 she received the Kew International Medal.
Jeff Hatten introduced Jessica Leahy, Forest Engineering, Resources & Management Outstanding Alumni awardee. Jessica has been actively engaged in supporting and encouraging women in forestry. She was the second woman tenured in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine (UMaine) and the first to achieve the rank of full professor. She has mentored at least seven Ph.D. students to completion, six of whom are women and went on to academic positions. She was a founding member of SWIFT in 2016, a group created at UMaine to support women and gender minorities in forestry educational programs, and was an advisory council member for the inaugural Women’s Forest Congress in 2022. She has authored over 50 papers with over 2000 citations in social sciences in forestry. She recently served as the Associate Dean for the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture and as the Associate Director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station at UMaine. In addition, she is a highly involved member of the professional forestry and landowning community including the Society of American Foresters and the Maine Woodlands Owners landowner advocacy group. A forest landowner herself, she and her husband were recognized as Maine’s Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year in 2020.
Eric Hansen introduced Camille Chow-Moyers, Wood Science’s Outstanding Alumni awardee. Camille received her B.S. in Renewable Materials and Interior Design from Oregon State University in 2014. She went on to work for Roseburg Forest Products in Quality Assurance and Sales, before a 6-year stint working as a Program Manager of International Compliance and Auditing for Benchmark International (Eugene, OR and Shanghai, China). Today, she is co-owner of MCM Global, LLC (Portland, OR and Yorkshire, England), a consulting and auditing firm that specializes in international forestry compliance and quality management systems.
Amy Riley, Director of Student Success, acknowledged the work of the student clubs and organizations – Xi Sigma Pi, SAF Student Chapter, Forest Utilization Society, the Forestry Club, the Natural Resources Club, and the International Forestry Students Association. The College of Forestry Ambassadors help us recruit prospective students, represent college academic programs to legislators and key stakeholders, work with alumni groups, and represent the College at many on and off campus events. Amy recognized them for their service to the College, which is in addition to their outstanding academic performances, involvement in extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, jobs, and community connections. Lastly, she recognized the OSU Forestry Club for hosting, and winning, the 83rd Annual Western Forestry Conclave Logging Sports Event in April. Conclave is an annual logging sports event held at different colleges throughout the northwest, was last hosted by Oregon State University in 2012.
The OSU Forestry Club with Jessica Fitzmorris and Amy Riley
Jacob Atkins, a graduate student in Wood Science, recognized outstanding faculty for their excellence in teaching and excellence in mentoring. The Xi Sigma Pi “Julie Kliewer” Excellence in Mentoring Award went to Mindy Crandall, Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management. The Aufderheide Excellence in Teaching Award went to Jim Kiser, Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management and Kevin Bladon, Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management.
The winner of the Pack Essay Award is Burke DeBoer, a natural resource student. Their essay was titled “Fungi and the Future of Farming.” The Photo of the Year award went to Adam Smith, a pre-forest engineering student, for his photo titled “Monsoon Plains Sunset.” Each year the College of Forestry is honored and privileged to award graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships to deserving new and returning students. These awards are made possible through the generous contributions and continued support from our scholarship and fellowship donors. The College of Forestry’s Scholarship Committee reviewed 393 applications for undergraduate scholarships, and 145 students were selected to receive scholarships totaling $664,050 for the 2023-2024 academic year. College of Forestry fellowships recognize our top incoming and returning graduate students as well, nominated by their degree program. The Graduate Scholarship committee selected 28 students, both Master- and PhD- level, to receive college fellowships totaling just over $150,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. All students who were able to attend came up in small groups for congratulations with the Dean, pictured below.
Dr. George Brown, the former dean of the College of Forestry, passed away peacefully on June 9 surrounded by his family.
George arrived at Oregon State University in 1964 as a Ph.D. graduate student studying forest hydrology and began his College of Forestry teaching and research career in 1966. In 1973, he was appointed head of the Forest Engineering Department and in 1986 he became Associate Dean for Research. In total, he was a faculty member or administrator at Oregon State University for 32 years, retiring in 1999 as Dean of the College of Forestry, a position he held for 10 years.
As Dean, George encouraged the kind of systems-based, collaborative and inter-disciplinary research the college continues today. He pushed faculty members to work across organizational and institutional boundaries and transformed the Oregon State College of Forestry into the leading recipient of grants and contracts among the nation’s forestry schools before his retirement. George was also actively involved in the Corvallis community, volunteering and fundraising for community service organizations including Community Outreach and the Boys and Girls Club. After retirement from the college, George stayed in regular contact with many in the community. The logging sports arena in the Peavy Arboretum is proudly named after him.
George Brown left an amazing legacy at the College of Forestry. The work and research we pursue on a daily basis is built on those who came before us, and George’s 32 years of incredible contributions are of immeasurable value.
George is survived by his wife Joan, daughters Christen Maier, Annie Brown Kurowski, son in law, Brad Maier, three grandchildren, sister Sally Presson, nieces Kim Blaes, Amy Presson and nephews Don and Matt Presson.
A celebration of life is scheduled for July 21st at 10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church and is open to the public. The college will also hold a celebration of life for George in the fall.
The family suggests that memorials may be made to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence & Innovation in the College of Forestry or the George W Brown Scholarship Endowment through the Oregon State University Foundation. Donations also can be made online at fororegonstate.org. Please note “in memory of George W Brown” on the memo line or in the online giving form. The family also suggests memorials may be made to Community Outreach or the Corvallis First United Methodist Church Foundation.
Temesgen Hailemariam plays a key role in improving the productivity, health, and sustainability of intensively managed, planted forests in the Pacific Northwest
Temesgen Hailemariam has accomplished a lot in his 20 years at OSU’s College of Forestry – and he’s not done yet. In 2022, Temesgen was named the Giustina Professor of Forest Management and appointed as the director of the Center for Intensive Planted-forest Silviculture (CIPS), two prestigious roles that reflect his wealth of experience and expertise.
His new leadership position with CIPS will position him to play a key part in shaping the silviculture activities and research at OSU – and beyond. Their core mission is to improve the economic and environmental performance of the Pacific Northwest forests and to enhance the regional and global competitiveness of the Pacific Northwest producers in the forest products industry.
“As a land-grant university, we have a responsibility to Oregonians and to the public,” he said. “And we also have a responsibility to promote economic and environmental sustainability in the Pacific Northwest. The Center for Intensive Planted-forest Silviculture brings all of those objectives together and I’m honored to be able to contribute to sustainable forestry management, conservation, and economics through this role.”
He says it’s an especially critical time for this work, with both climate change and economic stressors impacting the forest industry. His goal will be to increase the profitability of the forest industry while also finding ways to mitigate climate change through forest management. He’ll be collaborating with stakeholders to implement sustainable forest management and restoration, provide opportunities for youth, and advance the forestry sector into the 21st century.
Temesgen first joined the College of Forestry faculty in 2003, as an assistant professor in forest biometrics and measurements. Since then, he’s taught hundreds of students, published more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, secured more than $4 million in research funding, and conducted work in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Canada, Germany, the United States, Chile, and South Korea. One of his greatest joys as a faculty member is mentoring students and he says he’s honored to have trained 5 postdoctoral scholars, 7 doctoral and 15 master’s degree students while at OSU.
His research highlights include developing a method to estimate the amount of carbon sequestered by a tree or by a forest, developing biomass and carbon equations, integrating airborne LiDAR and ground data to estimate status, change, and trends within a forest, and using advanced statistics to estimate the productivity of a forest.
It was not a direct path that led Temesgen to Corvallis. He studied and conducted research on three different continents before he made his way to Oregon. He was born and raised in Ethiopia, where he first developed an interest in the natural environment and forestry and decided he wanted to study biometrics and pursue work in forestry statistics. He got his first degree in Ethiopia and then headed to Ontario for his master’s degree before hopping across Canada to finish his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He also did a stint in Germany as a visiting scientist at the Institute of Forest Management and Yield studies at the University of Göttingen.
He brought all of this global experience and perspective to OSU, where he’s now happily settled with his family. One of his sons is attending OSU and the other is a high school senior.
“Our challenges are global, and our views should be as well. My journey to OSU has shaped my views and prepared me to tackle future challenges,” he said.
Major & specialization area: Forestry with options in Forest Management & Forest Restoration and Fire
Why did you choose your degree program/major? When I committed to going to OSU, I knew I wanted to pursue a degree that would lead to a job working outdoors and when I discovered that OSU’s Forestry program happened to be the #1 in the country, it was an easy decision to make. I knew I could always transfer to a different degree if I didn’t like it, but I’ve never second-guessed my original choice.
What’s the best experience you’ve had as a student? Field School was by far the most transformative and fun experience I had at college. I met so many cool people and spent two weeks outside learning real, tangible forestry skills both in the Willamette Valley and in Sisters, OR.
Have you participated in any experiential learning opportunities? How has this impacted your student experience? In my Junior year, I went on a Spring break trip to the Patagonian region of Chile. I got scholarships from the College of Forestry that helped make it possible, and a lot of support/encouragement from faculty and professors. It was my first time going abroad and it was pretty transformative for me, both in terms of my education on forestry topics and learning about the culture and history of the area. The professor, Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke, his graduate student, Claudio Guevara, and many others put a lot of effort and thoughtfulness into organizing the trip which made it an incredible experience.
What are your plans after graduation? For the next couple of years, I’m planning to alternate between seasonal field work jobs and traveling now that I’m done with school. Eventually, I hope to find a forestry company back in the PNW where I can start working at and continue learning.
What’s one thing that you would like incoming OSU students to know? Keep your mind open because there are so many more paths you can take than the ones you know of. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to the professors/faculty in your college if you have an idea or goal you want to pursue; they are more than happy to help.
Have you received any scholarships from OSU or the College of Forestry? If so, what has it helped you accomplish? I received several scholarships from OSU and the College of Forestry over my four years here that have made a huge difference for me financially. While I still had to work while being a student, it definitely reduced the burden of tuition, made my trip to Chile possible, and also allowed me to take several extra PAC classes such as Bush Craft, swimming, and dance classes for fun.
What are your go-to snacks? I’ve always been a big fan of the West Dining Hall sandwiches-especially because of how close to Peavy they are.
Why did you choose your degree program/major? I chose my degree program because I love being outside in nature hiking and learning about ecosystem interactions that make a place so special and worth protecting. My goal is to be able to inspire other people to love parks as much as I do. There is much that goes into planning and maintaining a recreation destination and many variables to consider such as user experience and impacts to the environment that should be carefully monitored. Ultimately, I would like to take this awareness and combine it with an environmental education perspective to become a coordinator for interpretive programs.
What’s the best experience you’ve had as a student? I have really enjoyed the opportunity to represent the CoF as an Ambassador by leading tours for future students, building community, hosting events, and sharing about the program. My favorite course was TRAL 456, a capstone class that pulled many concepts together in a group setting to create and design an outdoor recreation plan with consideration to public and private lands. This class was taught by my favorite professor and mentor, Ashley D’Antonio. What makes her exceptional is that she is understanding and approachable to students, while being dedicated to student support and growth at OSU. Ashley has a wealth of knowledge that she is willing to share with students concerning recreation ecology and she is well connected within the National Parks system because of her research and hard work that speaks for itself.
Have you participated in any experiential learning opportunities? How has this impacted your student experience? The experiential learning opportunities I have participated in include an internship at the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council where I was able to help create outdoor school curriculum and shadow the Youth Education Coordinator. I have also become more well-rounded through volunteering for local organizations such as Corvallis Parks and Rec to do trail maintenance or the Sustainability Coalition to do wetland restoration work at Bald Peak. Finally, I have been fortunate to be able to participate in the faculty-led trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia for spring break 2022 where we learned about their forest management practices and how that relates to salmon in comparison to Oregon’s own system. All of these experiences have informed my education decisions and how I approach new opportunities for growth and development.
What are your plans after graduation? After graduation, I plan to take some time off to be with my 9 month old daughter and co-owning a store with my business partner and friend. Then I plan to resume my studies by enrolling in the Natural Resources graduate program. In the meantime, I am looking forward to a slower pace while keeping up with professional organizations and volunteer opportunities.
What’s one thing (or piece of advice) that you would like incoming OSU students to know? A piece of advice that I would like incoming OSU students to know is that your life and experience will be much richer if you immerse yourself into what OSU has to offer. This means joining clubs, volunteering for fun events, becoming a part of the Leadership Academy to grow yourself professionally and make new friends, and finally utilizing all your resources on campus to help support you as a student. For me that meant the Family Resource Center and the Food Pantry in the College of Forestry. Lastly, for an unforgettable experience you will not regret, I would highly recommend studying abroad and applying for as many scholarships as possible to help with the funding.
Have you received any scholarships from OSU or the College of Forestry? I have received two generous scholarships from the College of Forestry. One has enabled me to take advantage of the International Programs opportunity to study abroad in Canada during spring break 2022. The other CoF scholarship has allowed me to attend my classes knowing that my education expenses are covered so that I could fully concentrate on the effort required for my education.
What are your go-to snacks? My essential go-to snacks for hiking and being outside include trail mix (minus the raisins), peanut butter pretzels, any fresh fruit, cheese, and jerky.
Anything else would you like to share? The only other thing I would share is that I am extremely grateful for my experiences at OSU that have made me who I am today. Going forward, my goal is to continuously learn while staying humble, and I look forward to giving back to the CoF by helping future students.
Major & specialization area: I’m a Natural Resource Policy & Management and Sustainability double-major, also working through the Honors program.
Why did you choose your degree program/major? I chose the major pathway relatively late in my college career – I was undeclared until most of the way through my sophomore year. I knew I wanted to work outdoors, and I’ve always felt passionately that the natural world needs wise stewards. Both the Natural Resources pathway and the Sustainability program allowed me to integrate knowledge from numerous fields, and I felt that this would provide the best holistic forestry education for me.
Have you participated in any experiential learning opportunities? How has this impacted your student experience? I’m not sure if this meets the definition of an experiential learning opportunity, but I did perform an internship as a part of my Sustainability degree. I worked with the North Coast Land Conservancy over the summer of 2022, performing an invasive species survey using GIS mapping. This involved traversing the mountains I’d grown up hiking through, and gave me experience in tangibly caring for the land – this is a concept that has stuck with me as a guiding desire in my college career. I want to be able to bring about real, positive change in the landscapes I care about, and doing work with the NCLC has shown me a pathway to accomplish that.
What are your plans after graduation? I plan to go to graduate school – either here at OSU working with concepts of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), or at the University of Edinburgh, studying rewilding in heavily managed forests. I then hope to return to my home area and act as a steward to the land in some capacity.
What’s one thing (or piece of advice) that you would like incoming OSU students to know? I say to take time out to walk somewhere natural, when you have time. Making time too is key – opportunities seldom present themselves, unless you create them (which you can do, easily, I promise).
Have you received any scholarships from OSU or the College of Forestry? If so, what has it helped you accomplish? Receiving the OSU Presidential Scholarship has allowed me to focus entirely on my academic career, which is a gift I am profoundly grateful for. I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my Sustainability degree without it, or have the experience of writing a thesis through the Honors College, if I simultaneously was employed elsewhere. The scholarship offers a lot to Oregonian students, and it is an honor to receive.
What are your go-to snacks? I usually go for cheese. Nutty cheeses, herbaceous cheeses, full-bodied mozzarella and the sharpest cheddars; I went to high school in Tillamook county so cheese runs through my veins.
Why did you choose your degree program/major? My junior year of high school, I interned for the Bureau of Land Management’s Walter Horning Tree and Seed Orchard. Being on the growing/reforestation side gave me a unique perspective of the forest industry, and I wanted to learn more. I found OSU’s Forest Engineering (FE) program at the College of Forestry (CoF), and the rest was history.
What’s the best experience you’ve had as a student? My favorite experience was definitely field school. Here, I made connections that would be fostered throughout my time here at OSU, creating a tight-knit community that I have enjoyed growing and learning with. Not to mention, swimming at the lake was a fun way to wrap up a summer.
Have you participated in any experiential learning opportunities? How has this impacted your student experience? I have had the opportunity and blessing to participate in two study abroad experiences and several internships throughout the course of my program. My study abroad experiences include a semester at the Université Laval in Québec, Canada and a semester at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. These allowed me to learn some global perspectives to forestry while exploring a new and unique country. A couple highlights of my internships include working on the FE crew at the OSU Research Forests and working on a riparian monitoring research project with OSU faculty and graduate students (through the CoF Mentored Employment Program). These internships gave me helpful hands-on experience in forestry, as well as let me explore different avenues to applying an FE degree.
What are your plans after graduation? I will be working as a Forest Engineer at Lone Rock Timber Management in Roseburg, OR.
What’s one thing (or piece of advice) that you would like incoming OSU students to know? Look at the OSU Jobs catalog and mentorship programs for job opportunities! It is a great opportunity to learn and get experience in your field all while making money to fund your education. Even talking to professors– many of which also work on research– can lead to job opportunities. Through the OSU Jobs catalog, I found a student position at the U.S. Forest Service PNW Research Station (across the parking lot from Richardson Hall), which allowed me to get forestry/research experience my freshman year within a 5 minute walk from my dorm. The best way to learn is by getting your hands dirty!
Have you received any scholarships from OSU or the College of Forestry? If so, what has it helped you accomplish? The Dorothy D. Hoener Memorial Scholarship helped me continue my FE degree program here at OSU. My education is completely self-funded so generous scholarships such as this are what make it all possible. Additionally, OSU and the CoF were able to support me in applying for the Gilman Scholarship Program. This scholarship program was vital to my study abroad at the Université Laval in Québec, Canada, where I took courses in French that counted towards my Forest Engineering degree.
What are your go-to snacks? I’m not sure if this counts as a snack, but my go-to is definitely sparkling water. I’m always cracking cans of that stuff in class.
Why did you choose your degree program/major? After taking an environmental science course and volunteering at the San Diego Zoo in high school, I looked into Oregon State to pursue my interests in conservation and environmental education. Once I got here, I learned about the field of natural resources, and discovered that the College of Forestry offered a specialization in conservation law enforcement. I’d always had an interest in the law enforcement field, so that was really intriguing to me. I had assumed that I’d have to get an environmental science degree, and then figure out how to get into law enforcement from there, and I never realized that I could learn about all of those things in one degree. Although I kind of stumbled into it, my degree and my work experience have helped me realize my passions for outdoor recreation management, environmental interpretation, and conservation, as well as my goal to support opportunities for people to learn and safely recreate together in the outdoors.
What’s the best experience you’ve had as a student? I’ve been able to take some amazing courses and do some things that I’d never imagined I would do in a class, like spend hours every week birdwatching (Field Sampling of Fish and Wildlife), complete an investigation into illegal hunting, from crime scene to final report (Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement), dye my hair for a research project (Nonverbal Communication), and draft new policies (Law, Crime, and Policy). I’ve truly enjoyed so many of my classes at OSU, but those are some of my favorite memories.
Have you participated in any experiential learning opportunities? How has this impacted your student experience? I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a few different seasonal jobs and internships during my time at OSU, but these are my most recent and my favorites. The summer before my senior year, I worked as a park guide at the Missouri National Recreational River in South Dakota. Working for the National Park Service was such an exciting and incredible experience. I got to learn a lot of new skills, and had a lot of amazing adventures on my own while I was there and as I drove home at the end of the summer. Additionally, during my final term, I completed a Birds of Prey Internship with the Chintimini Wildlife Center. The internship was so much fun because I was able to continue developing my skills in environmental interpretation while learning about animal care, which was completely new to me. I love raptors and birds of prey, and now I have pictures of myself with an owl on my arm, which feels like the pinnacle of my college career and life. These experiences allowed me to build on skills and knowledge that I learned in class, and challenged me to develop professional skills that I can take with me into new experiences.
What’s one thing (or piece of advice) that you would like incoming OSU students to know? You’re going to do great! Personally, I struggled a lot with comparison and feeling like I always needed to compete with my peers. But we all have unique experiences, interests, and skills – including you! You are absolutely smart enough and capable enough, and you have things that only you can bring – so bring it. Keep trying, keep looking for new ways to do things, and relentlessly pursue what brings you joy and what fulfills you as a person. Don’t be anyone else, be you. Also, get off campus once in a while! Volunteering on trail building days in the research forest and at the Grace Center for Adult Day Services kept me sane and helped me gain some perspective.
What are your go-to snacks? I really love hummus and will eat it with anything. Dried mango with chili, Sour Patch Kids, and pretty much anything from Trader Joe’s are always solid snacks as well.
Anything else would you like to share? You’re going to learn so much and grow in ways that you can’t imagine. Try to stay present for all of it, and reach out for help if you need it. I’ve taken advantage of a lot of resources at OSU, and the knowledge I have gained from those experiences is that there are so many people here who want you to be safe, well, and successful. Also, speaking as someone from southern California, never miss an opportunity to go outside and photosynthesize when it’s sunny. And light therapy lamps do work, so take advantage of those as well.
