Project Fellows
Jon Bossley (2011-, 2012-, 2013-, 2014-) - Doctoral student in the Environmental Science Graduate Program is working with Mrs. Tamra Hershey at Greene Middle School in Smithville, and with Mrs. Laura Grimm at Dalton Intermediate School in Dalton. Jon earned his B.Sci. from Ohio State and M.Ed. from Ashland. He is studying the disturbance impact on benthic macroinvertebrates that results from frequent stream study classes at outdoor education facilities. His goal is to find acceptable durations of disturbance and necessary rest periods for stream organisms in various stream types.
Jennifer Harrison (2012-, 2013-, 2014-) - Doctoral student in the Environmental Science Graduate Program. She is working with Ms. Schlabach at Mt.Eaton Elementary school. She has worked as an environmental educator, and also has strong background in sustainability, waste/ pollution management, and development.
Carlos Coronado (2014-) - Masters student student studying forest science in the School of Environment & Natural Resources. His research emphasizes the importance of forest products and timber as a resources to Ohio's economy using a popular modeling system. He is working with Mr. Hamsher and Mr. Rossetti at Hiland High School.
Doug Sponsler (2014-) - Doctoral student at Department of Entomology. His research emphasis is how honey bees interact with the heavily human-modified landscapes in cities and intensive agricultural systems. He is working with Mr.Schrock at Central Christian High School and various science teachers at Orrvile High school.
Recent Alumni Fellows
Jacob Wenger (2012-2014) - Doctoral student in Entomology Department is working with Mr. Schrock at Central Christian High School and working for the Science Olympiad project at Orrville High School. His research focuses on an invasive pest insect, the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) and its dynamics of populations during transitions between its primary and secondary hosts, and between varieties of aphid resistant soybean plants.
Paul Soltesz (2013-2014) - Master's student in the Ecosystem Science specialization area. He is working with Mr. Hamsher and Mr. Rossetti at Hiland Highland School.
Sarah Rose (2012-2013) - Doctoral student in School of Environment and Natural Resources specializing in Ecological Restoration. She was working with Mr. Aaron Rossetti and Mr. Mark Hamsher at Hiland High School. Her research focuses on an analysis of spider ecology related to disturbance.
Julia Barton(2010-2012) - Doctoral student in the Environmental Science Graduate Program. She was working with Ms Slabach and her fourth grade students at Mount Eaton Elementary School. Julia received her Master's degree in rural sociology from the School of Environment and Natural Resources researching agricultural food systems development.
Darlene Florence (2010-2012) - received her Ph.D. in Soil Science in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. She was working with Mr. Rossetti at Hiland Middle School in his science classes. Darlene conducted field research at Kenya for her dissertation.
Chuck Goss (2010-2012) - Doctoral student in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. He was working with Mr. Hamsher from Hiland High School in Berlin and working with the biology I, biology II and AP biology classes there. Chuck's research interest is in riparian areas of fragmented landscapes.
Ben Kerrick (2011-2012) - He received MS degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program specializing in Agroecology. He was working with Mr. Woods at St. Mary Elementary School. His research focuses on the potential for maximizing local food production by utilizing transitional or temporary spaces for agricultural use in urban environment.
Liz Kolbe (2011-2012) - She received MS degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program specializing in Agroecology. She was working with Mr. Schrock at Central Christian High School and Mr. Miller at Dalton High School. Her research focuses on spatial distribution and production capacity of theoretical agricultural landscape changes in Northeast Ohio.
Jeniffer Reeves (2011-2012) - She received MS degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program. She was working with Mrs. Laura Grimm and her seventh grade students at Dalton Intermediate School. Her research focuses on urban gardens, city food, and soil systems.
Jed Stinner (2011-2012) - Doctoral Student in the Environmental Science Graduate Program. He was working with Mr. Duxbury at Orrville High School. Jed received his B.S. in Freshwater Biology at Ohio University. His research focuses on agricultural impacts to headwater streams in the Upper Sugar Creek Watershed.
Keely Davidson-Bennett (2010-2011) - She received her MS degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program, was dividing her fellowship year between Mrs. Grimm's seventh grade science classes at Dalton Intermediate School and Mrs. Ramsay's fifth grade science class next door at Dalton Elementary School. Keely was researching the way in which stormwater impacts stream flow in headwater streams in urban areas.
Marc Hnytka (2009-2011) - Doctoral student, Environmental Science Graduate Program, worked at Dalton High School with Mr. Miller’s biology classes. Marc's research focuses on local food energetics and economic, social and environmental impacts.
Ryan Hottle (2010-2011) - Doctoral student in the Environmental Science Graduate Program, was at Greene Middle School in Smithville working with Mrs. Hershey and her six grade science students. Ryan's research interest is using biochar as a means of sequestering carbon in soils.
Katie Martin (2009-2011) - She received her Ph.D. at School of Environment and Natural Resources, worked with Mr. Schrock and his biology, botany and environmental science students at Central Christian High School in Kidron. She is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at Pennsylvania State University and researching tradeoffs in carbon dynamics for forest management options to reduce wildfire risk and provide endangered species habitat.
Adam Selhorst (2009-2011) -He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science Graduate Program for his dessertation, Carbon Sequestration By Home Lawn Turfgrass Development and Maintenance in Diverse Climatic Regions of the United States. He worked with Mrs. Vinion and the Tri-County International Baccalaureate Program at Wooster High School. Adam is researching the effects of hydrology and temperature on carbon sequestration and global climate change. He received his MA in public policy from The John Glenn Institute of Public Affairs.
At 2012, a new book entitled "Carbon Sequestration in Urban Ecosystems." published by Springer. Adam is one of the authors of this book.
Alumni Fellows - Where Are They Now?
Lydia Bailey - (summer-fall, 2009) formerly a Master’s student in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, Lydia worked with Mrs. Herr and the biology students at Kingsway School in Orrville.
Keith Diedrick - (2008-2010) spent both his fellowship years working with Mr. Hamsher and his Biology I, II and AP Biology students at Hiland High School in Berlin. Keith received Ph.D. in soil science from the School of Environment and Natural Resources for his dissertation, Field Investigations of Manure and Synthetic Fertilizers on Agronomic Crops in Ohio. He is currently with Pioneer Hi-Bred in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Heather Fair - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year working with Mr. Hamsher and the Biology II students at Hiland High School in Berlin. She has received a Fulbright Fellowship to study glacier water resources and aquatic bioassessment next year. Heather has also been the recipient of two NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute grants to conduct headwater research in China (2008) and Taiwan (2009) and awarded two associate ships in the University of Wisconsin’s NSF IGERT Program "Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in Southwest China" for her field research. She received her Master’s degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program in June, 2010 and is continuing with the program to pursue a Ph.D.
Ashley Font Kulhanek - (2008-2009) spent her fellowship year working with Mr. Larson and his environmental science classes at Fairless High School in Navarre. She researched plant blooming and insect phenology and received her Master’s in Entomology, December, 2009. She currently is a educator for agriculture and natural resources at the OSU Extension Service office in Medina.
Felice Forby - (2009-2010) spent her fellowship year with Mrs. Hershey and her sixth grade science students at Greene Middle School in Smithville. Felice's research is on fireflies – their environmental significance and how their populations are affected by land management. Felice is currently in Japan conducting research on Hime-firefly (Luciola parvula) conservation and local knowledge in central Japan with support from the NSF East Asian and Pacific Summer Institute. She is working on her research in Japan.
Deborah Hersha - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year with Mrs. Vinion and the Tri-County International Baccalaureate Program at Wooster High School. She received her PhD for her dissertation, Agricultural Effects on Protists Assemblage Structure in Headwater Streams, in March, 2009. After the completion of her Ph.D., she worked as a postdoc with Dr. Robin Wilson at OSU. You can see the detail of this watershed education project at this link http://ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/usda/home.
Sarah Kiger - (2008-2009) spent her fellowship year with Mrs. Herr at Kingsway Christian School in Orrville working with the biology and environmental science students. She received her Master’s degree in June, 2009 and is currently a doctoral student in Resource Ecology and Management at the University of Michigan, focusing on biogeochemical cycles under different management strategies and policy scenarios.
Maureen Langlois - (2009-2010) spent her fellowship year working with science teachers Mrs. Grimm at Dalton Intermediate School and Mrs. Ramsay at Dalton Elementary School. Maureen continues her research on the role of iron in the photo-degradation of synthetic organic compounds in natural and constructed wetlands. She received MS from the Environmental Science Graduate Program Spring 2011. She works as Program Manager of OSU Environmental Science Network.
Sarah Lehnen - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year working with Mr. Schrock and the biology students at Central Christian High School in Kidron. She graduated in June, 2008 with a PhD from the School of Environment and Natural Resources; her research dissertation was entitled: An Evaluation of Survivorship and Habitat Use of Early Successional Birds during the Breeding Season: Implications for Conservation. Sarah was interviewed about her interest and research in migratory birds as part of a series on young scientists by Mogabay.com. Sarah is currently with the Department of Biology at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR.
Shane McCarty - (2008-2009) spent his fellowship year working at Dalton High School with Mr. Witmer's physical science students and Mr. Miller's biology students. He continues to pursue his Master's degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program researching cytochromes and nanowires produced by metal reducing bacteria such as Shewanella oneidensis.
Matthew Mariola - (2007-2009) spent his first fellowship year working with Mr. Larson and his environmental science classes at Fairless High School in Navarre. His second fellowship year was spent working with Ms Price at the Wilderness Center in Wilmot. He received his PhD in Rural Sociology for his dissertation: Are Markets the Solution to Water Pollution? A Sociological Investigation of Water Quality Trading in August 2009 and is currently a visiting assistant professor of Environmental Science and Entrepreneurialship at the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio. Hear Matt explain what he does at the College on YouTube.
Natsuko Merrick - (2008-2009) spent her fellowship year working with Mr. Schrock and the biology students at Central Christian High School in Kidron. She received her Ph.D. from the School of Environmental Science and Natural Resources for her dissertation: Microbial Source Tracking: Understanding the Origin of Bacterial Pollution and Evaluation of Specific Land Use Management Practices for their Potential to Reduce Bacterial Contamination in a Watershed Scale. Currently she is working as a Program Manager of the Sugar Creek GK-12 Project.
Melanie Miller - (2008-2009) spent her fellowship year working with Mr. Stoller and the agriscience students and the FFA at Smithville High School. She graduated in August, 2009 with a PhD in Rural Sociology. Her dissertation was entitled: Use of No-Till Practices as a Gateway to Carbon Credit Adoption.
Erin Morris - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year at Smithville High School working with Mr. Stoller and the agriscience program. She received her Master’s degree in Entomology, March, 2009 and is currently a doctoral student in Entomology at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY where she is researching the Sirex woodwasp-fungus system.
Claire Paisley-Jones -(2008-2009) spent her fellowship year with Mrs. Vinion and the Tri-County International Baccalaureate Program housed at Wooster High School. She received MS degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program, and currently working as a Biologist at EPA, Washington D.C.
Adam Pettis - (2009-2010) spent his fellowship year at Smithville High School with Mr. Stoller and his environmental science and agriscience students. Adam continues to pursue his PhD in rural sociology in the School of Environment and Natural Resources investigating the influence of hunters' class on their hunting activity.
Natalie Pinheiro - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year at Kingsway Christian School working with Mrs. Herr and the biology students. She received her MS degree in forest ecology from the School of Environment and Natural Science in June, 2008 and is an environmental science associate in private industry.
Anjel Stough-Hunter - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year working with Mr. Witmer’s physical science students and Mr. Miller’s biology students at Dalton High School. She received Ph.D. in Rural Sociology researching perceptions of healthy living among men in rural areas. She is working as a visiting assistant professor of Sociology at Ohio Dominican University.
Meaghan Sutherland - (2007-2008) spent her fellowship year at the Wayne County Schools Career Center working with Dr. Nestor and her environmental science students. She received her MS degree in Entomology in the fall of 2008 and is currently a science assistant at the National Science Foundation in Washington DC.