In May 2005 I was promoted to my present position of timber management forester in Forest District 20 which covers all the state forest land in eastern Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties. My current duties include marking and tallying timber, laying out timber sales, administering state forest lease camps, deer management, laying out regeneration projects which include deer exclosures, prescribed burns, and mechanical brush mowing. Some of my additional duties include GIS/GPS coordinator, computer coordinator and forest insect and disease coordinator. As the GIS coordinator for our district, I am responsible for maintaining all of our base maps and shapefiles utilizing ArcGIS along with database management. The shapefiles include timber sale surveys, deer exclosures, state forest corners, state forest roads and hiking trails. As the district insect and disease coordinator I get to fly during the summer and map insect defoliation using a tablet pc with ArcGIS and ArcPad.
I fell very fortunate that I am able to work close to my home town of Wellsboro. I get paid to make maps and be in the woods everyday. I could not have asked for a better job. I feel that the instruction that I received at Mansfield has helped me in my career. My wife, Melanie, and I just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We have one son, Seth, who will be 7 this Halloween. In my spare time I coach my son's baseball team and spend a lot of time in the fall hunting with my two English setters for ruffed grouse and woodcock.
I work as an Interpretive Outdoor Guide for Nature Quest Inc., an ecotourism company who creates journeys by combining knowledgeable and experienced guides with the breathtaking natural setting of Tioga County. Each journey is intended to facilitate spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional growth involvement with the natural environment and to increase the perceived value of the specific area as well as open space in general.
I take our customers on trips such as: biking, hiking, rafting or canoeing, hunting and fishing. I do interpretive flora and fauna trips such as: elk treks, birding treks, eagle watching, local flora and fauna identification found in the PA Grand Canyon area, bog hikes and interpretation, waterfall hikes, and bike rides. I'm also the only licensed fishing guide for Tioga County by the PA Fish and Boat commission. With that license, I guide people on mostly trout fly fishing trips. I have become an experienced hunter through the years and I guide people for turkey, bear, deer, and small game hunting when the PA seasons allow. Nature Quest also has a unique feature in their business as we use western-style camps using canvas tents for our overnight trips. As a guide, I handle all camp duties as well as entertaining customers with stories and such.
I also perform regular office duties such as designing trips (they can be anything from a two-hour hike to a three-day hunting trip) and creating maps or hikes, biking trips, camp sites, vegetation locations, etc. All in all, I love my job. When I'm not "working", I'm doing exactly what I do for my job. As long as I am here in this position, I will never work a day in my life.
R. Levi Pedrick - Construction Field TechnicianAfter graduation I worked at Laurel Youth Services as a counselor for troubled youth. Great experience. Had a party and drove that old blue jeep out west to see the country. While in Arizona applied for a Field Technician position at Hoque and Associates where I learned how to test soil, asphalt, and concrete projects. I enjoy the traveling, being outdoors and working with the contractor and client in the field. During my travels I found my wife, and a home in Jerome, a small old mining town.
I now work for Ninyo and Moore out of Prescott Valley and have helped build waste water treatment plants, land fills, highways, bridges, and spent nine months living at the Grand Canyon to rebuild the road to Hermits Rest. I'm glad to be home now working on more local projects in Prescot, Prescott Valley, Flagstaff, and the Verde Valley. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life to ensure a good end product, and the personal relationships that come out of these experiences. Thanks for the chances, Mansfield University.
After graduating in May of 2008, I took a three month detour, detailing cars for my father's dealership in Coudersport. Since then, I have started my career as the only GIS Technician for the Potter County's Department of Emergency Services. I'll tell you that I was extremely excited to find a job in this field in my hometown. My typical day starts at 8:30am and lasts till 4:30pm. During the workday, I am in the process of developing a geodatabase for the 911 Program; therefore, I spend a lot of time editing data layers to make sure that they are correctly georeferenced and correctly named. Once the database is complete, it will be my job to maintain the layers so that the 911 dispatch center will have the correct information to quickly and correctly send out help where it is needed.
I feel that there is quite a bit of importance in my job, due to the fact that if the information that is in the system is wrong, someone's life could be at risk. Other duties that I perform during the day are assisting the MSAG (Master Streed Addressing Guide) Clerk by creating maps so she can correctly give addresses to the residents of Potter County. Soon, I will be spending time out in the field with my $50,000 GPS unit, collecting data to add to the system. I really get to work with a lot of neat equipment including a six foot plotter, ArcInfo 9.3, SQL Servers, CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) systems and an amazing 24" flat panel monitor, which you can see in the picture next to me.
I am an environmental scientist and project manager for the Environmental and Remediation Management Group of HDR Engineering, Inc. out of the Allentown, Pennsylvania office. My responsibilities include the development and implementation of phase II environmental site assessments to investigate environmental conditions involving soil and groundwater contamination. The majority of the clients whose projects our team works on are developers who redevelop brownfield sites. This includes over-sight of underground storage tank removal, groundwater and soil-gas monitoring well installations, geophysical investigations, and reporting findings and recommendations for remediation strategies to our clients, the EPA and PADEP.
One exciting project is the redevelopment of a former steel manufacturing facility, which is the largest brownfield site in the country. HDR is managing the site investigation and remediation of the site on a parcel by parcel basis. Our client is in the process of redeveloping the site as light industrial park with distribution centers and tech-based industry. The project involves an extensive site investigation and groundwater characterization program. Another interesting project that is somewhat different from site investigations involves post-closure landfill monitoring under Superfund. As project manager, I am responsible for ensuring that contract responsibilities are met. This includes budget management, coordination of equipment and field personnel, and ensuring compliance with closure requirements in regards to the groundwater and landfill gas monitoring program as required under the landfill closure. The picture you see is of me collecting gas measurements from the landfill’s passive ventilation system.
Since I graduated from Mansfield in May, 2000 I have been employed at two separate school districts. I spent my first year teaching 9th Grade Regents Earth Science in Trumansburg, NY. After that, I moved back to Mansfield after becoming employed by the Campbell Savona Central School District, again teaching 9th Grade Regents Earth Science. In my 6 years at Campbell Savona Central School I have not only taught Earth Science but I also spent a year teaching Middle School Science.
I have just recently been appointed the position of Science Dept. Chair as well as Technology Director for the District. I am a member of the Teacher Leadership committee as well as the Mentor committee. Currently I am in the process of developing our high schools first online course. I wrote a grant and was one of six people awarded money to develop my online Astronomy course. This course is intended to give students the exposure to life outside of high school and prepare them for what to expect in college. The course will focus largely on Astronomy, but is also intended to further develop our student’s technological skills before they move on to something outside of high school. I currently reside in Mansfield, with my wife of 7 years and our two boy’s ages 4 years and 2 years. Those desiring to get in touch with me can reach me at the following email: cdick@cscsd.org.
After graduating from MU in 1999, I worked for 2.5 years as a Penn DOT certified Level II Drilling Inspector for GTS Technologies (Engineering / Environmental Consulting Firm) in Harrisburg, PA. My duties included supervising subsurface explorations (drilling contractors), field classification and logging of soil and bedrock samples, and as the liaison between field investigations and professional engineers and geologists.
In 2002, I began working for CMT Laboratories, which provides construction materials testing, subsurface exploration, and geotechnical engineering. Our main office is located in State College, PA and we have a branch office in Williamsport, PA. As “Soil Science Manager,” I am involved with evaluating a site’s potential to accept post-development stormwater volumes via infiltration. My primary duties include desktop studies, project coordination, soil profiling, infiltration testing, and geotechnical reports. The infiltration investigations are conducted in accordance with the December 2006 PADEP Stormwater BMP Manual. My other duties include laboratory soil classifications, soil/bedrock sample descriptions/logging, attending township meetings, and construction inspection.
While at CMT, I supplemented my MU education with additional SOILS courses at PSU to meet the educational requirements necessary to seek certification as a Professional Soil Scientist with ARCPACS. In March 2007 I passed the Soil Science Fundamentals Examination. I plan to take the Professional Practice Examination in March 2008.
When I am not working, I love spending time with my wife Leah and children Brooke, Dathan and Dolores. My hobbies include hunting and fishing (I love chasing PA muskies!). I am also president of the Sugar Valley Watershed Association.
I am now starting my ninth year of teaching at Sullivan County Jr./Sr. High School in Laporte, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Mansfield in 1995 with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education. I went back in 1997 to get certified in Earth and Space Science and General Science, finishing in the Fall of 1998. I teach sections of 8th grade Earth and Space Science, 9th grade Physical Science and one section of Advanced 8th grade Science. I like to take my students outside the building for as many hands-on experiences as possible. Some of our activities include cloud watching, tree identification, solar system walk and working on our Liter Free School Zone project. My students also sell t-shirts through the Earth Foundation to help the Nature Conservancy buy acres of land to save the rainforest. We are a rural district but we think on a global level, understanding that we do make a difference.
I have been the advisor for our schools’ Pennsylvania Envirothon club for the last 7 years. This has allowed me to take my club to places like the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, Herkimer Diamond Mines in NY and the Haystacks along the Loyalsock Trail. We get to hike, camp and enjoy the good outdoors which makes many of my students “happy campers”. I love my job and the students we have in our schools are fantastic. We get to play with toys like K’nex, slinkys and rubber balls. We build paper boats and airplanes that we get to fly in the hallway. We make playdough and mix chemicals and make slime. Who wouldn’t love that job?
I am extremely fortunate to share my love of science with the open minds and wide eyes of Sullivan County's enthusiastic youth. I am where I am today because of the caring, interesting and knowledgeable professors that Mansfield provided for my subject area. Their dedication to their pedagogy is unquestionable. Teaching is not just a job within the confines of four walls. It is an adventure that can take you to many far off places, sometimes without even leaving school grounds.
I am employed by the County of Pike in the Office of Community Planning as the Preservation Planner. In this role, I am responsible for the development and administration of two brand new county programs. The first program, the Scenic Rural Character Preservation Program, was created after the residents of Pike County voted to borrow $10 M for land conservation efforts. It is my responsibility to assist this 9-member Board in developing a grant manual. We make frequent presentations to our municipal officials, as well as appearances at County Commissioners meetings to highlight the program and update the public. Education and Outreach are large components of this program, and I utilize the internet, local media, and personal phone calls to make sure my municipalities have all the information and assistance they need.
The second program, the Agricultural Land Preservation Program, works in conjunction with the SRCP program to protect and preserve agricultural lands throughout the county. Much of my work deals with individual site visits with farmers and landowners who are interested in continuing their agricultural business, despite the development pressures facing them today.
In addition to being the Preservation Planner for the Planning Office, I am also the Gypsy Moth Coordinator for the Pike County Conservation District. The Gypsy Moth Program is a state program, run by DCNR, which enables counties to suppress populations. My job as Gypsy Moth Coordinator has me GPS-locating residences interested in the program, and developing spray blocks using ArcMap GIS. I work hand and hand with the staff at DCNR during the spray season, ensuring that the proposed treatment areas are being sprayed by helicopter or fixed-wing plane successfully. This year I was able to join DCNR during their aerial assessment of the County to determine total gypsy moth damage / defoliation.
Andy Gough - Environmental ScientistSince graduating from MU in 2001, I began working for The Department of Commerce as a consultant for their materials laboratory in Gaithersburg, MD. There my job was with state, commercial, and private laboratories who worked with soils, concrete, and asphalt in construction engineering. A business trip to the southwest two years later landed me in the arid desert of Phoenix.
I began working for a geotechnical, civil, and environmental engineering firm (Hoque & Associates, Inc.) as an environmental scientist with duties that included Phase I & II environmental site assessments, monitoring of landfill gas and groundwater, and soil sampling and analysis. Through several years under a professional engineer and mentor, my responsibilites have included: the design and development of landfill disposal cells; construction management and CQA for liner installation; final cover placement; geotechnical analysis and design; site remediation for stabilization of landfills; and numerous other projects.
I enjoy my line of work because it gets me outdoors, I help the environment and public, and because our office is relatively small (only 20 people). This reminds me of the relationships and the one-on-one interaction that I experienced with the Geography Department. When not working, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend, IM'ing Lee, and exploring the granite walls of the Sierra's and the sandstone cracks of the desert southwest!
I have been working for Advantage Environmental Consultants, LLC (AEC) since January 2006. I work at the headquarters, which is located in Jessup, MD. We have four offices total around the country. My primary responsibilities include conducting and preparing Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and FCC NEPA Compliance reports for AEC’s wireless telecommunications division. I also visit State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) to perform Section 106 reviews and notify interested Indian tribes of proposed construction in their area of interest. About 70 percent of the time I am in the office writing reports and submitting notifications.
When I am out in the field my duties consist of taking lead and soil samples from transmission and water towers, meeting with landowners and telecommunications representatives while conducting my Site visits, and lots of driving! Prior to working for AEC I was employed as a Watershed Specialist for the Wyoming County Conservation District in Tunkhannock, PA where I received my first Rosgen Training and worked with the USFWS on Phase I and II Stream Assessments. When I’m not working, I enjoy hiking, camping and a good movie with my soon to be husband. I will be getting married in August of this year!!
Eric Rager - Environmental Scientist / Project ManagerI have been working for Apex Companies, LLC since 2002. Apex is an environmental consulting firm headquartered in Rockville, MD. I am employed as an Environmental Scientist/Project Manager in a group that performs primarily site investigation and remediation projects. Some of my clients include Zurich North America, Wal-Mart, Colonial Pipeline Company, Tompkins Builders, Post Office, French Embassy, American University, and numerous land developers.
I spend about two-thirds of my time in the office doing typical office stuff (writing reports, reviewing data, talking to clients and regulators, e-mailing my wife about dinner plans, etc.) and the rest of my time in the field (drilling wells, sampling, digging holes, operating remediation systems, dredging harbors, etc.). I don't travel too much, but I have a site in Palm Beach, FL that I visit every quarter.
I work for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Marine Research Lab in Sequim, WA where I’ve been since earning a master’s degree from the University of Maryland Geography Dept in 2002 (MU 2000). My main focus as a research scientist here has been the use of hyperspectral imagery for multiple endmember analysis and underwater characterization in the littoral zone. A sampling of some current projects I’m involved with include: impervious surface analysis using MESMA, environmental characterization of offshore oil fields in Brazil, radar propagation modeling in the Pacific Ocean, and snow-water equivalent mapping in the Olympic and Cascade Mts.
When I’m not in front of a computer or traveling for work, I can be found underwater as the newest research scuba diver at the lab. Outside of work, you can still usually find me on boats. I’ve lived on various sailboats since moving out here 5 years ago and am currently testing our 38’ C&C sailboat for a 1,500 mile adventure next month and a circumnavigation planned to start next year. I’m also employed by Sotheby’s International Real Estate as a staff photographer and a partner in Krrrk Software. When I’m not being a workaholic, I enjoy hiking in the mountains, racing sailboats, surfing, taking pictures, and enjoying coffee with my new wife.
Don Anthony - Seismic AnalystI am currently working for Vibra-Tech Engineers as a Seismic Analyst in charge of our remote seismograph section. It is called “remote” because after the initial setup, I can monitor ground vibrations across the country right from my computer. The seismograph runs on solar power and can be downloaded at any time by either a satellite or GSM modem.
I typically monitor vibrations produced from activities such as blasting, construction, pile driving, demolition, and excavation. For example, after a quarry has a blast they will notify me and I can then download the data, analyze it, and e-mail or fax the record back to the client.
We currently have about 80 of these seismographs located around the country with our largest project at Amgen Pharmaceutical in Puerto Rico. When I’m not in the office, I’m traveling around the region installing new seismographs, making routine repairs, and attending events.
Matt Coleman - Aerial Operations SpecialistI currently reside in beautiful Burbank, California working for a private aerial photography company. The position title I hold with the company is "Aerial Operations Specialist." I do everything from pre-flight planning of the flight lines using special software, to actually running the multi-million dollar cameras on the planes.
We currently work on numerous Department of Defense and government contracts, but also occasionally do work for private companies, such as Google Earth. I get to travel all over to country and South America and see some of the most beautiful parts of the world from a perspective many people will never see. When people ask where my office is.......I like to point to the sky and smile.
Brian Pilarcik - Watershed SpecialistI am employed by the Crawford County Conservation District as a Watershed Specialist. For lack of a better description of my position I usually tell people I “sell” water quality and conservation. My main function as a Watershed Specialist is to facilitate interaction between local conservation organizations, government, educational institutions, and the general public. I think of myself as the glue that keeps watershed conservation and restoration running smoothly in Crawford County. On a day to day basis I find myself working in public relations on social marketing of conservation ethic, grant writing, project coordination, etc. I often do environmental education programs for pre-K through college, develop displays, and coordinate workshops.
I also work with local conservation partners to coordinate watershed restoration projects within the county. My favorite projects each year are riparian restoration projects with local high schools. I coordinate students and faculty, line up project sites, pull in cooperating agencies, as well as coordinate logistics for the projects. On average we have 40 - 120 students planting between 400 - 2500 trees and shrubs per project along degraded streams.
Jen Johns - Stream Buffer SpecialistI am employed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as a Stream Buffer Specialist, covering eastern Bradford, Susquehanna, Sullivan and Wyoming Counties. I coordinate directly with landowners, mainly farmers, and contractors to implement forested riparian buffers around streams and wetlands. Stream buffers are created by planting native trees and shrubs that will help reduce sediment, nutrients, erosion and flooding, as well as providing a healthier ecosystem for the stream and wildlife.
The majority of my projects involve excluding livestock from streams, which also requires fencing, stream crossings, and alternative watering systems. Other grants have made it possible for farmers to receive assistance for additional practices to convert to an intensive rotational grazing system. It is my responsibility to see the job through from start to finish by coordinating with various agencies, contractors and landowners. I help do layouts, designs, and inspections.
Tara Murphy - Environmental ScientistI was assigned as an environmental scientist for the Deployment of Environmental Surveillance Program through Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education. The program is a part of the USA Center for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine.
My duties include entering, processing, and analyzing data using a database from ambient air, water, and soil samples taken from Iraq and Afghanistan. Data is included in reports forwarded to the Surgeon General and disseminated to personnel throughout the US Army. Information in the reports highlights lab results and environmental conditions so that units are adequately prepared for operating in US Central Command Theater supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. I'm directly responsible for highlighting specific data regarding environmental threats that are critical to the safety & operational efficiency of US and multi-national forces.
Adam Hills - Watershed SpecialistAs the Watershed Specialist for Tioga County, I get to be involved in almost everything water related all over the county. I worked as an intern with the former Watershed Specialist my senior year at Mansfield University and then filled the position immediately after graduating.
The best part about my job is if I get tired of sitting at my desk filling out paperwork, I can go find something out in the stream to do. I’ve done everything from shocking fish and planting acres of trees, to taking 50 fifth graders armed with nets into a stream. I have also completed entire watershed restoration plans for three different watersheds. Some major issues facing the county in the upcoming months will be stormwater and floodplain management.
Gary Laird - Manager of landfill gas to energy projectsI am manager of one of the state's largest landfill-gas-to-energy projects. I work for Granger Energy, the first US company to serve multiple customers on one landfill gas line. We serve industrial customers who were using natural gas to run their operations and realized that landfill gas is a cheaper and cleaner fuel.
I operate the landfill's gas field and maintain our gas plant. My job is different everyday. I solve landfill gas problems along with plant operation problems on a daily basis. One thousand eight hundred people depend on my job everyday. If I am not supplying landfill gas to their business they are not running. Weather and soil profiles play a major role in my decision making each day.
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