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NEWS ABOUT STUDENTS

• Brock Sanner Selected as Outstanding Senior 2003
• Amanda Yeager Receives Wildlife Leadership Award
• Spring 2003 Commencement
• Daniel McGraw Receives 2003 Rapp Prize for Academic Excellence
• Bill Clark Receives Fulbright Scholarship
• Penn State Woodsmen Team Returns to University Park
• SAF Student Chapter Wins Award
• Penn State–Freiburg Exchange Program

Brock Sanner Selected as Outstanding Senior 2003

Brock Sanner was recognized as the School of Forest Resources Outstanding Senior 2003 at a School picnic on April 24. A committee of School of Forest Resources faculty and Xi Sigma Pi members selects the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award each spring from nominations submitted by faculty, staff, and students. Nominees must be seniors expected to graduate in May, August, or December. Xi Sigma Pi is the School's honor society -- a chapter of
a national honor society of natural resources disciplines.

Brock completed the Forest Science baccalaureate degree in May 2003 and graduated with an excellent academic record. He is a graduate of Penns Valley High School and the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology. He has worked as farm field laborer, a percolation tester/laborer, and spring 2001 through spring 2003 as a field forester for the Penn State Forestland Management Office.

Brock was an active member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Penn State Student Chapter, attending all meetings and participating in chapter projects such as timber stand improvement and seedling planting with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. Brock was a member of the Penn State team (along with classmates Brent McNeal and William Harlon) that won the 2002 SAF Allegheny Winter Meeting quiz bowl in Hagerstown, Maryland. Brock also competed in the quiz bowl at the SAF National Convention in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2003.

Brock was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Penn State Woodsmen Team at University Park. As captain of the team, he dedicated countless hours to cutting firewood to raise funds for equipment and travel expenses.

Brock is a certified Tree Farm inspector with the American Tree Farm System, a certified National Wildland Firefighter, and a Penn State Fire Crew member. He spent two weeks in summer 2002 in Durango, Colorado, fighting fires with the Pennsylvania Specialized Fire Crew.

Fellow members of the SAF Penn State Student Chapter nominated Brock. In addition to his academic achievements, his work experience, and his extracurricular activities, his peers respect him for his "willingness to help and his ability to bring out the best in everyone he knows."

A few weeks after graduation, Brock began work as a forest technician with the USDA Forest Service in the White River
National Forest in Meeker, Colorado. He is marking timber, and assisting with various duties such as timber sale layout and administration, timber stand improvements, salvage harvests, and bark beetle mortality surveys. He also participates in the district's fire suppression program. According to Brock, "the position is a six-month appointment with the opportunity for extension. My plans are to hopefully secure a full-time position upon completion of my term, settle down, and enjoy all that the western life has to offer."

Amanda Yeager Receives Wildlife Leadership Award

Amanda Yeager of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, is one of five students honored in 2003 by the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation. She is the first Penn State student to receive the foundation's Wildlife Leadership Award, which includes a $2000 scholarship and a one-year membership.

In May 2003 Yeager completed her junior year in the Wildlife and Fisheries Science baccalaureate degree program. She also plans to complete minors in Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Youth and Family Education, and is a member of the Schreyer Honors College. She is a graduate of Conrad Weiser High School in Robesonia, Pennsylvania.

The award recognizes Yeager's dedication to wildlife and her leadership abilities. During high school she participated in the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, the Conservation Leadership School at the Nolde Forest State Environmental Education Center, and the Outdoor and Nature Writing Program at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. During her college years, she has already received certification in five environmental programs: Project WILD, Project Aquatic WILD, Keystone Aquatic Resources Education, Project Learning Tree, and Project Pennsylvania Reptiles. She has been active in many student organizations including the Penn State Student Chapter of The
Wildlife Society (serving as secretary, vice president, and president), the Coaly Agricultural Honor Society (vice president and president), the Ag Activator student newspaper (student editor), the Penn State Ag Student Council, the Xi Sigma Pi Natural Resources Honor Society, and the Penn State Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.

This summer, Yeager is an agricultural education intern at the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service, Berks County office. Her numerous past work experiences include positions as a land protection department assistant for the Berks County Conservancy, a newsletter reporter and public relations assistant for The Arboretum at Penn State, a bird conservation intern for the Pennsylvania Audubon Society, an agricultural news and publications intern for the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, and an educational programs assistant coordinator for the 4-H Pennsylvania State Wildlife Field Day.

"The fact that Amanda Yeager is the only undergraduate student I know who has had her name plate on a door in our college’s administration building is just one testament of her uniqueness and abilities," explains Dr. Gary San
Julian, professor of wildlife resources and Amanda's academic adviser. "Amanda is an exceptional student and is always ready to help with projects. She has made wonderful contributions to our program and will be an outstanding professional."

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation members dedicate their time and resources to ensuring elk and other wildlife have healthy habitat to depend on. To foster an ongoing commitment from the next generation, the foundation continues to increase its focus on conservation education programs, like the Wildlife Leadership Awards. The awards recognize, encourage, and promote leadership among future wildlife professionals. Since its inception in 1991, the foundation has
given out 117 scholarships and has hired two past winners.

Spring 2003 Commencement

UNDERGRADUATES
Forest Science
Bryan Astheimer, Nathan Bosic, Tara Bossert, Ryan Brown, Roy Bucher, Tracey Coulter, Ryan Davis, Ronald Doughtie, Timothy Dugan, William Eck, John Fry, Michael Hancharik, Derald Hay, Stephen Hilbert, Daniel Kime, Lee Kline, Brent McNeal, Nathan Meiser, Brian Merrow, William Rittenour, Candace Sabol, Brock Sanner, Daniel Shiner, Matthew Watson, Sarah Zill

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Christopher Bertram, Christopher Burns, Amy Croft, Mary Deemer, Devon Dejesus, Brendan Fink, Justin Gross, Timothy Hanna, Cara Hill, Christine Hobbs, Brian Ireland, Jason Kougher, David Lowry, Elizabeth Lynch, Ryan Marino, Joshua McBride, Scott McConnell, Molly McDermott, Jennifer Miller, Melissa Newhard, Alan Orth, Amanda Painter, Samuel Pelesky, Evan Rehm, Amy Ridenhour, Jayme Schaeffer, Brittany Smith, Friedarick Steed, Carlee Welch

Wood Products
Luke Fallon, Lance Gallagher, Daniel McGraw, John Provenzale, Alann Whitmore, William Wood

Daniel McGraw Receives 2003 Rapp Prize for Academic Excellence

Wood Products student Daniel McGraw, originally from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the Orpha Kelly Rapp and Jesse Rossiter Rapp '15 Prize for Academic Excellence in the amount of $3,350. This award is made each spring to the senior in the School of Forest Resources with the highest grade point average. Elizabeth Rapp
Tukey endowed the award in memory of her father Jesse Rossiter Rapp (Class of 1915) and mother Orpha Kelly Rapp.

McGraw completed a bachelor's degree in Wood Products, Business and Marketing option, in May 2003. We are
fortunate in that he has decided to continue his studies at Penn State to pursue a master's degree in forest products business-to-business marketing. He is a member of Delta Theta Sigma Professional and Social Agricultural Fraternity and currently serves as treasurer for that group. He enjoys all outdoor activities as many of our students do, especially hunting and fishing. He also enjoys sports and was captain of his high school and legion baseball teams before coming to Penn State.

McGraw is the second Wood Products student to receive the Rapp Prize. Wood Products student John Carr received the award in 1992, the year the award was established. Since then, five Forest Science students and five Wildlife and Fisheries Science students have also benefited from the award.

Bill Clark Receives Fulbright Scholarship

Forest Resources graduate student William 'Bill' Clark is one of 14 Penn State students who have won Fulbright Scholarships for study abroad during the 2003-04 academic year. He plans to spend a year in Bulgaria doing research on attitudes toward water conservation.

Prior to enrolling at Penn State, Clark and his wife and their two sons lived in Bulgaria for nearly eight years. Clark worked with a Christian ministry and was involved in teaching English, providing aid to orphanages, and leading Bible studies.

"After returning to our home in the State College area during the summer of 2000, I was at a transition point in my life," Clark explains. "With our children getting ready to start at the university, I decided to go back to college myself to pursue an M.S. in Environmental Pollution Control (EPC)."

Dr. Grace Wang, Clark's adviser in the School of Forest Resources, encouraged him to include the graduate option in
Watershed Stewardship as part of his academic program. The interdisciplinary nature of the Watershed Stewardship option meshed well with the EPC program and Clark’s personal interests. He completed the M.S. in May 2002.

Clark elaborates, "Returning to the academic world after being out of the classroom for more than 20 years was a great experience. I felt very much at home in the School of Forest Resources and decided to pursue a Ph.D. in forest science, maintaining a focus on the human dimensions of water resources management." Drs. Jim Finley and Andy Cole are serving as Clark's advisers as he prepares to return to Bulgaria at the end of August or early September to research attitudes toward water conservation in Blagoevgrad, a small city about an hour south of Sofia, the capital.

"The Watershed Stewardship option provided me with an increased appreciation and understanding of the necessity of wisely managing water resources. This is especially true in Bulgaria, a country that has been plagued by serious water shortages in recent decades. In spite of these shortages and strictly imposed water rationing, little has been done in
Bulgaria to promote or educate the public concerning water conservation. In general, public awareness and participation in environmental issues are in their infancy in Bulgaria. Through my research, I hope to gain a clearer understanding of how Bulgarians think about their water resources and what their attitudes are toward conservation. These insights should provide a basis for developing more effective water conservation programs that will more readily be embraced by the public," says Clark.

Clark's wife Lisa will accompany him to Bulgaria. Their older son is a Penn State student and will stay here to continue his education. Their younger son is currently in Iraq with the Marine Reserves.

Fulbright Scholarships, valued at approximately $25,000, are named for the late Senator J. William Fulbright. The United States Congress created the program in 1946 as a step toward building international cooperation. Approximately 800 Fulbright scholars (undergraduate and graduate students) travel overseas each year. Awardees carry out a specific project, attend graduate school, or teach English as a foreign language. More than 50 countries around the world participate in the Fulbright program.

Penn State Woodsmen Team Returns to University Park

After an extended absence from woodsmen competitions, the Penn State Woodsmen Team (University Park) returned to action this year at the 57th Annual Spring Woodsmen meet held at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, April 18-19. Team members had spent many hours in the fall and winter cutting firewood to raise money to purchase equipment and to cover travel costs, leaving only two weeks for practices. Nevertheless, the team (Roy Bucher, Nathan Burgess, Kasey Chaney, Matt Fromm, Brent McNeal, Zack McNeal, Bill Menteckey, Brock Sanner and adviser Mike Powell) had a respectable 11th-place finish out of 14 teams. In addition, the team came home with a 1st-place finish in the packboard relay event -- an event that was practiced the night before in the hotel parking lot!

Thanks to the commitment and determination of the team members—and to tremendous support from the Penn State Forestland Management Office, faculty and staff in the School of Forest Resources, and the Penn State Mont Alto Woodsmen Team— the University Park Woodsmen Team is here to stay. Next time you are on campus, listen for the buzz of the saw, the chop of the ax, and the roar of the Lion Lumberjacks!

But there is more work to be done. The team is still in need of equipment and is looking to alumni and businesses for support, in addition to continuing fund raising via firewood cutting. If you would like to support the team, or want more information about it, please contact team adviser Mike Powell at (814) 863-1113 or mjp175@psu.edu.

SAF Student Chapter Wins Award

The Pennsylvania State University SAF Student Chapter won second place in the 2003 SAF Student Chapter Web site contest. There were seven entries.

In the announcement of the award, Carol McKernon, coordinator of SAF member services and marketing, wrote, "Your Web site is excellent, very professional, and well-maintained. You had many good links, your newsletters were informative and interesting, and your calendar was up to date. Your SAF Student Chapter members whould be proud of themselves and the highquality Web site they have created."

The award, a framed certificate, will be presented to the student chapter at the 2003 SAF naitnal Convention in Buffalo, New York, in October.

Visit the award-winning Web site at http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/forestrysociety/index.htm.

Penn State–Freiburg Exchange Program

This past spring, 16 students from the School of Forest Resources traveled to Freiburg, Germany, for an eight-day study tour of natural resource management in the Black Forest region of southern Germany. The trip was a culmination of a semesterlong course on German forestry. During the semester, each student prepared a report and made a presentation to the class on a specific aspect of natural resource management in Germany. Topics included forest, game, and fish management; the forest products industry in Germany; the history of German forestry;
and other topics related to German forestry.

Thus prepared, the class flew to Frankfurt, Germany, on the 20th of May, accompanied by Dr. Bruce Lord, senior research assistant; Dr. Todd Bowersox, professor of silviculture; and Dr. Bowersox's wife Judy. The trip offered scientific and cultural experiences in the Black Forest region and in nearby Switzerland and France.

The students were exposed to a series of presentations by state field foresters, industry professionals, and university faculty, covering a variety of German forest types, industry processing, and scientific lectures. Forest types included a 350-year-old oak-beech stand and a recent oak plantation (both subject to single stem management) and a spruce monoculture. The opportunity to examine single stem and single species management was enlightening to American students with their strong background in diversity management. Among many other environments introduced to the
group was a riparian zone with more than 25 tree and shrub species.

Lecture topics by the faculty of the University of Freiburg included the history of German forestry, silvicultural practices,
international forest policy, and game management. The exposure to their approach to natural resources revealed the influence of cultural background upon management practices.

Equally important were the cultural experiences. Throughout the trip, the class was accompanied by several forestry students from Freiburg who acted as translators and cultural ambassadors. The class made day trips to Basel,
Switzerland, and Colmar, France; two very old and picturesque towns located just across the border. Restaurants
ranged from University dining facilities to country inns and city restaurants, and consisted of a variety of European
cuisines. Ample opportunities were provided in the evenings to socialize with local students and enjoy fine German beers.

This trip was the third in a series of bilateral exchanges with the University of Freiburg. Financial support by the
School of Forest Resources, the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Office of International Programs, and the associate
deans for undergraduate and graduate Education kept the overall cost to each student at a reasonable level and made the experience accessible to a broad cross section of our students.

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