REU '09
Mentor: Ed Faison
Project: Seedling & Sapling Composition Influences Browse Intensity of Ungulates in Massachusetts
Hometown: Gardner, MA
College and major: University of Massachusetts-Amherst, class of 2010, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation
What you miss most about the REU program:
Being surrounded by people who are passionate about the environment and ecology.
What you miss least about the REU program:
Rainy days in the field when it rained so hard, for so long, that even the Write-In-The-Rain paper gave up.
What about the REU program has stuck with you:
The memories of spending every day out in the Quabbin Reservior Watershed. It was such a peaceful place to be five days a week.
Have you stayed in touch with other REU students?
Yes! There are a group of us who chat often and update each other on our lives. We hope to get together for a reunion someday.
Did your REU experience support or change your school/career plans?
My REU experience actually made me realize that I do not want to do research for a career. It was too much of a long and tedious process for me and I'm glad that I realized that during the program and not after I went to grad school to do research.
What are you up to now?
I graduated from UMass in May 2010. I want to be a National Park Ranger, so I've been applying for positions all over the country.
