vvEPA
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 2009
www.epa.gov/ord
William Shipman
Majoring in biology at Morehouse College in Atlanta. GA, William interned in Chape! Hill, NC, where
he studied topics related to human health and air pollution.
7 once viewed the EPA as an agency that focused primarily on ecological and field studies.
However, after this summer, I know now that throughout the EPA's facilities, a wide variety of
research is conducted, including molecular biology research. In addition to gaining technical and
interpersonal skills during the summer, my academic interests also were honed. I now know that
I am very interested in toxicology and pathology."
Lan Iran
Lan. an environmental science major at Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, VA, studied aquatic
communities during her internship in Edison, NJ.
"This internship tested me at many levels in the field and showed me how thoroughly I enjoy field
work; however, there is so much more I need to learn. The complex interactions between the biotic
and abiotic factors of aquatic systems and how the resulting changes affect people are important
to understand fully because they determine environmental management policy.'
the
GR0 Forum
Environmental Protection Agency Greater Research Opportunities Undergraduate Student Fellowships
newsletter issue 2,2009
where are they now? Catching up with GR0 Alumni
Gary Chan
"It was impossible not to notice the majesty of the New York skyline while in the
air, or the morning sun striking the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. The aerial views
from the helicopter are truly lasting memories," says Gary Chan about his 2006
summer internship with the Coastal Crusader helicopter monitoring program in
Edison, NJ. A 2007 graduate of the Grove School of Engineering at the City College
of New York (CCNY), which is part of the City University of New York, Gary earned
his Bachelor's in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental and water
resources engineering. Now pursuing a Master's degree at the Columbia University
Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, he is also employed full-
time as a civil engineer.
Gary recalls becoming interested in the environment
as a child, when his interest took the form of
watching nature documentaries. His interest
solidified during his freshman year in college, when
he participated in a study-abroad course on ecology
and evolution in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador
Gary then decided to pursue both an education and
a profession that were environmentally-related "I
saw how much effort it takes to maintain a pristine
environment and how the natural environment could
be adversely affected if we don't pay attention to the
actions we take," he said.
After earning his Bachelor's degree, Gary began
work on his Master's of Science in civil engineering,
which he expects to finish by the end of 2009. In
his full-time job as a civil engineer, Gary conducts
professional projects including environmental
investigations for public and private developments.
He has also obtained professional accreditation through the LEED program of the U.S.
Green Building Council LEED is a means of verifying that buildings and communities
are designed to improve performance in areas such as energy savings, water use,
emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality, and resource stewardship.
Gary Chan during his summer internship in Edison, NJ,
with the helicopter used for surveys and sampling in the
Coastal Crusader program.
that is, debris and oil slicks. He also had the opportunity to conduct daily water
sampling from the helicopter at locations from the beaches of Long Island and the
New Jersey shore, to open water up to nine miles off the coast and as far south
as Delaware Bay. To assess water quality, the samples he collected were tested for
bacteria (fecal coliforms and enterococci), dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton levels,
and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Gary also had the opportunity to
work at the microbiology lab in Edison, testing the bacteriological samples that he
had collected from beaches via helicopter.
With his GRO internship, Gary hoped to gain experience
both in field work and in a new area of research that
he would not otherwise have been able to explore. He
found both these expectations to be true, and also
gained lasting knowledge and skills. "I learned a lot
about how the waterways around New York City are
cleaned and maintained throughout the summer,"
Gary said. 1 still use the data analysis skills that were
used during the internship at work and at school. Also,
I learned a lot of lab techniques that were beyond the
scope of what I had done at school."
Gary was also able to participate in one of EPA's public
outreach activities during his internship. EPA held a
press conference on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ
highlightingthe helicopter monitoring program, namely,
the summer water quality sampling along the beaches
of the Jersey shore. Gary demonstrated the techniques
for collecting water samples from the helicopter at
the conclusion of the press conference, which was
televised on a New Jersey public broadcasting station.
He recalls, "It was a very long day because of the preparations involved but a pretty
memorable experience for me. It was also memorable that I was able to briefly meet
the Regional Administrator at the time."
While a GRO Fellow, Gary completed his internship at the EPA Region 2 laboratories
in the Monitoring and Assessment Branch of the Division of Environmental Science
and Assessment, under the mentorship of Helen Grebe. On daily morning helicopter
flights, Gary surveyed the waterways around New York City in search of floatables,"
Being a GRO Fellow both solidified Gary's intention to continue in an environmentally-
related field and broadened his perspective by introducing him to environmental
policy and its implementation. He maintains a broad interest in the environment,
includingsuch issues as reducingthe impacts of global warming on the environment.
If he had unlimited time and resources, Gary says, "I would like to learn more about
two areas that are related to global warming: carbon sequestration and research
into new sustainable technologies that could be applied to the design of new green
buildings or structures that would reduce the carbon footprint of the project."

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fellOWS reflections - summer 2009 GRO internships
Charisse Carter
A biology major at Norfolk State University
in Virginia, Charisse traveled to Atlanta, GA,
to work on water quality monitoring.
Working in Regional Headquarters was a
different research experience from what I
have done in previous projects. I was able to
see the difference in how research is done in
a working environment versus in academia.
Both perspectives are equally important.
Brandi Clark
In Cincinnati. OH, Brandi, a chemistry major at the Missouri University of Science and
Naveed Davoodian
A student at the College of the Atlantic,
in Bar Harbor, ME, Naveed assessed the
effectiveness of wetland mitigation banks in
an internship at EPAs South Florida Office.
Overall, I had an excellent internship
experience. I was able to both apply and
expand my knowledge of plant identification,
geology law, and economics. This internship
has allowed me to bridge gaps between
areas that interest me and their practical
applications, which will allow me to more
fluidly use science to address pressing
<=>n\/it~nnmcental iz^aiin tht=> future*
I felt that the work I did for EPA had a practical impact and that the results could be
used to advise drinking water utilities in the future. This is one thing I liked about doing
research for EPA the knowledge that your research can have a positive effect on real
people. This summer has strengthened my interest in this type of research..
nauiiie uuuge
Region 1 Headquarters in Boston, MA, was the internship location for Nadine, an
environmental science major atSkidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
My summer internship project was aptly aligned with Region 1 s work in the realm
of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The end products of my internship will
help inform both EPA employees and the wastewater and drinking water communities
of the impacts of climate change and the opportunity for adaptation.
Betsy Huyser
Betsy, an engineering major at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Ml, interned at EPA
Region 10 in Seattle, WA, where she studied renewable energy and contaminated
The freedom I was given to define my project and determine how I would go
about reaching the main goals was a challenge because it required that I
be able to keep myself on track and be self motivated to make good
use of my time and produce the best work I could. This was
very rewarding because it allowed me to make decisions
about the best way to approach the project and have
some control over my work, which made the project a
more enjoyable and valuable learning experience.
]ntroduc ng
the 2009-2010 GRO fellows
Diana Adebambo	Jillian Allen
Norfolk State University	Brandeis University
Norfolk, VA	Waltham, MA
JarymarArana	Jennifer Arceo
St. Edward s University	California Lutheran University
Austin, TX	Thousand Oaks, CA
Kelsey Boyd
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Angel Casanova
University of Puetro Rico at l-lumacao
l-lumacao, PR
Rhiana Cok
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Ml
Austin Cook-Lindsay
Baylor University
Waco, TX
Kereen Griffith
University of Texas, San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Amanda Hayes
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, M
Shannon Klotsko
CostaiCarolina University
Conway, SO
Khilia Logan
Norfolk State Unversity
Norfolk, VA
John Maravich
Virginia Wesleyan College
Norfolk, VA
Kate McPherson
University of Maine
Orono, ME
Elizabeth Medlock
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN
Nathan Nesbitt
Worcester Polytechnic institute
Worcester, MA
Nikita Peperni
Southern Connecticut State Univ.
New Haven, CT
Ellen Perkins
Wheaton College
Norton. MA
Jessica Pulliam
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
Alexander Ramsower
Arizona Western College
Yuma, AZ
Laura Senefeld
Winona State University
Winona, MN
Annette Sparks
North Carolina A&T State
University
Greensboro, NC
Casey Stephenson
Fort Lewis College
Durango, CO
Matthew Tancos
Ball State University
Muncie, IN
Kristin Waller
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Bernadette Wiggin
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH
¦
Nathan Jones
The Colorado Rockies formed the backdrop for
Nathan s internship at Region 8 HQ in Denver, CO.
Nathan is an engineering major at the University of
Arkansas, Fayetteville,
I had an amazing time working with the Watershed
Team this summer. I learned a lot about non point
source (NPS) pollution management and database
development. I also learned a lot about myself. I
have always liked taking on challenges, and the NPS
pollution problem seems like something to which I
could devote my career. It is an area where we can
still make a difference and really have an impact on
society as a whole.
Todd Massari
Todd worked on shellfish restoration at the Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett,
Rl, nearwhere he studies marine biology at Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rl.
Perhaps more than anything else, this internship allowed me to learn about myself
and what I like and dislike. I learned that I enjoy field work the most and need to
have constant variety in
my work to stay on top of
experience has taught
me what it would be like
to be a graduate student
in the sciences. I enjoyed
realized that graduate
school is right for me in
the near future but not
right away.

Tyler 0'Dell
Tyler, a student at Lake Superior State
University, Sault Ste, Marie, Ml, furthered
his skills in chemistry by interning at EPAs
environmental research center in Cincinnati,
WL
This internship allowed me to meet and
work with a diversely educated group of
people with experience in a variety of fields,
which provided insight into positions I had
not previously considered. My primary
interest, however, is still synthetic organic
chemistry, and this project has fueled
my interest in pursuing synthetic work in
graduate school.


	:	l
Adam Olszewski
A biology major at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, Adam got a new perspective on
surveying and sampling water bodies during his internship in Edison, NJ.
To stare the Statue of Liberty in the face while hovering 300 feet above the Hudson
River is not a chance that many people get in their lifetime. The helicopter flights were
enjoyable on their own, but I also found satisfaction in moving EPA s goals forward by
helping to protect the local environments through pollution cleanup. Learning new lab
skills, developing the ones I already have, and getting to work with all of the supportive
and friendly people in the lab all helped to make this summer a rewarding one.
Jonathan McKinney
Jon studies environmental engineering at the Missouri University of Science and
Technology, Rolla, MO, and stepped out of his comfort zone to study plant biology at
the Western Ecology Division in Corvallis, OR
Working at the EPA s WED this summer was a good experience in which I learned a
lot about how biological research is performed and about myself. I hope to use the
experience I have gained to better my own skills in engineering research and I plan
to continue trying to get some experience in other fields of research
tta ». mm- mmK»

Joshua Pierce
Joshua, a student at Texas Tech University. Lubbock,
TX, is an environmental toxicoiogy major. He expanded
his experience by studying environmental stressors
in marine organisms at the Atlantic Ecology Division in
Narragansett, Rl.
"My time in the lab included a few difficulties, such as how
to best rebound from inconclusive results. I have used
my time here to shape the way I view these difficulties
and to learn the best way to use the experiences to
move forward. This internship was a good experience in
learning about who I am as a scientist and how I should
go about performing research."
Annie Putman
Annie applied her skills as a chemistry major at Michigan
Technological University, Houghton, Ml, to aquatic
ecosystem assessments at EPAs New England Laboratory,
North Chelmsford, MA.
"Our time on the rivers was an experience of natural beauty.
This was my first job in a professional workplace, and I
felt welcomed and encouraged by [my hosts'] congenial
approach. [We] built an affable working relationship.
This strong base, rooted in respect and trust, allowed
us to overcome the most frustrating obstacles through
communication and creative probiem-solving "

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