| 2009-2010 Undergraduate Participants |
Universidad Metropolitana
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My name is Nilmarie Colon Albino. I will be entering my junior year as a Chemistry
major this fall at the Universidad Metropolitana in Puerto Rico. I love all kinds of
sports, especially Tennis and Table Tennis. Of which I am member of both team. I also
have passion for science, which is one of many reasons for why I am studying Chemistry
and attracted me to the University of Vermont to work on the Streams Project. In the
Project I will analyze and collect samples of Phosphorus and E. coli.
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Johnson State College
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My name is Benjamin Kirchner, and I am a senior Biology major at Johnson State College.
I've started the long search for graduate school advisors, focusing on microbial
remediation, phytoremediation, and Bioinformatics. This summer we will be concentrating
on E. coli source tracking and phosphorus testing of the Lamoille River watershed, and
I'm also hoping to start some interesting collaborations with other Streams Project teams.
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Norwich University
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My name is Schae Martin, and I will be a sophomore at Norwich University this coming academic
year. I am a Geology major with a double minor in Education and Psychology. My summer research
project will examine the Dog River drainage basin, Cox Brook sub-basin, and Pain Creeks water
chemistry and quality. I will look at a transect of the basin using preliminary data and data
the I gather. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, being outside, painting, sketching, reading,
traveling, cooking, and spending time with my friends and family. I am also very active with
in school clubs and my hometown community.
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Universidad Metropolitana
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My name is Luis M. Ortiz Jordan, and I am a Cell and Molecular Biology major at Universidad
Metropolitana in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I enjoy research in both the lab and the field.
This is my first summer internship, and I will be working with the Streams Project
comparing the different chemical concentrations in various areas in the Potash Brook.
My future goal is to become a researcher in the areas of genetics, microbiology, or
environmental field. In my free time, I enjoy playing volleyball, reading, listening
to music, sightseeing, cultivating orchids, collecting minerals, playing the flute and
the violin, and studying for my classes.
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Johnson State College
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I am a senior Biology major at Johnson State College. This is my second stint with the Vermont
EPSCoR Streams Project, and I will be continuing research from last summer, which includes
phosphorus sampling and microbial source tracking of tributaries of the Lamoille River. My
interests lie in microbiology and ecology.
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University of Vermont
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My name is Audrey Reid, and I am a native Vermonter who grew up in the Northeast Kingdom
in the town of Canaan. I now attend the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of
Environment and Natural Resources, where I will be a senior environmental science major
with a concentration in Water Resources this coming academic year. My future plans are to
attend graduate school and further study water chemistry and related areas. I am
particularly interested in the effects of acid deposition on streams and working to make
water data more accessible and understandable to the public. This summer I am working at
the Hubbard Brook Research Forest conducting research related to nitrogen levels in streams
in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I am particularly looking at how nitrogen levels
have unexpectedly declined in recent years. I hope to use what I learn this summer and
apply it to my work with the Streams Project during the academic year.
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Universidad Metropolitana
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My name is Karoline Rios Rodriguez, and I am a Cell and Molecular Biology major at
Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This summer is my second time working
with the Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project, and I'm very happy to be back in Vermont. I will
be studying E. coli concentrations this summer. My future plans are to continue my education
by conducting graduate studies related to my major (Microbiology, Forensic and Immunology)
and have the opportunity to represent my country in the different conferences and symposiums
that celebrate around the world. My hobbies include going to the beach, spending time with
my family, playing basketball and volleyball, reading novels, and studying for my classes.
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University of Puerto Rico
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My name is Bianca Cardona Rodriguez, and I will be starting my junior year at the
University of Puerto Rico this fall as an Environmental Science major. Working with the
Vermont EPSCoR Streams Project will help me to expand my knowledge within my field and
afford me the opportunity to spend time outdoors. This summer I will be working to
determine which method for measuring TSS levels is the most effective depending the type
of river. My future plans are to continue to graduate school within the area of water
resources. I have always been attracted to the outdoors, so studying aquatic ecosystems
further contributes to my passion.
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Universidad Metropolitana
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My name is Laura Salazar Guarin, and I am a Cell and Molecular Biology major at Universidad
Metropolitana in San Juan, PR. This summer, I will be working with the Vermont EPSCoR
Streams Project examining E. coli concentrations of various streams sites. My future plans
after graduation are to attend medical school and one day be a Neuro or Cardio Surgeon.
In my free time, I enjoy swimming, horseback riding, surfing the Internet, spending time
with my friends and family, studying, sleeping, and reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books.
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Universidad Metropolitana
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My name is Angel Garcia, and I completed my B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a minor in
Marine Biology this spring from Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, PR. This summer I
will be working with GIS, soil phosphorus, soil mapping, spatial variability, soil-landscape,
and P transport. My favorite quote is from Einstein when he said, "if we want different
results, we had better be willing to change the methods". By this declaration, I prepare
myself for the upcoming challenges as a professional scientist and researcher.
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Middlebury College
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My name is Alex Fisher, and I am a rising senior at Middlebury College studying
Environmental Policy. I have a minor in French, and I spent this past fall studying
geography in Paris. I am originally from Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Environmental and
conservation issues have been one of my interests since elementary school. Some of my
hobbies include playing the piano, guitar, and tennis. I am excited to be a part of the
Streams project this summer, and I will be working with GIS and developing seed packets
for teachers who want to include work on the streams as a part of their high school
curricula.
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Universidad Metropolitana
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My name is Edward Garcia Rios, and I'm from San Juan, Puerto Rico. I decided to pursue a
science degree in order to help restore and protect Mother Nature. I completed my B.S. in
Science with a Major in Biology from Universidad Metropolitana this spring. Now I aspire
to apply to a Veterinary Medicine School and achieve a D.V.M./Ph.D. and prepare myself for
the upcoming challenges as a professional scientist and researcher. The summer research
program is the key resource that enables students to acquire hands-on experience in the
field for future challenges. This summer is my second year working with the Vermont ESPCoR
Stream Project at UVM. Last year I worked in the Streams Project Lab and in the Rubenstein
Ecosystem Lab. This summer I will be working with GIS, soil phosphorus, soil mapping,
spatial variability, soil-landscape, and P transport.
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University of Vermont
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My name is Elysia Korbet, and I am a senior Geology major at the University of Vermont with
a minor in Geographic Information Systems. I am originally from Vermont, and I hope that
my GIS-based study of the Lake Champlain Basin will aid in improving the Lake's condition
as well as educate the general public.
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University of Puerto Rico
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My name is Veronica Sosa-Gonzalez, and I am an Environmental Sciences major at the
University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, PR. This summer I will be doing multi-variable
analysis using GIS and existing data on Vermont's water bodies and land use. My future
plans are to pursue graduate studies in hydrogeology and becoming a science teacher. During
my free time, I enjoy swimming, walking, visiting natural sites and museums, going to the
beach, and participating in educational activities for kids.
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University of Vermont
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My name is Ted, and I am a senior in the Rubenstein School at the University of Vermont.
I am studying Environmental Science with a concentration in ecological design. I love the
natural world that surrounds us and influences our daily lives, so I would like to one day
help design landscapes and work with communities to be more integrated with the environment.
This summer I am studying how riparian forest density affects temperature in brook trout
habitat and see what sort of influence land use has on creating good habitat for them.
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University of Vermont
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My name is Kaitlyn Berry and I'm a junior studying Zoology at UVM. I transferred to UVM
this past January, and chose this school because of its long term commitments to
environmentally friendly practices. After taking a tropical ecology course involving
a trip to Costa Rica at my previous school in New Hampshire, I decided to settle on a
major in Zoology. This summer I will be working with Saint Michael's college under the
guidance of Declan McCabe. I'll be comparing the different sampling methods of
macoinvertebrates to see whether kick sampling or brick sampling provides a more diverse
sample. My entire life I have been found saving critters from bumble bees to a family of
birds that nested in my chimney. During my free time I enjoy a movie, video game, or
classic car show.
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St. Michael's College
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My name is Alex Canepa and I am a senior at St. Michael's College. I am currently a
biology major with a focus on environmental studies. This summer will be my second year
researching within the macroinvertabrate lab group as apart of the VT EPSCoR Streams
Project. After graduation, I hope to attend graduate school for marine biology. Some
of my hobbies include: the outdoors, running, music, and yoga.
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St. Michael's College
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My name is Daniel Caredeo. I am a rising junior at Saint Michael's College majoring
in Biology. I come from the highly populated town of Salem, New Hampshire, nestled between
the busy suburban towns of northern Massachusetts and the tranquil gateway of southern
New Hampshire. My interests in biology are at the cellular level. However, this summer I
will be exploring effects of varying physical habitat composition on macro-invertebrates'
communities in Lake Champlain basins. I really enjoy running, movies, and watching the
Boston Celtics. After college I hope to pursue a career in the health care field as a
physician.
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Saint Michael's College
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My name is Brian Cunningham, and I'm a senior Biology major at Saint Michael's College
with a pre-health concentration. I have been involved in the Streams Project since last
summer and worked in Professor Declan McCabe's lab studying macroinvertebrates from
streams in the Lake Champlain watershed. My research last summer evaluated stream health
by comparing macroinvertebrate diversity indices to chemical data collected by a
collaborating lab at UVM. This summer, I was funded by the Lake Champlain Research
Consortium to study phosphorus in the Saint Albans Bay in sites deemed impacted or
non-impacted by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Using data from the ANR and
historic and physical data from GIS, I will collect phosphorus and discharge data from
ten sites (five impacted, five non-impacted) to evaluate phosphorus impact. My work will
very closely relate to work being performed this summer by another member of the Saint
Michael's College lab who will collect complementary phosphorus and flow data from other
sites in Saint Albans Bay. My work with the Streams Project will extend into the upcoming
school year, as I will continue to identify and analyze macroinvertebrate samples. In my
free time, I am a volunteer EMS provider for Saint Michael's Rescue, and I am training for
next year's Boston Marathon. After graduation, I plan to attend some type of medical
graduate school.
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Saint Michael's College
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My name is Tyler Gillingham, and I am a native Vermonter from Woodstock, Vermont. I am an
uprising Junior at Saint Michael's College pursuing a B.S. in Biology and a minor in
Environmental Science. My initial interest in Ecology stems from a month spent reforesting
in the Cloud Rainforest of Costa Rica. I plan to continue these interests by spending a
semester abroad in Costa Rica in the spring. Some of my interests are running for the
Varsity Cross-Country Team at Saint Mike's, skiing, and hiking. The question I plan to
investigate deals with the effects of incubation period on colonization of Hester-Dendy
samplers, which are an artificial substrate sampler used to sample the benthic community.
After graduation I hope to attend Medical School or join the Peace Corps.
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University of Vermont
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My name is Erin Hayes-Pontius, and I'm a junior at UVM. I'd have roughly four majors if
I had the time. Sadly, I do not, so I've settled on a Zoology major with a double minor in
Statistics and in Spanish. My non-science-related obsessions include sewing, tea, and
dancing on the University of Vermont's ballroom dance team. Since I'm most interested
in entomology, I'll be spending the summer at the Streams Project's macroinvertebrate
lab at Saint Michael's College examining the rates of succession at urban-impacted streams
and non-impacted streams.
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Saint Michael's College
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My name is Bridget Levine, and I am a rising sophomore at Saint Michael's College. I am a
Biology major and am also enrolled in the Honors Program. I hope to enter the field of
research science, whether it is in ecology or another specific field. I am also interested
in environmental science and cell biology. Aside from the sciences, I enjoy studying
anthropology and history. I am an instructor in the Wilderness Program at Saint Michael's
and love to go on hikes, backpacking trips, and kayaking trips. This summer I will be working
with the Streams Project studying differences in species diversity in impacted and
non-impacted streams. I hope to find specific relationships between pollution and insect
species numbers and biodiversity.
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Middlebury College
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I'm a Chemistry major at Middlebury College and a rising senior. My work within my
major has been directed at research on organometallic compounds, and my main interests
lie in organic synthesis. However, I'm drawn to a lot of the dynamics of ecology and to
how the scientific method gets applied across disciplines. I believe strongly that branching
out to learn new mindsets and methodologies is good for scientific thought, and that is part
of why I am working on the Streams Project. This summer, my research will deal with
source-tracking of E. coli using rRNA identification. I will take samples from Vermont
rivers and lakes, type them by species of origin (whose gut they lived in) using a
riboprinter, then sequence rDNA stretches to build a genetic library that can be used
for further source-tracking work.
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Middlebury College
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My name is Kat Schweikert, and I am a Geography major at Middlebury College.
I originate from Bangor, Maine and am anxiously awaiting graduation in February 2010!
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Sterling College
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My name is Jake Van Gorder, and I am junior majoring in Conservation Ecology at Sterling
College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. I have had several years of environmental studies
experience working on a number of research projects with the Mount Desert Island Water
Quality Coalition on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
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Website questions? Contact: Steven.Exler@uvm.edu