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NEWS ABOUT STUDENTS

• Amanda Horning Receives George Award
• Andy Wilson Receives 2006 Latham Award
• 4th Annual Cardboard Canoe Race
• Penn State Woodsmen Team
• 2007-08 College of Ag Sciences Scholarships and Awards
• Summer and Fall 2007 Commencement

Amanda Horning Receives George Award

Amanda Horning has received the 2007 John L. George Student Conservation Award given annually to an undergraduate student in the Wildlife and Fisheries major at Penn State who embodies the spirit and dedication of Dr. John L. George.

George was the driving force behind the establishment of the Wildlife and Fisheries Science program in the School of Forest Resources at Penn State. In 1963, he was appointed as the first wildlife faculty member of the School, and worked tirelessly for the expansion of the program into a full academic major, a dream that became reality in 1981.

The George Award recognizes a student in good academic standing who has committed himself/herself to public service on behalf of the conservation of natural resources, particularly regarding the necessity of protecting and maintaining healthy habitats for wildlife and plants.

Amanda Horning, a native of Reading, Pennsylvania, is a Wildlife and Fisheries Science senior. In addition to degree requirements, she has taken courses focusing on environmental interpretation and education. She has completed 32 hours of training in environmental and historical education offered by the National Association for Interpretation and is a Certified Interpretive Guide.

Horning’s summer work experiences include an internship on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, during which she rotated among biology, education, and maintenance duties; an internship with the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Seymour, Indiana, where she focused on field biology work and also gave several presentations to the public; and a position with Dr. Jay Stauffer, Distinguished Professor of Ichthyology, during which she gained fisheries lab experience and field experience on the Ohio and Allegheny rivers.

During the school year, Amanda works several hours each week with Natural Resources Cooperative Extension as an office assistant, and is active in extracurricular activities. She is current president of the Penn State student chapter of The Wildlife Society (TWS), served as treasurer of the chapter, helped organized the chapter’s first and second annual Wild Game dinners, and has participated in TWS meetings at the state, regional, and national levels. She is member of Xi Sigma Pi, the national forestry honor society, and has participated in community service projects with that group.

“I have watched as Amanda has become a leader of her peers,” writes Dr. Duane Diefenbach, unit leader of the Pennsylvania Fish and Cooperative Research Unit and faculty adviser to The Wildlife Society Student Chapter.

“Amanda is extremely well organized and an excellent student. Upon graduation, I believe Amanda will have one of the broadest ranges of experience of any undergraduate I have worked with during the past eight years. These experiences span wildlife research, fisheries research, natural history interpretive work, and public relations in both academia and government.”

In fall 2008 Horning plans to study abroad in Australia through the University of Melbourne - Penn State Study Abroad Program and then return to graduate with her B.S. degree in December 2008. She will seek more field experience and also pursue a master’s degree in Agricultural and Extension Education. Honing hopes eventually to return to the high school classroom as an Agricultural Science teacher, to teach a wide variety of subjects that connect to natural resources and instill some of her passion into younger generations.

Andy Wilson Receives 2007 Latham Award

Andrew M. Wilson has received the 2007 Roger M. Latham Memorial Graduate Award, given annually to an outstanding, full-time graduate student advised by Wildlife and Fisheries Science faculty members in the School of Forest Resources.

The Latham Award, created in 1981, memorializes Dr. Roger M. Latham (1914-1979) who devoted his career to promote conservation and management of renewable natural resources. Latham was well known as an author and the outdoor editor of the Pittsburgh Press, a lecturer, a photographer, a naturalist, a teacher, and a resource conservationist.

Andy Wilson is a Ph.D. candidate in Penn State’s Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and is advised by Dr. Margaret Brittingham, professor of wildlife resources. He earned a baccalaureate degree in applied statistics at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom in 1992. He worked for two years as a research assistant at the University of York and ten years with the British Trust for Ornithology before enrolling at Penn State in 2004.

Wilson’s duties with the British Trust for Ornithology included serving as the Trust’s first official training officer (2002-2004). He was responsible for developing and presenting training programs for the Trust’s 20,000 volunteer fieldworkers, including residential and one-day workshops, lectures, and written materials.

Wilson is a field ornithologist with 25 years of experience from several countries, and a qualified bird bander. He has experience in the design and organization of large-scale ecological surveys, incorporating use of advanced multivariate statistical techniques, GIS, and spatial analysis. He is writing a book on surveying and mapping the distribution of birds.

True to the spirit of the Latham Award, Wilson shows an appreciation for the social, economic, and biological aspects of fish and wildlife management and demonstrates leadership and communication skills.

One example is his doctoral research, which examines the effects of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) on birds. During the past three years, Wilson has made a dozen or more research-related presentations to a variety of audiences ranging from a talk to a local bird club to training workshops for sate agency biologists and land managers. He has also initiated a newsletter that relates the findings of CREP research projects so that volunteers and employees are kept up-to-date on research results and the significance of their contributions.

Wilson has been a guest lecturer in several Penn State courses including Ornithology, Wildlife and Fisheries Measurements, and Field Ecology, and in a Conservation Biology course at the University of South Florida. In spring 2007 he co-taught a one-week intensive field ornithology course with Dr. Brittingham.

Wilson has been an active member of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and currently serves as its program assistant. His responsibilities include organizing two seminar series, producing a monthly newsletter, and facilitating liaison between students and faculty. In 2006, he was president of the Ecology Graduate Student Organization.

Outside of Penn State, Wilson has become very involved with the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas project, as a part-time field assistant and a volunteer in carrying out surveys, inputting data, representing the project at promotional events, and assisting with analysis. He has also refereed manuscripts for several professional journals including the Journal of Wildlife Management and Conservation Biology.

Dr. Brittingham strongly supported Wilson for this award, commenting, “Andy is committed to research, management, conservation, and public outreach. He exemplifies many of the qualities and goals of Dr. Latham.”

Wilson plans to graduate in summer 2008 and will pursue a career in academia as an avian ecologist, preferentially in the northeastern United States. He would particularly like to work in a liberal arts college environment, possibly after completing post-doctoral research.

4th Annual Cardboard Canoe Race

We kicked off fall season in Stone Valley on September 30th with the 4th Annual Cardboard Canoe Race sponsored and organized by the Forest Products Society and the School of Forest Resources. Fifteen two-person teams participated. Several faculty members brought their families and competed or cheered the participants on. Teams first enjoyed a picnic lunch before gearing up to engineer their cardboard vessels.

The Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation donated the cardboard for the event and the Stone Valley Recreation Area staff for provided water safety support.

The rules allow two hours for canoe construction, and specify that a canoe must be made from only uncoated cardboard and duct tape. The duct tape can only be used to cover a seam, thus preventing a team from completely coating their craft in tape. Graduate students Carrie Gilbert and Kristen Brubaker designed the Sinking Siren by cutting thin strips of cardboard, which they taped together. This design presented a potential loophole in the duct tape rules, but the craft held true to its name and sunk.

There were some success stories. Dr. Marc McDill and cohort had the fastest craft coming in at 1 minute and 49 seconds. The next fastest time went to undergraduates Mike Wagaman and Chance Yeckley, who, along with Dr. Peter Linehan and two other students, came from Mont Alto.

Prizes were awarded for the top three teams in speed, as well as the three best sinks, and best design. All participants left Stone Valley with a smile, and perhaps some soggy clothing.

The Penn State Woodsmen Team was in action in fall 2007 with a demonstration at the Reeds Gap State Park Fall Festival, followed by a scrimmage hosted by Penn College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.  On November 3 the team traveled to Lindsay, Ontario, Canada to attend the 25th Loggersports competition hosted by Sir Sandford Fleming College. 

The November competition was special in that it featured Penn State’s first women’s team since 2002. A full team—either male or female—consists of six individuals competing in six single events, three double events, and team events in which everyone participates.  The women’s team finished 6th out of 13 teams.  To make this even more special, four of these women had never competed before this fall!  The men’s team finished 8th out of 29 teams, which made this the best finish since the team was resurrected in 2002. 

The team’s spring schedule will likely include a trip to Southern Illinois for the first-ever All American Collegiate Foresters Conclave, and a trip to New Hampshire for the 62nd annual Spring Log Drive competition.

2007-08 College of Agricultural Sciences Scholarships and Awards

The College of Agricultural Sciences awarded more than $1.8 million in scholarships and awards to 670 students for the 2007-08 academic year. This total includes nearly $155,000 that the School of Forest Resources distributed among 80 students, including 13 incoming freshmen. Recipients and donors were honored at a banquet on October 29, 2007, at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.

The Bill Baldwin Memorial Scholarship in the School of Forest Resources was awarded for the first time this academic year and recognized as a “new scholarship” at the banquet. The scholarship was created in memory of Bill Baldwin ’74 who spent 30 years advocating treated wood and supporting its proper use. Baldwin died in early July 2006 in a fire while on company business.

Five of our unit’s scholarships were among those recognized at the banquet for reaching a milestone of continuous support: The William Allison Ritchey Scholarship in Forest Resources and the Frank and Lenore Spearey Scholarship in Forest Resources have been awarded for ten years; the Keystone Kiln Drying Association Scholarship and the Orpha Kelly Rapp and Jesse Rossiter Rapp ’15 Prize for Academic Excellence have been awarded for fifteen years. The Bartlett Tree Foundation Grant-in-Aid has been awarded for twenty years.

Faculty awards presented at the banquet included the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Teaching Award of Merit presented to Dr. Nicole R. Brown, assistant professor of wood chemistry.

Scholarship and award recipients are chosen by unit scholarship committees as well as by a college-wide committee on the basis of their qualifications and donor-established guidelines. Listed below are the scholarships awarded by the School of Forest Resources and the recipients. The total amount awarded is listed next to the name of the scholarship. The name of the donor representative is listed in italics after each award.

The notation immediately following a student’s name is an abbreviation for the student’s major (FORSC = Forest Science, W F S = Wildlife and Fisheries Science, W P = Wood Products, 2FORT = Forest Technology, 2WLT = Wildlife Technology, ECLGY = Ecology graduate program).

If you wish to make a contribution towards any of these scholarships, or are considering establishing a new scholarship, contact Mr. Mark Sharer, Director of Development, College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State, 230 Ag Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802; phone (814) 863-1373.

AGCHOICE FARM CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES $1,000
Mr. Scott Owens
Steven Kelly, W P, Ligonier, PA

BILL BALDWIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES $3,982
Dr. Erin Baldwin
Nathan Beary, W P, Leeper, PA
Brett Diehl, W P, Lehighton, PA

BARTLETT TREE FOUNDATION, INC. GRANT-IN-AID $3,000
Mr. John Signorini
Derrick Nahill, FORSC, Philadelphia, PA
and two other students in the College of Agricultural Sciences

GEORGE C. AND MADELINE C. BARTLEY SCHOLARSHIP IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES $2,222
Mr. Steven Howell
Matthew Adams, W F S, Lancaster, PA

ROBERT W. BAUER STUDENT MEMORIAL AWARD IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES $2,250
Mrs. Connie S. Bauer
Jesse Monroe, FORSC, Bloomsburg, PA
Jay Work, FORSC, Perkasie, PA

ROBERT T. BILLIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP $13,680
School of Forest Resources
Mark Bowemaster, W F S, Strasburg, PA
Robin Heagy, W F S, Newtown, PA
Christopher Hone, New Alexandria, PA
Amanda Horning, W F S, Reading, PA
Thomas Ruffing, W P, Jefferson Hills, PA
Blaise Simmons, FORSC, Waterford, PA
Heather Szalkowski, W F S, Pittsburgh, PA

ROBERT BLISS SCHOLARSHIP $5,000
Mrs. Dorothy Bliss
Anthony Ferreri Jr., W F S, Oley, PA
William Reese, W F S Altoona, PA
Jessica Shue, FORSC, Glen Rock, PA

JAMES CLINTON BURNS SCHOLARSHIP FUND $1,000
School of Forest Resources
Emily Scapes W F S, Belle Vernon, PA

MARK PETTY BUSH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP IN WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE $2,126
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest R. Bush
Blake Goll, W F S, West Chester, PA

WILLIAM J. COX MEMORIAL FUND $2,500
Ms. Jeanne Schmidt
Christopher Hone, FORSC, New Alexandria, PA

DANZER GROUP SCHOLARSHIP IN WOOD PRODUCTS $2,000
Dr. Vijay S. Reddy
Scott Stringer, W P, Bellefonte, PA
Mitchell Woodle, W P, Boalsburg, PA

KEITH A. DAVIES MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP $3,600
John C. and Esther M. Davies
Jesse Mowry, W P, Venetia, PA
Michelle Myers, W P, Boalsburg, PA

FERGUSON-COPE FORESTRY AWARD $13,166
School of Forest Resources
Rachel Cleaver, W F S, Howard, PA
Russell Gibbs, FORSC, Lemont Furnace, PA
Syrena Johnson, W F S, Burtinsville, MD
Kerry Lynott, W F S, Allentown, PA
Clark McColly, W P, Ligonier, PA
Peter Mohn, W F S, Harrisburg, PA
Kevin Yoder, W F S, Narvon, PA

BUD FILLER ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES $4,000
Mr. Merl C. “Bud” Filler, Jr.
Daniel Long, FORSC, Hillsgrove, PA
Jessica Shue, FORSC, Glen Rock, PA
Gregory Wiltsie, FORSC, Warren, PA

ROYAL P. FISHER, SR. AND VIRGINIA BRENEMAN FISHER SCHOLARSHIP IN WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE $8,500
Mr. and Mrs. Royal P. Fisher
Amanda Powell, W F S, Huntingdon, PA
Mark Bowermaster, W F S, Strasburg, PA
Bradley Burford, W F S, Clarion, PA
Blake Goll, W F S, West Chester, PA
Kent Himelright, W F S, Ehprata, PA
Amanda Horning, W F S, Reading, PA
Kerry Lynott, W F S, Allentown, PA

JOHN L. GEORGE STUDENT CONSERVATION AWARD $500
Mr. T. Luke George
Amanda Horning, W F S, Reading, PA

O. BEN GIPPLE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP IN THE SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES $1,000
Dr. Marian Romberger Peifer
Jacob Mazzei, FORSC, Hollidaysburg, PA

JELD-WEN FOUNDATION $4,000
Nana G. Bellerud
Nathaniel Elser, W P, Hughesville, PA
John Tsirigotis, W P, Berwick, PA

KEYSTONE KILN DRYING ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP $1,500
Mr. Sam Richardson
John Wakefield, FORSC, Hummelstown, PA

THE ROGER M. LATHAM MEMORIAL GRADUATE AWARD FUND $1,400
Mr. C. Dana Chalfant
Andrew Wilson, ECLGY, Huntingdon, PA

THE CARL I. PETERSON SCHOLARSHIP FUND $3,247
School of Forest Resources
Joshua Mulhollem, W F S, Altoona, PA
Emily Schneider, W F S, Burnton, OH

ORPHA KELLY RAPP AND JESSE ROSSITER RAPP '15 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND $3,410
Mrs. Elizabeth A. Valeika
Chris McClelland, FORSC, Smethport, PA
Ian Plummer, W F S, Philadelphia, PA

IRVIN C. REIGNER ENDOWMENT $17,292
School of Forest Resources
Ethan Barton, W F S, Williamsport, PA
Nathan Beary, W P, Leeper, PA
Bradley Burford, W F S, Clarion, PA
Kevin Cook, FORSC, Huntingdon, PA
Rebekah Crandall, W F S, Woodland, PA
Kenneth DesJardins, W F S, Mechanicsburg, PA
Brett Diehl, W P, Lehighton, PA
Zachary Doyle, W F S, York, PA
Erik Eckess, FORSC, Pleasant Gap, PA
David Frey, FORSC, Pottsville, PA
Christine Gabriel, W F S, West Chester, PA
Blake Goll, W F S, West Chester, PA
Lauren Grant, W F S, Edinboro, PA
David Grube, W F S, Denver, PA
Wesley Harner, FORSC, Middleburg, PA
Derek Larsen, FORSC, West Chester, PA
Ethan Martin, FORSC, Hershey, PA
Derrick Nahill, FORSC, Philadelphia, PA
Samantha Pedder, W F S, Greensburg, PA
Morgan Peiffer, W F S, Pittsburgh, PA
Brett Pifer, FORSC, Leraysville, PA
Kyle Russell, W F S, Carlisle, PA

WILLIAM ALLISON RITCHEY SCHOLARSHIP IN FOREST RESOURCES $1,321
Mrs. Diane Peterson Ritchey
Daniel Long, FORSC, Hillsgrove, PA

RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIP $250
Mr. Mike Zagata
Anthony Ferreri, Jr., W F S, Oley, PA

SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES SCHOLARSHIP $3,753
School of Forest Resources
Jeffrey Mulhollem, W F S, Altoona, PA

FRANK AND LENORE H. SPEAREY SCHOLARSHIP IN FOREST RESOURCES $9,536
Mr. Jeff Spearey
Kevin Hook, FORSC, Huntingdon, PA
Kimberly Hartson, W F S, Hanover, PA
Kimberly Linette, FORSC, Temple, PA
Phillip Manning, W F S, Carlisle, PA
Mark Mizak, W F S, Russell, PA
Tiffany Roddy, 2FORT, Windber, PA
John Schwartzer, FORSC, New Cumberland, PA
John Wakefield, FORSC, Hummelstown, PA

JOAN AND MALCOLM STEHMAN SCHOLARSHIP IN WOOD PRODUCTS $3,104
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Stehman
Lauren Rega, W P, Washington, NJ

JOHN AND NANCY STEIMER SCHOLARSHIP $15,243
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Steimer
Russell Gibbs, FORSC, Lemont Furnace, PA
Nathan Markline, FORSC, Glen Rock, PA
Blaise Simmons, FORSC, Waterford, PA
Emily Thomas, 2WLT, Warren, PA
Luke Ulsamer, FORSC, Montoursville, PA
Travis Weinzerl, FORSC, St. Marys, PA
Robbie Withington, FORSC, Youngsville, PA

TRUSTEE SCHOLARSHIPS ($17,500 was directly available to the SFR to award)
Richard Hartlieb, FORSC, Wernersville, PA
Daniel Hicks, FORSC, Brockway, PA
Kent Himelright, W F S, Ephrata, PA
Kendra Kaiser, FORSC, Wilson, NC
Jennifer Lewis, FORSC, Trout Run, PA
Lauren Rowe, W F S, Bethlehem, PA
Travis Weinzierl, FORSC, St. Marys, PA

WILBER W. WARD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND $4,819
School of Forest Resources
David Behrend, W F S, Bethesda, MD
Abby Gelb, W F S, Randolph, NJ
Jason Hendershot, W F S, Swiftwater, PA
John Stubbe, FORSC, Media, PA

Summer and Fall 2007 Graduates

Summer 2007
UNDERGRADUATES
Forest Science
Charles Besteder, Cory Miller, Darren Wolfgang

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Jessica Benford, Joshua Day

GRADUATES
Forest Resources
Anthony Buda, Ph.D.; Jonathan Farrell, M.S.; David Jackson, M.F.R.; Christine Shook, M.S.; Aineth Torres Ruiz, M.S.; Angela Yuska, M.S.

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Thomas Kehler, M.S.; Katie Schill, M.S.; Gian Rocco, Ph.D.

Fall 2007
UNDERGRADUATES
Forest Science
Justin Bartley, Ashlee Early, James Gillespie, John Helmers, Kimberly Linette, Jesse Monroe, Seth Partridge, Brian Steffy, Gregory Waroquier, Paul Weiss

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Bradley Burford, Scott Collenburg, Jeremy Everitts, Luke Groff, Kirian Heffentrager, Jon Kauffman, Phillip Manning, Allen Pettner, Carrie Spangler, Bryan Walker

Wood Products
Zachary Crumbling, Thomas Ruffing

GRADUATES
Forest Resources
Brent Carlson, M.S.; Paula Cognitore, M.F.R.; Samuel Grinstead, M.F.R.; Sarah Johnson, M.S.;

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
John Cingolani, M.S.; Nathan Ermer, M.S.; Barbara White, M.S.

Ecology
Andrew Filipczak, M.S.; Rebekah Wagner, M.S.

Penn State | College of Agricultural Sciences | School of Forest Resources