Environmental Protection Agency Greater Research Opportunities Undergraduate Student Fellowships
issue 2,2008
where are they now? catching up with GRO
Gregory Crawford
Gregory Crawford was a GRO Undergraduate Fellow while a student at Wiley College,
Marshall, TX, where he earned a Bachelor's in Biology with a minor in Environmental
Science. Wiley College was recently in the national spotlight due to the 2007 feature
film The Great Debaters, directed by and starring Denzel Washington. The movie tells
the story of the 1935-36 Wiley debate team's outstanding season, which included
the first debate in the United States between teams from white and African-American
colleges.
While a student, Gregory conducted his first environmental investigation, studying
pollutants and fish kills in Caddo Lake, which covers 26,800 acres in Louisiana and
Texas. Graduating from Wiley a year earlier than planned, Gregory then pursued
graduate studies atthe University of South Florida and Walden University. He earned
a Masters of Science in Public
Health (MSPH) degree, and is
currently enrolled in a doctoral
program.
In 1996, Gregory had his GRO
summer internship at EPA
Region 4, Atlanta, GA. Recalling
the professional aspects of his
internship, Gregory said, "I was
able to work with and assist
other scientists with a Maximum
Achievable Control Technology
standardforhazardous pollutants.
It was primarily targeted at dry
cleaners, to control hazardous air
pollutants that they either were
emitting or had the potential to
emit in the atmosphere." He also
has unique personal memories
of that time, as he was able to
attend events and experience
the excitement surrounding the
Games of the XXVI Olympiad, held
that summer in Atlanta.
Gregory credits the internship with providing him the opportunity to interact with fellow
scientists, understand the mission of EPA and other environmental organizations,
and develop a network of contacts, including some who contributed to his accepting
a job at EPA after graduation. Gregory worked in Region 4 as an Environmental
Scientist, where he conducted regulatory planning for states related to compliance
with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). There, he became
interested in criteria pollutants, such as ozone and its contribution to asthma, and
urban heat islands in metropolitan cities. "Because of this interest in public health,"
Gregory said, "I was able to secure a position at CDC as a Health Scientist and have
worked on and served as the lead scientist/investigator for research programs and
projects related to air pollution, asthma, and volcanic gases." CDC, the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, is a part of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, and is
the primary Federal agency
conducting and supporting
public health activities in the
United States.
Gregory is currently the Deputy
Branch Chief for the Air Pollution
and Respiratory Health Branch
at CDC's National Center for
Environmental Health (NCEH).
NCEH seeks to promote health
and quality of life by preventing
or controlling those diseases
or deaths that result from
interactions between people
and their environment.
His experience as a GRO Fellow
helped to develop Gregory's
perspective on the environment.
"It provided me the opportunity
to get a first-hand experience in
how I could contribute in making
the environment a better, safer
place," he said. Gregory urges Fellows planning for their internships to "think beyond"
the internship itself: "Start to think about what you would like to do in the future and
how the summer internship can be a step in that direction. Relate and convey to
people what really interests you and how you can potentially make a contribution."
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fellows' reflections - summer 2008 GRO internships
Cynthia Williams
GRO Fellow Cynthia Williams traveled cross-country from Howard
University. Washington, DC, to work on the Toxics Release Inventory at
Region 9 HQ in San Francisco. Cynthia writes about her summer
"it has influenced me to make a difference at home and school.
have started recycling on a regular basis and spreading the word t
organizations I am a part of on campus. Currently, I am awaiting moi
information from Headquarters about ways to implement more programs
on my campus and in my home of Washington, DC. I will be getting more
~ "I about Indoor Air Quality at r~~~
sunuo/, wniun rids nevei ueen uune un uie college level. I've been tellit/g
™,*,~;i.,.,—i r,,;~~^s about things they can do. And, honestly, I can say
.1 .yao ucv-auoc u, u ils experience here at Region 9."
Overall, my internship proved to be an incredible experience. It
allowed me to get a glimpse into the work of an environmental
scientist. All the projects I worked on were fascinating and allowed
me to explore new lab techniques."
Joseph Ifokwe
EPA HQ in Washington, DC, was the internship location for Joseph
Ifokwe, University of North Texas, Denton, TX. About his summer
working with the Green Chemistry Program, Joseph writes:
Rachael Lane
nauiiaci i_aiic, a ^ar\w rcnuvv MUNI QIII^JUIICI OLOLC uinvcisiLy MI Qiii|juiia
KS, interned at EPAs Atlantic Ecology Division in Narragansett, Rl, where
she studied the emerging contaminant PBDE-209. Rachael reports:
"My project fit within the mission of this EPA branch by providing a
/ ,' for cleaner industry p.
../ Program is an
have used their skills elsewhere, and they seem content with what
they do. After interacting with my mentors over the summer, I think
I have a dearer career goal now than before tl
"My project fit within the mission of this EPA branch by providing a GRO Fellow Joseph Ifokwe
confirmation of an emerging contaminant in an ecological system. shows off the prestigious Annual JayFeitsliailS
Presidential Green Chemistry Jay Feitshans traveled from Albright College, Reading, PA. to,,„£,,„,,
Challenge Award presented bythe 4 HQ, Atlanta, GA, for his GRO summer internship. Jay worked on a
Green Chemistry Program in EPA's volunteer water quality monitoring project, and writes:
Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics, Washington, DC. "This projecttaught me people skills and work planning. Any future
work I might do in community interface projects will benefit from
the people skills I learned during this proi&rt The nroient also
required my interdisciplinar skills as an ,
major. I enioy^ "•~-i,i~* ,.,
introducing
the 2008-2009 GRO fellows
Charisse D. Carter
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, VA
Major: Biology
Brand! N.Clark
Missouri University of Science and
Technology
Rolla, MO
Major: Civil Architecture and Civil
Engineering
Naveed Davoodian
College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor, ME
Major: Biology
Annie L. Putman
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Ml
Major: Chemistry
Nadine S. Dodge
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
Major: Environmental Science
Kyle D. Hellevang
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
Major: Chemical Engineering
Elizabeth A. Huyser
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Ml
Major: Engineering
William D.Shipman III
Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA
Major: Biology
Nathan Jones
University of Arkansas-Fayettevilie
Fayetteville, AR
Major: Biology and Engineering
Todd Louis Massari
Roger Williams University
Bristol, Rl
Major: Biology/Marine Biology
Jonathan L. McKinney
Missouri University of Science
and Technology
Rolla, MO
Major: Environmental
Engineering
Lan M.Tran
Virginia Wesleyan College
Norfolk, VA
Major: Earth and Environmental
Science
Tyler S.O' Dell
Lake Superior State University
SaultSte. Marie, Ml
Major: Chemistry and Fire
Sciences
AdamM.OIszewski
Mercyhurst College
Erie, PA
Major: Biology
Joshua L. Pierce
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
Major: Environmental Toxicology
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Akosua Dosu
GRO Fellow Akosua Dosu, Spelman College, worked
at Region 4 HQ in Atlanta on the Performance Track
Program, which recognizes businesses for environmental
excellence. Akosua reports:
'This summer was full oflearningand meeting new people.
I really appreciated this experience. This summer has
also helped me sharpen my communication skills. As a
representative of such an important government agency
I had to be very conscious of my phone interactions with
companies and EPA partners. I also learned what to look
for when researching companies who are committed to
environmental excellence. The internship and the people
with whom I had a chance to speak definitely influenced
both my future career and academic goals."
Elan Mitchell
Elan Mitchell, a GRO Fellow from Spelman College
(Atlanta, GA) supported the Green Building Workgroup at
EPA HQ in Washington, DC. She writes:
GRO Fellow Val Horstman (L) with her internship mentor,
Shubhada Kambli (R), on the way to Martha's Vineyard
to discuss the Community Energy Challenge with the
local school superintendent.
7 thoroughly enjoyed being actively engaged in
communities affected by the policies that I was attempting
to help implement. I had the opportunity to see how EPA
implemented environmental policy. I greatly enjoyed and
benefited from my internship experience this summer. I
met, engaged, or was in the company of individuals who
are primary thinkers and chief crafters of environmental
policy at EPA."
Amy Combs
Amy Combs, GRO Fellow from the University of Memphis
(TN), studied marine organisms called mysids at EPAs
Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) in Narragansett, Rl. Amy
reports:
"My summer internship with the EPA has only strengthened
my impression of the EPA, its employees, and its missions.
I was very impressed with the research facilities and
the EPAs goals and programs, which I did not know
much about before my internship. I worked with many
very intelligent and dedicated researchers and other
professionals. My overall experience during my internship
at AED was wonderful."
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&EPA
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
November 2008
www.epa.gov/ord
Hannah Fink
GRO Fellow Hannah Fink, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, interned in Athens, GA, at the National
Exposure Research Laboratory. About studying disinfection by-products in drinking water, Hannah
writes:
"The employees at the EPA were all very welcoming and treated me as another professional
and not just an intern. It was an amazing experience working with Dr. Susan Richardson. She is
brilliant in her field and a wonderful person for whom to work. Many of the employees gave me
feedback on my upcoming honors thesis project and ideas for graduate school, which has been
incredibly helpful."
Juandalyn Coffen
Juandalyn Coffen, a GRO Fellow from Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, studied disinfection by-
products in drinking water at EPAs National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, GA.
Juandalyn says:
'This summer allowed me to grow as an individual through some of the challenges I had to face
early on in my internship. During the first two weeks, I was given lots of information regarding
my project goals in the lab that required me to have to learn and remember a lot of chemistry.
However, although my project advisor had to be absent for a few weeks, it allowed me to
research the information I was not sure about to get a better understanding of certain methods
and concepts. I believe that this helped me to become more self-reliant by establishing some
solutions to various problems and concepts before approaching my project advisor."
Hannah Fink (L) and Juandalyn Coffen (R) demonstrate a shakeout
procedure during their GRO summer internships investigating
disinfection by-products in drinking water at the National Exposure
Research Laboratory in Athens, GA.
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