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NEWS ABOUT STUDENTS

• Students Visit Redwoods
• Students Visit Ibberson Tree Farm
• Cardboard Canoe Race
• Summer and Fall 2004 Commencement
• 2004-05 College of Agricultural Sciences Scholarships and Awards

Students Visit Redwoods

In May 2004, Xi Sigma Pi members Tom Lugar, Tom Rich, Amanda Subjin, Matt Diskin, Chris Dahl, and Jamie Murphy traveled to Northern California to the redwoods region to learn about the ecology of the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). The trip was funded by the Schatz Student Research and Travel Fund, endowed by Dr. Louis Schatz ’34. The Student Research and Travel Fund is administered through the Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics at Penn State University Park. Dr. John Carlson, director of the Schatz Center, organized the trip and served as faculty chaperone.

Along the way to Arcata, the group stopped to see the Chandelier Tree at the Drive-Thru Tree Park near Leggett, California.

On Saturday, May 8, the group flew from State College to San Francisco via Pittsburgh, and then drove up to Arcata, California. Arcata is home to Humboldt State University and Louis Schatz also funded the establishment of a hydrogen fuel cell laboratory there.

Gordon Schatz, son of Dr. Schatz, met the group on Sunday at his house in Trinidad, California, overlooking the Pacific Coast. The group enjoyed a walk on the beach, saw tidal pools that contained sea anemones and starfish, and harbor seals that rested on rocks in the ocean. Guided by Gordon Schatz, the group traveled up to the Redwoods National/State Park where they saw Tule elk, and hiked through a forest of old growth redwood, Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, grand fir, and western hemlock with a fern understory.

On Monday, the group toured the hydrogen fuel cell lab funded by Dr. Schatz, and learned how a fuel cell produces electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. In the afternoon, Gordon Schatz led a tour of the Arcata community park and forest, and pointed out sites where the second-growth redwood forest is being managed on a selective harvesting basis to improve the growth of the trees that remain.

On Tuesday, the group visited a nursery operated by the Simpson Lumber Company. Gordon Schatz then led a tour of the Schatz Demonstration Tree Farm, near Maple Creek, that he manages. He has conducted experimental hardwoods release and planting of redwood (outside its natural range). The redwoods are doing well although they are being heavily damaged by bears that strip off the bark to get to the cambium that has high sugar content.

The group traveled back to San Francisco on Wednesday and enjoyed some tourist attractions there before flying back to State College the following day.

Students Visit Ibberson Tree Farm

On October 24, 2004, the Sunday of Homecoming Weekend, seven members of the SAF Student Chapter, chapter advisers Mr. Mike Powell and Dr. Harry Wiant, and School of Forest Resources Director Dr. Chuck Strauss, visited Mr. Joseph Ibberson’s 450-acre Tree Farm near Halifax, Pennsylvania.

Joe Ibberson (center) welcomes School of Forest Resources students to his Tree Farm.

The group traveled together by minivan, leaving the Ferguson Building parking lot around 9 a.m.—early, by student standards (especially after a Saturday night of Homecoming activities!).
Mr. Ibberson participated in the tour, which was led by graduate student Joseph Petroski who wrote a management plan for the property in January 2004. The Tree Farm is made up of twenty different parcels, most of which were purchased between 1960 and 1970. It is managed primarily for recreation, wildlife habitat, and growing quality timber. It is also used for education; Mr. Ibberson hosts visits for groups that have an interest in the outdoors and want to learn about forestry.

Dirt roads make the property accessible. The students visited various sites, including four man-made fish ponds stocked with large-mouth bass. Discussions throughout the day focused on wildlife management, hunting, herbicide control, and timber harvesting. The group enjoyed their packed lunches, and snacks provided by their host, at one of the many sites on the property equipped with picnic tables.

Mr. Ibberson encouraged future visits, possibly including an overnight camping trip. He told the students, “You picked the best profession in the world, and as foresters you will be doing constructive things for humankind.”

Cardboard Canoe Race

Gruver and Barry overcome a slow start to surpass Graybill and Gayley.

The first annual Cardboard Canoe Race was held on Friday, October 8, 2004, at Stone Valley Recreation Area. That afternoon, nine participants accepted the challenge of building a canoe using only corrugated cardboard and duct tape. Canoes were built on site, within a two-hour time limit. Four canoes were launched, each manned with two rowers, in an attempt to be the first to complete the course.

To the astonishment of a few onlookers (and the participants as well!), most of the canoes performed very well. Austin Graybill and Matt Gayley quickly established a lead in their pontoon-style craft. Steve Brown and Nicole Brown were the second to leave the dock, but capsized after paddling just a short distance. The third canoe, built by Jesse Burow and Lareina King, was the “most aesthetic design” but the occupants immediately found themselves in the water. The last craft to leave the dock was the “houseboat” design of Mike Gruver and Brett Barry. Overcoming a slow start, Gruver and Barry paddled furiously and surpassed the lead of Graybill and Gayley to take the inaugural championship.

The race was followed by a cookout and an awards ceremony sponsored by the Student Chapter of the Forest Products Society and the School of Forest Resources. The participants also gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the Stone Valley Recreation Area staff. We look forward to the 2nd annual race, to be held in September 2005.

Summer 2004
UNDERGRADUATES
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Jeremy Ellenberger, Patrick McElhone, Erin Swope, Nicole Totino

GRADUATES
Forest Resources
G. Andrew Bartholomay, Ph.D.; Demetrice Evans, M.S.; Mark Gagnon, Ph.D.; Karl Tojic, M.S.

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Patrick Barry, M.S.; Daniel Counahan, M.S.; Jessica Moon, M.S.

Ecology
Adam Kaeser, Ph.D.

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Nina Cohen, Jamie Cooney, Steven Donovan, Walter James, Joseph Kern, Justin Koller, Amanda Livingston, Kevin Lutz, Eric Prescott, Gregory Schaetzle, Laura Steidel, Tiffanie Strickland, Kimberly Waterman

Wood Products
Nathan Burgess, Timothy Gardner

GRADUATES
Forest Resources
Aleksandar Dozic, M.S.; Irene Morales, M.S.; Michael O’Driscoll, Ph.D.; Nicole Strong, M.S.

Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Kristin Black, M.S.; Kristen Hychka, M.S.; Jennifer Orr, M.S.

Environmental Pollution Control
Tonya McGowan, M.S.

Ecology
Song Lin Fei, Ph.D.; Po-Ching Wang, M.S.

2004-2005 College of Agricultural Sciences Scholarships and Awards

The College of Agricultural Sciences awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships and awards to 665 students for the 2004-05 academic year. This total includes $133,000 that the School of Forest Resources distributed among 80 students, including ten incoming freshmen. Recipients and donors were honored at a banquet on October 12, 2004, at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.

The AgChoice Farm Credit Scholarship, a new annual scholarship, was awarded for the first time this academic year and recognized as a “new scholarship” at the banquet. It is designated for Forest Science and Wood Products students who have achieved a minimum 3.0 grade point average and whose home residence is Pennsylvania.

The Bud Filler Annual Scholarship in Forest Resources, also awarded for the first time this academic year, is also an annual scholarship. Undergraduate studemts in Forest Science and graduate students in Foresr Resources with superior academic records are eligible for this award.

Two of our unit’s scholarships were among those recognized at the banquet for reaching a milestone of continuous support: The Mark Petty Bush Scholarship has been awarded for ten years; the Orpha Kelly Rapp and Jesse Rossiter Rapp Scholarship has been awarded for twenty years.

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
Charles Coup, FORSC, Milton, PA
Robert Lindemuth, FORSC, Mount Carmel, PA

Bartlett Tree Foundation, Inc. Grant-in-Aid $3,000
Mr. John Signorini
Justin Kaskan, FORSC, Indiana, PA
and one other student in the College of Agricultural Sciences

“I know my family and I certainly appreciate the scholarships that help to support my education.  Receiving some financial assistance eases the burden of funding an expensive, yet extremely valuable, experience at Penn State.  Having the support of the School of Forest Resources encourages me to keep doing my best.” Amy Carrozzino Wildlife and Fisheries Science senior

Robert T. Billin Memorial Scholarship $13,387
School of Forest Resources
Nina Cohen, W F S, State College, PA
Christopher Dyer, 2WLT, Thompson, PA
Amanda Livingston, W F S, Sinking Spring, PA
Robert Ormund, W F S, State College, PA
Amanda Subjin, Dingmans Ferry, PA
Andrew Weber, W F S, Pittsburgh, PA
Abigail Zarichansky, FORSC, Newville, PA

Robert Bliss Scholarship $5,000
Mrs. Dorothy Bliss
Drew Aurand, W F S, McVeytown, PA
Jeremy Flinn, W F S, Manor, PA

James Clinton Burns Scholarship Fund $1,112
School of Forest Resources
Daniel Kennedy, W F S, DuBois, PA

Mark Petty Bush Memorial Scholarship in Wildlife and Fisheries Science $2,158
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest R. Bush
Nyssa Lewis, W F S, Gouldsboro, PA

Danzer Group Scholarship in Wood Products $2,000
Dr. Vijay S. Reddy
Michael Campbell, W P, New Cumberland, PA
Thomas Ruffing, W P, Jefferson Hills, PA

Keith A. Davies Memorial Scholarship $3,162
John C. and Esther M. Davies
Scott Lyon, W P, Warren, PA
Clark McColly, W P, Ligonier, PA

Ferguson-Cope Forestry Award $12,121
School of Forest Resources
William Bering, W F S, Bethel, PA
Amy Carrozzino, W F S, Milroy, PA
Kyle Clouse, FORSC, Clarence, PA
Joseph Cocco, W F S, Altoona, PA
Nathan Herring, FORSC, Schuylkill Haven, PA
Michael Lohr, W F S, Newtown, PA
Alicia McCormick, W F S, Jersey Shore, PA
Shawn Miller, W F S, Lykens, PA
Elissa Olimpi, W F S, Sewickley, PA
Rebecca Wagner, W F S, Johnstown, PA

Bud Filler Annual Scholarship in the School of Forest Resources $3,000
Mr. Merle C. Filler, Jr.
James R. Cook, 2FORT, Huntingdon, PA
Daniel Heggenstaller, FORSC, Indiana, PA
Nathan Herring, FORSC, Schuylkill Haven, PA
Justin Kaskan, FORSC, Indiana, PA
Brian Kieffer, FORSC, State College, PA
Amanda Subjin, FORSC, Dingmans Ferry, PA

O. Ben Gipple Memorial Scholarship in the School of Forest Resources $1,000
Dr. Marian Romberger Peifer
Robert Lindemuth, FORSC, Mount Carmel, PA

Arthur W. and Caroline O. Hartman Trustee Scholarship $112,500 (of which $15,000 was available to the SFR for awards)
Ms. Judith C. Kiely
Jeffrey Chismar, FORSC, Martinsburg, PA
Benjamin Dutko, W F S, Cooperstown, PA
Tarin Laroche, W F S, West Milton, PA
Matthew Miller, 2WLT, Tower City, PA
Milton Newberry, W F S, Pemberton, NJ
Charles Stoker, FORSC, Luthersburg, PA
Bryan Walker, W F S, York, PA
and 38 other students in the College of Agricultural Sciences

Jeld-Wen Foundation $2,000
Mr. Jerry Pettibone
Thomas Ruffing, W P, Jefferson Hills, PA

Keystone Kiln Drying Association Scholarship $1,000
Mr. Sam Richardson
Timothy Gardner, W P, Berwick, PA

The Roger M. Latham Memorial Graduate Award Fund $1,376
Mr. C. Dana Chalfant
David Lieb, ECLGY, State College, PA

The Carl I. Peterson Scholarship Fund $3,340
School of Forest Resources
Daniel Heggenstaller, FORSC, Indiana, PA
Matthew Trick, W F S, Montoursville, PA
Toni Weidman, W F S, Bethel, PA

Orpha Kelly Rapp and Jesse Rossiter Rapp ’15 Memorial Scholarship Fund $3,470
Mrs. Elizabeth Valeika
Joseph Cocco, W F S, Altoona, PA
Joshua Schrecengost, W F S, Dayton, PA

Orpha Kelly Rapp and Jesse Rossiter Rapp ’15 Prize for Academic Excellence $3,111
Mrs. Elizabeth Valeika
Nina Cohen, W F S, State College, PA

“As a 6th year undergraduate student in my last semester at Penn State, I am strongly aware of the importance of scholarships. After receiving an associate’s degree in Forestry/Resource Management from Keystone College, I participated in a year-long internship program. I would never take back the experiences I gained from that time. On the other hand, drawing out my academic career one more year posed a problem financially. The scholarships I earned for my senior year at Penn State made the difference between a semester of focusing on school and a semester of filling out loan applications! Thanks to the generosity of the donors, I am now able to complete my degree in Forest Science, work part-time for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative of PA, and help organize the student chapter of the Society of American Foresters. I intend to return the favor to another student someday during my career.” Amanda Subjin Forest Science senior

Irvin C. Reigner Endowment $18,450
School of Forest Resources
Adam Behney, W F S, Mount Joy, PA
Justin Bogert, FORSC, Etters, PA
Robert Chippie, Jr., W F S, Windber, PA
Jaime Cooney, W F S, Pittsburgh, PA
Cory Deniker, FORSC, Sandy Lake, PA
Jessica DeNuccio, W F S, Philadelphia, PA
Samuel Ditchcreek, W F S, Nonty Glo, PA
Sara Eisenhauer, W F S, Morrisdale, PA
Jonathan Felix, W F S, Mount Joy, PA
Patrick Ferko, W F S, Central City, PA
Brian Fleming, W F S, Sharpsville, PA
Thomas Gieder, W F S, Martinsburg, PA
Walter James, Jr., W F S, Coal Township, PA
Andrew Little, W F S, Aspers, PA
Toni McLaughlin, W F S, New Eagle, PA
Benjamin Miller, 2FORT, Arerdtsville, PA
Christopher Moscatiello, W F S, Bordentown, NJ
Justin Rodeheaver, W P, Hanover, PA
Kristen Schnepp, W F S, Erie, PA
James Seitz, W F S, Red Lion, PA
Susan Smith, W F S, Philadelphia, PA
Thomas Stahl, FORSC, Altoona, PA
Chad Vorhees, FORSC, Milesburg, PA
Bryan Walker, W F S, York, PA

William Allison Ritchey Scholarship in Forest Resources $1,351
Mrs. Diane Peterson Ritchey
Daniel Heggenstaller, FORSC, Indiana, PA

Ruffed Grouse Society Annual Scholarship in Forest Resources $1,000
Mr. Mark Banker
Nina Cohen, W F S, State College, PA
Abigail Zarichansky, FORSC, Newville, PA

School of Forest Resources Scholarship $5,717
School of Forest Resources
Syrena Johnson, W F S, Burtonsville, PA
Joshua Mulhollem, W F S, Altoona, PA
James Seitz, W F S, Red Lion, PA

Frank and Lenore H. Spearey Scholarship in Forest Resources $11,105
Mr.Jeff Spearey
James Cook, 2FORT, Huntingdon, PA
Charles Coup, FORSC, Milton, PA
Elizabeth Huber, W F S, Pittsburgh, PA
Zachary Kane, FORSC, Emporium, PA
Robert Lindemuth, FORSC, Mount Carmel, PA
Alan Naylor, FORSC, McAlisterville, PA
Gregory Sarnoski, 2FORT, Mechanicsburg, PA

Joan and Malcolm Stehman Scholarship in Wood Products $5,197
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Stehman
Robert Fromuth, W P, Yardley, PA

John and Nancy Steimer Scholarship $15,485
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Steimer
Chad Atwood, FORSC, Warren, PA
Paul Chalfant, W P, Shippensburg, PA
Nina Cohen, W F S, State College, PA
Brian Kieffer, FORSC, State College, PA
Lee Lindemuth, 2WLT, Tidioute, PA
Virginia Mengel, W F S, Wellsboro, PA
Adam Miller, W F S, Hartstown, PA
Zack Scott, FORSC, Towanda, PA
Jeremy Stempka, W F S, North East, PA

Wilber W. Ward Memorial Scholarship Fund $4,867
School of Forest Resources
Syrena Johnson, W F S, Burtonsville, MD

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