0 Forum
Environmental Protection Agency Greater Research Opportunities Undergraduate Student Fellowships
Where are they now?
Catching up with GRO Alumni
Austin Kana
M
I oving to Washington, DC, is a natural choice for someone who
wants to work at the heart of energy policy, like GRO alumnus
Austin Kana. "I've been immersed in local energy policy
initiatives from my GRO internship and independent studies at school,"
Austin said. "I wanted to dive into
Federal policy issues and see the
difference between the different
levels of government."
Austin moved to Washington after
graduating from Hobart College in
2009 with undergraduate degrees
in environmental studies and
public policy. Hobart is a small
liberal arts school in the Finger
Lakes region of New York State.
In partnership with William Smith
College, Hobart is committed to
"going green" and to fostering a
culture of sustainability.
• "I'm contributing to efforts
to move clean energy
technologies out of
national labs and *&**.
universities and
bring them into
the market.] • .,
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"The internship helped me see firsthand the intersection of energy
science and policy at the local level," Austin said. He learned that
perseverance and patience - recognizing that changes won't happen
right away - are key to making important advances in sustainability
and clean energy. "Many towns
and communities are struggling
financially, and it's very challenging
to convince them that, despite some
upfront costs, an investment in
environmental policy is necessary
to long term sustainability," Austin
noted.
- Austin Kana
After a short internship on
clean energy issues with McBee
Strategic Consulting, Austin was
hired by New West Technologies,
LLC, a Department of Energy
(DOE) contractor. Austin now
supports DOE's Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
"We work to move clean energy technologies out of national labs and
universities and bring them into the market," he explained.
Austin counts his GRO internship at EPA Region 1 HQ in Boston, MA,
among the experiences contributing to his ongoing interest in energy
issues. He supported the New England Community Energy Challenge,
working with eight New England towns and communities to help local
officials "benchmark" the energy usage of municipal buildings as a
baseline for improving energy efficiency.
. ^
Austin's travel around New England
played a big part in his internship's
success. "Being able to visit the
towns and meet people helped me
make personal connections," Austin
recalled. "Some people seemed
worried when I'd say on the phone
that I was working with EPA, but
meeting with them face-to-face
really helped our work go much
more smoothly." He liked the travel
opportunities for another reason. As
he put it, "It's hard to turn down a
work trip to Martha's Vineyard during
the week!"
As for now, Austin is having a great time being in the heart of things
in DC. "I know I'll look back and remember working on DOE projects
funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," Austin said.
"Being part of something this historic is one of the highlights of my time
here." He's also learning more about other cutting-edge energy issues,
like the "smart grid" approach to revitalizing the electric infrastructure
in the United States. As Austin sees it, "Renewable energy and energy
efficient technologies will only have a limited impact until we're able to
implement a grid that's designed for these technologies."
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Love GROs for two alumni
How many of us give a second thought to being placed in
alphabetical order for some reason? When the GRO Fellowship
review panel met in Spring 2003 to review applications for the
next group of GRO Fellows, new panel members and GRO alumni
Sherita Bennett and Tahir Charles were given adjacent seats. They
didn't guess at the time the lasting effect alphabetical order would
have.
Sherita and Tahir remained "neighbors" at panel meetings, and
quickly came to enjoy their yearly chance to visit while participating in
a rewarding service to the GRO program. "We love being able to give
back," Sherita said. "Someone gave us the opportunity, and it feels
good to be able to give the same opportunity to worthy students."
Sherita, a Registered Nurse in Greenville, SO, and Tahir, the owner of
Allen Medical Services, Inc., in Katy, TX, soon became friends, and
began to stay in touch throughout the year.
As time passed, Tahir and Sherita found that their friendship was
turning more romantic. They started dating about 2 years ago. "We've
racked up quite a few frequent flier miles, since we typically see each
other at least once or twice a month," Tahir said. You'd think that would
be enough of airports, but last November, Tahir proposed to Sherita at
the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, GA! "Needless
to say, he did not make his flight that evening," Sherita said. "Instead,
we drove down to South Carolina and ecstatically told my family the
wonderful news."
Sherita and Tahir are planning their wedding for this summer in Taylors,
SC. They look forward to building a family and home together in
Houston, TX, where they plan to use their combined talents to create a
successful business that will be the pride of future generations of the
Charles family.
GRO Fellow invited to national conference
Congratulations to current GRO Fellow, Ciarra Greene, who has
been invited to make a presentation at the annual meeting of
the Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE)
this June. SAIGE's "Youth Track" works to encourage Native American
youth to realize their potential to become leaders, continue their
education, and seek a career in civil service. Ciarra, a member of the
Nez Perce Tribe, is interested in the interface between science and
Native American culture, and in ways to reach out to Native students
and communities.
Ciarra plans to present to SAIGE information on her GRO Fellowship
research on rhamnolipid, a substance with possible application
to heavy metal bioremediation. She also plans to talk about her
experiences as a technical intern at the Department of Energy's
Hanford Site, where she worked on a project to develop K-12 lesson
plans and activities combining traditional Native American and Western
knowledge for teachers in the Pacific Northwest.
A chemistry major at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, Ciarra
is going to have a very busy summer! Her GRO internship is across
the country in Edison, NJ. Ciarra will be working with the Helicopter
Monitoring Program in EPA Region 2's Division of Environmental
Science and Assessment, Edison, NJ, where she'll make observations
of floating debris, collect water samples, and conduct chemical and
biological analyses.
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Summer 2011GRO Internship Projects
Alex Guzzetta
Genomic Endpoints
for Environmental
Effects of
Nanoparticles
Narragansett, Rl
Chelsea Woodworth
Dungeness Crab
Production as a Final
Ecosystem Service of
Pacific NW Estuaries
Newport, OR
Janique Cheesman
Green Building and/
or Integrated Design
Analysis
Denver, CO
Melinda Hopper
National Wetland
Condition Assessment
and National Aquatic
Resources Survey
N. Chelmsford, MA
Sarah Larsen
Region 4 "Reduce
Your Environmental
Footprint" Campaign
Atlanta, GA
AM McAtee
Ecological Effects of
Biofuel Crops
Corvallis, OR
Ciarra Greene
Helicopter Monitoring
Program
Edison, NJ
Jess Helgesen
Evaluating Planning
and Assessment Tools
to Apply to Wetland
Mitigation Site
Selection
Portland, OR
Melissa Haber
The Role of Microbial
Enzyme Activity in
Peatland C, N, and P
Dynamics
Duluth, MN
Starlyn Robinson
Evaluation of
the Jacksonville
Environmental Justice
Showcase Community
Project
Atlanta, GA
Allison Baker
Carbon Sequestration
in Forests and
Ecosystem Services
Corvallis, OR
Corina Solis
Community Energy
Challenge - Helping
Towns Reduce Energy
Use
Boston, MA
Jessica Taylor
Green Chemistry
Washington, DC
Michael Thompson
Global Climate
Change Effects on
Coastal Wetlands
Narragansett, Rl
Tom Langer
Carbon Sequestration
in Forests and
Ecosystem Services
Corvallis, OR
Amy Prescott
Pharmaceuticals
and Personal Care
Product Support
Denver, CO
Deandra Smith
Children's
Environmental Health
San Francisco, CA
Jesyka Melendez
Responses of
Marine Crustacean
Populations to Human
Stressors
Narragansett, Rl
Phoebe Lewis
qPCR Capability
Development
Houston, TX
Tradd Cotter
Assessing Chemical
Exposure and Toxicity
by NMR-based
Metabolomics
Athens, GA
Benjamin Auch
Microbiological
Treatment of Drinking
Water for Pesticide,
Nitrate and Ammonia
Cincinnati, OH
Emily Thorpe
Global Climate
Change Effects on
Coastal Wetlands
Narragansett, Rl
Jonne Woodard
Integrated
Toxi co logical
Approaches for
Assessing the
Ecological Risks of
Pharmaceuticals
Duluth, MN
Rachel King
Nutrient Removal by
Wetlands in Pacific
Northwest Estuaries
Newport, OR
Ty Murdoch
National Wetland
Condition Assessment
and National Aquatic
Resources Survey
N. Chelmsford, MA
Brian Peacock
Microbiological
Treatment of Drinking
Water for Pesticide,
Nitrate and Ammonia
Cincinnati, OH
Erin Delman
Baseline Water
Quality Study in
Marcellus Shale
Drilling Area
New York, NY
Justin Paul
Analysis of Rare Earth
Minerals Deposits
and Mining
Denver, CO
Rachel Lamb
Climate Change Best
Practices in Region
10
Seattle, WA
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Cailie Carlile
Global Climate
Change and Its
Effects on Terrestrial
Ecosystems
Corvallis, OR
Ethan Degner
Spatially Explicit
Population Model for
Cyprinodon variegatus
in Estuarine Systems
Gulf Breeze, FL
Kelsii Dana
Mixed Ownership
Mine Site Support
Denver, CO
Robert Reynolds
Effects of
Environmental
Regulation
on Economic
Performance of US
Manufacturing Sector
Washington, DC
. . .A . .
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Learn more about EPA's undergraduate and
graduate grant programs
Are you or do you know a student interested in the environment?
Find out more about EPA's Science to Achieve Results (STAR)
Graduate Research Fellowships and Greater Research Opportunities
(GRO) Undergraduate Research Fellowships at our website.
www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research
and Development (8723F)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
EPA/600/N-04/198
April 2011
www.epa.gov/ord
Making the most of your internship
How do you make an internship memorable? Here's some advice from
last year's GRO Fellows on how they did it.
"Say yes! When you're offered a chance to work on another project, to
receive additional training, or to meet other interns, take it."
"Keep in mind how fast the summer goes by. While it may seem like a
long time at the beginning, the internship flies by. Make sure you get to
experience everything you want to experience!"
"Be energetic, be interested, and be personable."
U
Go outside of your comfort
zone and do things you
haven't ever done before.] •
"Take the initiative and get to know as many people as possible: not
just their job title but why they're in the field they're in and even where
they're from and where they went to school."
"Have some fun! Ask your coworkers about the area and events. There
are always places to go and things to do; someone who's familiar with
the area can give you the best pointers."
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