From Nerves to Know-How: Guest Speaker Equips Students with Winning Interview Strategies

By Aayusha Chapagain, Department of Sustainable Resource Management, May 2025

 

Meredith Chase

Meredith Chase, the Assistant Director at ESF Career Services, served as a guest lecturer FOR 797, delivering a dynamic and informative session on interview preparation and career readiness. The session provided students with valuable strategies and reflections to boost confidence and competence in navigating the job search process.

The guest speaker emphasized the importance of self-assessment, encouraging students to evaluate their interests, skills, personalities, and reflect on their past experiences, present strengths, and future goals. This self-awareness, she explained, is crucial in tackling difficult interview questions such as, "What is your greatest weakness?" or "Tell me about a time you resolved a workplace conflict." These often-uncomfortable questions require thoughtful, honest responses that present the candidate in a constructive light.

She also addressed practical elements of interview preparation, including how to craft a concise, focused cover letter, highlighting that not everything can (or should) be included in one document. Chase recommends printing each job announcement and marking it up with specific examples of the the required experiences or skills. 
The importance of networking was another key topic, where she emphasized the advantage of “knowing someone on the inside” to help open doors into competitive organizations.

The session further explored how to develop and polish interview skills, such as controlling hand movements, maintaining eye contact, and using confident body language. She provided guidance on evaluating job offers, stressing the importance of asking to complete the interview before discussing salary. Salary negotiation, she noted, is often challenging, but students were encouraged to aim for the higher end of the pay scale, for example, targeting $50,000 in a $45,000–$50,000 range, since employers often start with the lower figure.

Finally, the speaker highlighted the importance of asking questions at the end of the interview, reminding students that this part is equally critical and should be planned in advance rather than thought up on the spot.

The session was widely praised for being relatable, practical, and empowering. Students left feeling significantly more prepared and confident for their future interviews, equipped with both strategic knowledge and a clearer understanding of themselves as candidates.

As part of the requirements for FOR 797, Perspective on Career and Gender students share responsibility of reporting on a subset of class discussions.

 

Advice for navigating male dominated fields from women in STEM for women in STEM

By Rhia Henderson, Environmental Biology, MS ‘26

At the Women in STEM virtual event Director of ESF Alumni Relations, Debbie Caviness, interviewed four successful ESF alumni who have established themselves in STEM fields about their advice and challenges they’ve faced as women in STEM. This conversation took place on March 6, 2025, with Billie Holecek ’20, Valerie Wiehl ’16, Emily Booth ’21, and Ally Berry ’19.

During this conversation Caviness presented the alumnae with a variety of questions with a focus on the challenges that have overcome as women in male dominated STEM fields. Berry encouraged listeners to “make space for themselves and find mentorship” which the other speakers agreed with wholeheartedly. Another point of discussion was what the speakers would give as advice to women thinking of pursuing STEM field and what classes they had during their time at ESF that has supported them throughout their careers, to which each speaker gave complete and powerful responses from each of their varied perspectives. The classes highlighted by each speaker were individual to each of their majors, and included Energy Markets and Policy, Remote Sensing, Python Coding, and Mycology to state a few that the speakers noted as key classes that changed their perspectives. A common theme for advice across the speakers was to find allies in each space, maintain mentorship and networks, and to stand up for yourself (especially during negotiations).

Billie Holecek graduated from ESF in 2020 with a bachelor's in Sustainable Energy Management and a minor in Applied Statistics and Energy and Environmental Policy. She currently works for the Berkeley Lab as an Energy and Environmental Policy Researcher while completing her masters in Energy and Environmental Policy at University of Delaware.

Valerie Wiehl graduated from ESF in 2016 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Resources and Engineering where she was interested in engineering focused on water dynamics. In her professor career she had landed in robotics and now works as a Customer Success Engineering Lead for Nightingale Security, using drones that respond to calls under emergency circumstances.

Emily Booth graduated from ESF in 2021 with a bachelor’s in Forest Health where she worked with Dr. Dylan Parry on projects surrounding biological control methods. She now works for the city of Rochester as a Forestry Technician where she manages 1/3 of the 65,000 trees in the city.

Ally Berry entered ESF as a transfer student from Onondaga Community College and graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Science with a specialization in watershed science. She now works as an Environmental Project Manager for LG Sonic US to monitor and mitigate harmful algal blooms around the US.

This discussion was part of the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions (WiSE Professions) Speaker series as a special installment for Women’s History Month. It was presented jointly by the Alumni Association, Career Services, Admissions, and ESF Women’s Caucus.

As part of the requirements for FOR 797, Perspective on Career and Gender students share responsibility of reporting on a subset of class discussions, including those that are part of the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series (WiSE Professions).

A New View on Interviews, ESF’s Dr. John Turbeville Gives Advice

Dr. John Turbeville, the assistant dean of Student Affairs and director of Career Services and Corporate Engagement at SUNY ESF, met with ESF’s Perspectives on Career and Gender class to discuss interview statistics and provide advice on interviewing. Dr. Turbeville also discussed the resources offered by the Office of Career Services, and an overview of the career services offered at ESF.

Coaching students on careers and coaching men’s golf, Dr. Turbeville helps drive ESF students to success in the job market and the green. Dr. Turbeville, Meredith Chase, and the Peer Career Ambassadors provide a variety of services to ESF students, helping with resume building, Linkedin profile development, job search strategies, graduate school applications, internship fairs, networking with employers, and a broad range of other programs and resources. 

75% of employers ask Behavioral Based interview questions, which focus on how a candidate responds to situations that highlight skills related to the position. These questions can ask about past experiences, such as when you faced a difficult situation with a colleague, or what you did when a project didn’t work out well. When faced with a behavioral based interview question, Dr. Turbeville suggests describing the situation and context, what your goal was in that situation, what you did to achieve that goal, and the result of the situation. 

Dr. Turbeville’s advice for a successful interview is to “Take any opportunity to make your skills tangible and connected to the position”, and to remember that interviews are a two-way street, where you are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. “The interview starts the moment you send in your resume” he adds, citing that 79% of HR professionals have denied candidates due to social media content, making it important to keep your online presence moderated. For more interview and career advice, the Office of Career Services provides print career guides outside of their office in 105 Bray Hall, as well as online resources on Handshake, Big Interview, CareerShift, GoinGlobal, and on the ESF career services website. Appointments with career services staff can also be scheduled through Handshake at https://esf.joinhandshake.com/edu using your esf.edu email and password. 

As part of the requirements for FOR 797, Perspective on Career andGender, students share the responsibility of reporting on some of the in-class discussions. The preceding was prepared by Jacob Olichney, Ph.D. student in the Department of Sustainable Resource Management

Kids' Day and Girls' Summit return! Register now

Registration is now open for two pre-college pipeline programs, both on the ESF main campus.  There is no cost for either, but space is limited for both, so please register soon!

• Take our Kids to Work Day!  Kids 8-11 with an adult (parent/guardian or other relationship to child) that works or studies at ESF is invited to a special class day (Thursday, April 27, 8:15-3:15) for hands-on exploration of some ESF fields!   More information and forms are available at http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/kids.php
• 
  Girls’ Summit.  Kids’ Day’s big sibling will return to ESF on Saturday, May 20 as 5^th-10^th graders will put hands and minds to work in different series of workshops and presentations. More information and registration for youth participants and adult volunteers at:  https://www.ywca-syracuse.org/get-involved/girls-summit/

PLEASE NOTE:  we are also looking for adult volunteers to chaperone groups during both programs; volunteers will need to complete a brief training on SUNY’s Child Protection Policy.  For “Kids Day”, contact Heather Engelman; for Summit, please visit the YWCA page.

ESF Alumni Provide Career Advice for Women in STEM

With diverse careers and unique backgrounds, ESF alumni provided advice and inspiration in a virtual panel focused on women working in STEM fields. The 2023 Women in STEM Careers Alumni Panel, a virtual event held on Thursday March 2, 2023, featured four outstanding female graduates of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry: Dr. Danielle Berry, Senior Research Specialist with Dow Performance Silicones; Jocelyn Gan, Energy and Sustainability Specialist with NYU Langone Health; Meghan Hazer Álvarez, City Planner at the Baltimore City Department of Public Works; and Dr. Kerry Ryan, Attending Veterinarian at ViaGen Pets. The event was hosted by the ESF Office of Alumni Relations in honor of Womens’ History Month; Debbie Caviness, Director of Alumni Relations, moderated.  This event opened the 2023 Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series, with additional support of the Offices of Career Services and Admissions and the ESF Women’s Caucus.    

The discussion centered on experiences the alumni had at ESF that set them up for their current careers, as well as advice they could share for current college students, especially women looking to enter traditionally male-dominated STEM fields. All of the
panelists mentioned the importance of communication in their roles, speaki
ng up against stereotypes that scientists tend to be “lab rats” with “limited social skills.”  “A lot of times in my job, I am talking to people who don’t really speak my language, my jargon,” Berry said. “Being able to be a translator for science is very rewarding.” The women also noted that networks have been an especially rewarding and vital part of their careers, and discussed the importance of support systems in building their confidence within fields where they might be the only woman or person of color in the room. “Finding your voice is really important,” said Ryan, “and then once you’ve found it, it’s about helping others find theirs.” The alumni credited some of their confidence to the hands-on, real-world problems they were able to work on while at ESF, as well as to the open-minded community they found while in school there. “There’s no ego at ESF,” said Hazer Álvarez, “Everyone’s just focused on what we can do to move the world forward in a better way.” This mission was echoed by the other panelists, who noted that they’ve enjoyed seeing the world of science evolve over their time in the industry, and that they look forward to being some of the next-generation leaders who will continue to create space for future women, people of color, and other minorities in STEM careers.

Each of the four speakers is a graduate of SUNY ESF who has gone on to use her education, skills and passion in a unique and rewarding career. Berry graduated from ESF with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2015, and later pursued her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas. After completing her Ph.D., she joined Dow Performance Silicones in the fall of 2020, where she now works as a Senior Research Specialist with a focus on application development for thermal management materials. Gan received an M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University after graduating from ESF with a B.S. in Environmental Science in 2013, and now works as an Energy and Sustainability Specialist with NYU Langone, supporting its initiatives around sustainable food services, waste reduction, energy and resiliency management, and more. Hazer Álvarez received her B.A. in Landscape Architecture from ESF in 2006, and in 2013 received both an M.S. in Public Health from ESF and a Masters of Public Health from SUNY Upstate Medical University. She has worked on a variety of public and private projects relating to green infrastructure and public health and now serves as a City Planner for the city of Baltimore. Ryan graduated from ESF in 2006 with a degree in Environmental and Forest Biology before receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University, and she now works as an Attending Veterinarian with ViaGen Pets, the global leader in pet and endangered animal cloning.

Current students can avail themselves of the services of Career Services and networking and mentorship opportunities with the ESF Women’s Caucus, student chapters of professional societies and cultural-based clubs, as well as leadership and other trainings through Student Affairs, Choose Action Network and the Office of Inclusion Diversity and Equity. Visit https://engage.esf.edu/events for upcoming student-centered programs. Prospective students can talk with advisors in Admissions or schedule a campus tour at https://www.esf.edu/admissions.

For more information about the ESF Alumni Association, please visit https://www.esf.edu/alumni. Information regarding upcoming public events within the ESF community can be found on ESF’s College Calendar, at https://www.esf.edu/calendar. 

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on speakers in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Sara Dreibelbis, M.S. student in Natural Resources Management, anticipated graduation May 2024.

To view the full recording, click below

Mentoring and networking continue!

Looking for life and career skills in about one hour a week?

Add Perspectives on Career and Gender! During this discussion-based 1-credit seminar,  learn about career paths, interviewing, mentorship, rights, negotiation, intersectionality, balancing work & life, #MeToo and more!  Gain skills in group facilitation, literature review, peer mentoring, and networking.  Tuesdays, 3:30-4:25 PM, Bray 324; during the weeks when WiSE Professions meets, those events will substitute for class.  Employees and un-enrolled students may also sit in.  Direct questions to Diane Kuehn (dmkuehn@esf.edu) and Heather Engelman (engelman@esf.edu).

Coffee Breaks!

Take a breather and give or gain insight into work or life challenges, while helping others.   Comparing notes can help us identify issues, share strategies and possible paths forward (or around).

Join in person in 110 Moon or online/phone in (register at https://syracuseuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsd-Ggrz4rGNQkzp59XyKkzUM6GeHnFH2l) from wherever you happen to be on (mostly) 1st Fridays (2/3, 3/3, 4/14, 5/5) during the 11:40-12:35 class block, or 3rd Thursdays (2/16, 3/23, 4/20, 5/18),9:30-10:30am.   

WiSE Professions speaker series returns, with a combination of virtual and in person sessions:

• Women in STEM Alumnae Career Panel, with Alumni Association, Career Services, and others. Thursday, March 2, 7pm, virtual.
• Dr. Meredith Holgerson, EFB MS 2011, Assistant Professor, Ecology and Evolution, Cornell U, title TBD, with Adaptive Peaks,  Thursday, April 6, 3:45pm, 5 Illick
• Dr. Gina Dilio-Whitaker, on Indigenous Environmental Justice, with Center for Native Peoples and the Environment and others, Wednesday, April 26, 5pm, Gateway

 Pre-college Pipeline programs:

• Take our Kids to Work Day, Thursday, April 27, STEM exploration for 8-11 year olds with an adult that works or studies at ESF, regardless of the child’s gender or relationship to their adult.  Kids, grandkids, godkids, niblings, siblings, neighbors, and other connections are all welcome (on a space limited basis—this is a class day, so we are working in between other users of classrooms and labspaces, and presenters’ ongoing obligations).
• Girls’ Summit, Saturday May 20. Kids’ Day’s ‘big sister’, expanding STEAM exploration to 5^th-10^th graders in the community.  If you are looking for a program for a class you sponsor, youth group or scout troop, this is the program for your group! Annual collaboration of the YWCA of Onondaga County, C/STEP, and multiple on-campus partners (Open Academy, OIDE, Women’s Caucus).

Take our Kids to Work Day returns

 

After a two year hiatus, Take our Kids to Work Day returned to ESF on April 28. Kids 8-11 years old with an adult that works or studies at ESF explored ESF fostered-careers through their own class day:

• ESF Sustainability: Which uses the least energy? A laptop, fan, or LED desk lamp? ESF’s new Energy Manager (and alum) Michael Amadori measured the electricity required to use all these household items.  Kids also played Wasketball, sorting common household waste into trash and recycling and used (with supervision!) solar power as a campfire starter.  They also had a sneek peak at our in-house power station.
• Color changing chemistry! Chemistry’s Kate Bailie (and graduate student assistants) helped students with simple acid-base reactions; use salt water, aluminum foil, and a complete circuit to create a temporary “ink”, and assembled teeny temperature sensitive LCDs
• All about Maple.  Which maples for syrup? (Any, but sugar has the best yield) What do the buds look like? The inside of a tree? With alumna Jill Rahn of ESF Forest Properties. 
• Something's Fishy: tracing mercury.  Details are important in science! What can we measure? Kids received instructions, and then helped Environmental Biology faculty member, Environmental Toxicologist Dr. Roxanne Razavi and grad students Abby Webster and Mike Ackland with record keeping, measured length and weight of whole yellow perch and (with careful supervision) retrieved otoliths (tiny ear bones that can be used to age the fish, much like rings in a tree), eye lenses, and a piece of dorsal fin.  These fish are part of an ongoing study, Project Breathless.  The samples, along with many others, will be assessed by grad students and faculty to help trace mercury through the sample population’s habitat.  Kids and volunteers thought yellow wasn’t an apt description, and that they should be called apricot perch.  A few Kids thought this the grossest of the activities, but others really enjoyed being part of active research!
• In the Lego® Bridge Challenge, Kids were tasked with planning (on paper) and then building (with Lego®) wide enough for Thomas the Tank Engine™ (or friend) to use, and allow 2 matchbox™ car wide lanes beneath. How much weight can it support? How few bricks can you use? (More bricks=higher materials and labor cost). With ESF Environmental Resources Engineering’s Karen Karker (planning support by Lindi Quackenbush).
• Building an Urban Ecosystem.  What are the components of a park (or community garden)? Kids working on the park explain their choices to ESF grad student and Open Academy staff members Dan Collins and Maura Harling Stefl. Through this, they realized park spaces will be hot. So they added a snack shack, water stations and shade. These introduce a new challenge: how to deal with the trash?
• Chemistry students David Spector and John Pezzulo ended the day with a Super Cool “Cooking” Demo, emphasizing safe handling of liquid nitrogen. While Kids (and volunteers) enjoyed some of the best strawberry and vanilla ice cream (served in low-waste waffle cone bowls) ever, John shared a secret:  that if really like what you are learning, and work hard, colleges might pay them to continue learning about that field through graduate school stipends and tuition waivers, and work in support of teaching and/or research.  

Kids Day is one of the earliest, and most enduring, programs of ESF's Women's Caucus. For a photo journey of the day, visit https://www.facebook.com/ESFKidsDay/; for information about past programs, please visit https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/kids.htm.  

Acknowledgments:  A huge Thank you to presentation teams for their time and supplies, and the many others who set up spaces, background checked and provided training to volunteers; Allison Oakes, John Turbeville, Brad Fierke, Linda McGuigan, Kathy Lang and Kelly Berger who got everyone where they needed to be; Diane Jaramillo for hep at registration; Danielle Gerhart, Nichole Doherty and Steve Waldron who helped serve lunch and chaperoned restroom trips; and Doherty for checking kids back to their adults. Thanks are also due to James  Zappola, Gentry Battaglia and Ilsa Dohner of the Trailhead Café for their lunch preparations, and to the Provost’s Office and the Women’s Caucus for covering these expenses and snacks. Gratitude to the Bookstore and Centennial Hall for day end gifts to Kids.

YWCA’s Girls’ Summit held at ESF

72 5th-10th grade participants descended on campus to learn about a few STEM based careers during the YWCA Girls’ Summit on April 2.  Local alumnae, students and staff featured prominently in the hands-on portion of the day:

Dr. Kim Cargill (EFB 2004) with assistance of veterinary technician Carrie Curry (EFB 2014), and veterinary assistants/current ESF students Sarah Hoffman and Savannah Rutt,led participants through  Teddy Bear Surgery and Pet First Aid. 

Current ESF students Katherine Gannon; Julia Frank; Kathryn Resanovich,  Alexandria  Kirkpatrick of the Student Environmental Education Coalition (SEEC) led concurrent workshops on Building Urban Ecosystems

Chemical Engineering Staff E. Kelly Watson-Collins, Sean Hohm (PBE 2017-I think), and George Westby (Chemistry 2001, MS 2006), and students Autumn Elniski (PSE 2015, MS 2017, PhD Candidate), Will Contento, Nicole Byrnes, and Serena Brandt led perennial favorite Paper Making and Testing.

ESF students Shawna Mulvihil and Winnie Ne and staff members Heather Engelman (Dual 92, MS 1995), Maura Harling Stefl, Kelly Berger joined other community general volunteers and Group Guides that offered ice breakers, supervised small groups, and helped in other capacities during the day.  Engelman, Harling Stefl, Berger, Dr. Malika Carter and Dr. Lizette Rivera (representing ESF Women's Caucus, ESF in the High School and the Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) collaborated with YWCA staff and colleagues at Syracuse University and LeMoyne College to plan the program.  

The mission of the program was to empower, motivate, educate, and change the perception of girls and women in STEAM.  The program was open to everyone, regardless of sex, gender or gender identity. 

Kids Day returns! registration now open! Volunteers needed!

After a two year hiatus, registration has opened for ESF’s Take our Kids to Work Day, Thursday, April 28, 2022!   Kids 8-11 years old with an adult that works or studies at ESF are invited to explore ESF fostered-careers through their own class day, starting and ending the day in the Gateway Center.  

Space is limited, and pre-registration is required.  FAQs and Registration Forms (due 4/21) are available at https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/kids.htm.  Past adults have requested information to share with schools to request the absence be excused; a form is available at that same page to facilitate that conversation and (if necessary) to coordinate makeup or alternate assignments. 

We are also seeking volunteers to chaperone groups: https://forms.gle/nYXVQYtnZYAadE7x5.  

Kids Day is one of the earliest, and most enduring, programs of ESF's Women's Caucus. The group is pleased to return to an in-person option, as well as to continue to share photos and materials via https://www.facebook.com/ESFKidsDay/.

Questions about the program, accommodations, or volunteering, please contact Heather Engelman,  engelman@esf.edu, 315-470-4752. 

Interviewing? John Turbeville shares tips

Dr. Turbeville, Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Director of Career Services at SUNY-ESF shared interviewing tips on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, as part of ESF's Perspectives on Career and Gender Spring Seminar Series.

Dr. Turbeville presented the services provided by Career Service at ESF along with interviewing statistics. I was amazed to find out that 90% of employers find social media important when evaluating candidates and 79% of HR professionals have denied a job to a candidate due to inappropriate content on social media. He also shared some common questions asked during an interview and ways to obtain success in an interview.

Dr. Turbeville completed his M.S. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University. He has more than fifteen years of higher education experience in the areas of academic support services, career services, educational programming, judicial affairs, and crisis management.

For more information about the Perspective on Career and Gender Seminar Series, please visit
http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus and http://esfwomen.blogspot.com/search/label/Speakers. For upcoming public events and lectures, please visit ESF’s College Calendar at http://www.esf.edu/calendar.

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on class discussions as well as on the speakers in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Poonam Joshi, Department of Sustainable Forest Management, studying Master of Science in Natural Resources Management.

Kids Day returns! Seeking Volunteers for April 28, 2022

Volunteers are sought to assist with ESF's Take our Kids to Work Day on Thursday, April 28, 2022.  In particular, organizers are seeking group leaders, that can guide kids to their scheduled program locations around campus, keep an eye out during sessions, and encourage active participation as well as questions of activity leaders. It takes a lot of people to ensure that everyone gets to where they need to be! There are also opportunities to assist in advance of the program, preparing materials for use by participants and group leaders. Shifts will be coordinated around volunteers' work and class schedules.  Volunteers can sign up at:  https://forms.gle/nYXVQYtnZYAadE7x5.  For questions, please contact Kids Day Coordinator, Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu, 315-470-4752. 

Natural Building:  which stones for a sturdy wall?

Group leaders are subject to checks against state and federal registries, and training will be provided on  SUNY's Child Protection Policy.  

With the assistance of many individuals and departments, the ESF's Women's Caucus has invited Kids to Work each April since the mid-90s, offering a hands-on exploration of ESF based-careers to 8-11 year olds with an adult that studies or works at ESF.  Follo wing a two-year Covid hiatus, when programs were offered asynchronously online, we look forward to welcoming Kids back to ESF on April 28.  For general information, please visit https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/kids.htm.  

Participant registration will open soon.

ESF alumnae talk about their experiences in STEM careers

In recognition and celebration of Women’s History Month, four alumnae discussed their unique experiences in pursuing STEM careers in a panel facilitated by Debbie Caviness, Director of SUNY ESF Alumni Relations, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. The panel addressed many topics, such as the stereotypes women face in STEM careers, negotiating salaries, networking, and what the female experience of working in male-dominated STEM fields was like. The ESF Alumni Association, Office of Admissions, Office of Career Services, and ESF Women’s Caucus jointly sponsored this panel. 

To view recording, click image

Christina Chan ’10, spoke about her experiences as both a female and a person of color as the owner and farmer of the Choy Division, a diversified 1-acre urban farm with a focus on east Asian crops and herbs. As a farmer in a field that is predominantly comprised of older white men, Chan felt insecurities due to being both a person of color and female. Starting out in her field, Chan braced for the worst and felt she needed to prove herself to other farmers, but over time began to realize that other people’s expectations don’t dictate an individual’s self-worth. Optimistically, Chan notes younger generations of farmers are becoming more diverse compared to their older generation counterparts. 

Kelley Corbine ’15, M'17, a forester with the US Forest Service (USFS) and wildland firefighter, faced similar experiences to Chan. In her work as a USFS forester, Corbine observes about 95% of the time in her work, she is the only female in the room. Like Chan, Corbine also felt the need to prove herself to male counterparts. As Corbine continued working, she realized she needed to treat herself kindly and reaffirm to herself that she deserved to be working with the USFS.

Keelin Gangwish ’19, a Pulp & Power Front Line Leader at the paper mill company Sylvamo, had a different challenge, as she works with people of diverse academic and social backgrounds. As a result of this, it was difficult for her to gain basic respect from her coworkers as a female worker. Gangwish recommends individuals to stand their ground, and to know their audience when it comes to addressing female stereotypes in the workplace. She also suggests to subtly guide other male coworkers to a desired outcome if they do not listen to advice. 

Gina Hale ’04, the Senior Director of Operations & Safety at Tufts Medical Center, advised others to ask questions and remain headstrong in topics individuals are confident in. Hale recounted a story of how she had to ask about flow dynamics to ensure the safety of a facility, demonstrating how it is acceptable to not know the answers to everything. In terms of salary negotiation, Hale advises others to not be afraid to ask how much other people make, and to use social networks to determine how much an individual should be making. 

Christina Chan received her B.S. in Environmental Science (focus on Health & the Environment) from SUNY ESF in 2010, and her M.S. in Conservation Science from the Imperial College London in 2013. Kelley Corbine received her B.S. in Natural Resource Management in 2015 and her M.S. in Forest and Natural Resources Management in 2017 from SUNY ESF. Keelin Gangwish received her B.A.Sc. in Paper Engineering in 2019 from SUNY ESF. Gina Hale received her B.S. in Chemistry in 2004.

For more information about the WiSE Professions Series, please visit http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus.  For upcoming events, please visit ESF’s College Calendar at http://www.esf.edu/calendar.   

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on speakers in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Scott Dai, MS student, Sustainable Resources Management, Forest Natural Resources Management.

Nutrient Cycling, Storm water runoff, and Communicating Science to the Public, a conversation with Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson

Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson, professor in the Department of Earth Ocean and the Environment, University of South Carolina, presented Nutrient Cycling, Storm water runoff, and Communicating Science to the Public on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 via Zoom as part of SUNY ESF’s Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Spring Seminar Series. This seminar was sponsored by ESF Women’s Caucus.

Dr. Claudia Benitez Nelson. Click for video.

Dr. Benitez-Nelson research focuses on the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and carbon, largely in marine environments, and how these elements are influenced by natural and anthropogenic processes. During the seminar she discussed her most recent research on inland and coastal nutrient cycling in relation to planning for stormwater surges.

Benitez-Nelson's team sought to establish the rate of sediment accumulation in stormwater ponds, determine the role these ponds play in the regional cycling of carbon and nutrients, and to identify the sources of organic matter to pond sediments in different growing urban areas in the Waccamaw watershed. “This was for us a real opportunity to truly connect more closely with the communities that we were working in” said Benitez-Nelson when explaining how their findings would benefit the homeowners close to the ponds. Her findings suggest that Particulate Organic Matter (POM) is a better proxy for liability than Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) and may control Biological Organic Matter (BOD) loads. Her lab continues research on different topics related to aquatic organic matter.

Benitez-Nelson is often asked how she “starts to have these conversations about not just pollution, urbanization, sustainability, but talking about climate and how climate change is influencing where people are living their lives.” She shared that she is part of Science Moms, a non-partisan group of climate scientists, who also happen to be mothers, that “really talk about climate, the need collective action” as well as mitigation efforts, particularly in conversation with other mothers, for the benefit of all their children. 

Dr. Benitez-Nelson received B.S. in chemistry and oceanography from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in oceanography from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program. She has an extensive publication record which includes lead authored pieces in both Science and Nature. Dr. Benitez-Nelson also serves as Associate Dean, for Instruction, Community Engagement and Research.

For more information about the WiSE Professions Series, please visit http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus.  For upcoming lectures, please visit ESF’s College Calendar at http://www.esf.edu/calendar.

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on speakers in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Natasha M. Torres Ríos, MSc student, Sustainable Resources Management Department.

Girls’ Summit returns to ESF—recruiting volunteers and participants

Girls’ Inc is seeking adults for a variety of volunteer roles for the annual Girls’ Summit on Saturday, April 2 on the ESF and SU campuses.  In particular, they hope to recruit a solid cohort of volunteers familiar with the campuses to serve as “group guides”, accompanying a walking group through the program, assuring they find their scheduled workshops, and sharing their own excitement about STEAM. A perfect role for students and local alumni!  They need folks to sign up quickly to assure time for background checks. For more information or for help with registration, contact Wenona Timmons at 315-424-0040 or wtimmons@ywca-syracuse.org. 

Registration is also open for 5^th-10^th graders who wish to participate in the Girls’ Summit Hands-on STEAM Career Exploration Day on Saturday, April 2, 8:30-3:45pm. Drop off and pick up at ESF’s Gateway Center.  $5, pre-register at https://www.ywca-syracuse.org/what-were-doing/youth-development/girls-summit/.  For more information, contact Caitlyn Copfer, ccopfer@ywca-syracuse.org, or 315-424-0040.

WiSE Profession Speaker Series continues virtually in Spring 2022

Oceanographer Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson, on Nutrient cycling, storm water runoff, and communicating science to the public, on Tuesday, March 1, 3:30 – 4:30pm

Registration closed.

Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson is an Associate Dean and Carolina Distinguished Professor in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on understanding the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and carbon and they are influenced by climate change. Honors include: Early Career Award in Oceanography from the American Geophysical Union (AGU); Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. Dr. Benitez-Nelson is passionate about teaching and mentoring and is active in many efforts to increase diversity in the sciences.   

Women in STEM Alumnae Panel, in conjunction with Career Services, Admissions, and the Alumni Association, on Wednesday, March 23.

Since 1999, the ESF Women's Caucus has invited Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions to campus to share their work, and meet folks on campus. 

Women's Empowerment Brunch Returns

After a pandemic-related hiatus, ESF's 6th Women's Empowerment Brunch will take place Sunday, November 7, 11am-2pm, in Gateway Center.  With a theme of Making Space, the program will feature a panel discussion and literary pieces and art centered around outer space and physical space.  Poems, short stories, essays and image can be submitted by members of the campus community at https://linktr.ee/TheBaobabSociety.  

Submit literary works or art and/or register at https://linktr.ee/TheBaobabSociety  

Online registration is now open. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase in the two weeks prior to the event, M-F 10-2, in Gateway Center.  Prizes have been generously donated by campus groups; all proceeds will be donated to organizations that empower women and girls.  Registration will enable planners to finalize orders and accommodation requests, but walk-ins are welcome (space permitting). Raffle tickets will also be available for purchase onsite.

As has become tradition for this event, the dress code is for participants to wear what makes them feel empowered.                                                          

The 2021 WEB is presented by the Baobab Society and the ESF Women's Caucus, in collaboration with The Writing Resource Center, Poetry Society, ESF Bookstore, Green Campus Initiative, and the Environmental Studies Student Organization,  with support of the Undergraduate Student Association, Counseling Center and the Sustainability Office.  

To learn more about past events dating to May 2016, please visit the summaries compiled at:  http://esfwomen.blogspot.com/search?q=empowerment+brunch.

For questions about the 2021 program, contact thebaobabsociety@gmail.com and follow @thebaobabsociety on Instagram.  

Connections and coffee, fall 2021

 "Find a peer group of women to provide professional support" suggest the authors of Ten simple rules for women principal investigators during a pandemic.  Research has shown that women generally benefit from networking and group mentoring.  Further, women's stress can be moderated by social supports.  Its also not a surprise that short breaks help individuals regroup and look at challenges through a refreshed lens.  So, take a BYO snack or meal break on First Mondays (Register for Mondays) at noon, and/or  Third Thursdays (Register for Thursdays) at 8am.  Sessions are hosted by the ESF Women's Caucus and are open to employees, students, and alumnae.

All sessions are online, with a phone in option, so that folks can participate from  on campus (main or satellite) or off.  217 Bray Hall is also reserved during each session for those without a workspace conducive to participation.

You can ask questions or share resources anytime by subscribing to:

·    ESFWomen is configured as a discussion forum, but is used most frequently to share event reminders and registration links! 

·    FamilyResources.  Child- and elder-care impact a number of students and employees regardless of gender/gender identity  By spinning off those discussions, we hope to make them more accessible to parents and other caregivers who need them (ATM or for the future), unclutter the inboxes of those who don’t, and underscore “balancing work and family” as universal workplace concerns.

REGISTRATION:

1st Mondays, noon-1pm: Register for Mondays

3rd  Thursdays, 8am-9am: Register for Thursdays

For more information about the ESF Women's Caucus, or our formal or informal mentoring programs, please visit: https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus or contact the program coordinator, 

Heather Engelman engelman@esf.edu or 315-470-4752

BBFF: Creating a foundation for safer and more equitable fieldwork

Click to view recording

 Building a Better Fieldwork Future (BBFF) trainer Dr. Amanda Adams lead workshop participants through some sobering statistics (64% of field participants reported experiencing sexual harassment while in field, 22% reported physical harassment or assault, with women, racially marginalized groups, LGBTQIA+ people more likely to experience those in the field), and also shared easily implementable tools to prevent and respond to harassment and assault.

“Organizational climate is the single most important factor in determining whether sexual harassment is likely to happen in a work setting.” according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Adams continues "Degrading jokes are really the most common form of harassment reported in the field, and there's been a rise in the level of harassment." When this continues to be repeated, and the severity increases, it can have a huge impact on not just the target, but on the whole group.   "One of least harmful [types of harassment] but because it so common, can have the biggest impact."

What makes field sites such a high risk environment for harassment and assault? Factors include:

• Sites can be isolated, with limited outside communication or ways to leave
• Graduate field training is loaded with power asymmetries and dependencies on leaders.
• Long hours, close working and sleeping quarters, blurry boundaries

The BBFF Workshop aims to prevent instances of harassment and assault through positive organizational climate, early training, comprehensive and accessible community agreements and field safety plans to facilitate conversations, have a clear course of action when problems arise, and empower team members to respond.   Participants worked through 4 scenarios, determining what when wrong, brainstorming ways to intervene or respond, and also considering what steps could have been put in place earlier to prevent the incident from happening or escalating. 

Safety plans should include communication plans, how to access copies of fleet keys and maps so that team members aren't reliant on a single individual for resources, and list whom to contact in the event of an emergency. At least two people should be designated to receive reports.  Documents should be accessible, not just on someone's hard drive or back on campus. If someone is incapacitated, at least two people should accompany them.   Daily group check-ins cultivate a culture of open, honest communication so that everyone feels its safe to communicate.

Make use of a Community Agreement, a collaboratively created agreement that includes items such as task sharing, privacy, roommate assignments, alcohol and drug use, and how to change work partners or sleeping quarters. Community Agreements ensure everyone is on the same page.  It can be verbally discussed and shared on a board, or through an electronic document.  It should be accessible by everyone, and regularly revisited. Regularly checking in on the community agreement with the entire group reminds folks of its existence without calling out any specific bad behaviors, and furthers normalization of conversation so that when issues do arise, team members are more prepared to address.

Participants were also briefed on the "5 Ds" of bystander intervention:  Direct, Distract, Delegate, Document, and/or Delay. Look for more comprehensive workshops for more information and opportunities to practice.

Dr. Amanda Adams is the Conservation Research Program Manager, Bat Conservation International and Lecturer in Biology at Texas A&M University.  She is a member of the first cohort of certified BBFF trainers.  

This was a presentation of ESF's Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions (WiSE Professions) and a collaboration of the ESF Women's Caucus, ESF Choose Action Network, UC Santa Cruz, Risk & Safety Training University of California Center, and the Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-Based Opportunities (CAMINO)@USCS.  Earlier in this year's series, BBFF Coordinator Melissa Cronin discussed the origins and growth of this program to increase field work safety and planning, and to make programs more equitable and welcoming.   A summary of "Scenario-Based Bystander Training to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Assault in Field Settings" written by PhD student Jenna Zukswert is available at http://esfwomen.blogspot.com/2021/04/building-better-fieldwork-future.html and includes a link to a full recording. For more information about WiSE Professions, please visit https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/speakers.htm, or contact Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu.  

Improving access through transit infrastructure: Conversation with Veronica O. Davis PE

As Director of Transportation and Drainage Operations for the City of Houston, Veronica O. Davis is responsible for maintaining and improving infrastructure across 671 square miles. She chatted with ESF on Earth Day about challenges in designing roadways for equitable transit through her lens as a civil engineer passionate about transportation and community development.

Veronica O. Davis.  Click for video

Houston is the 4th largest city. Its physically large, but is not contiguous because of its growth through annexation.  Houston's road system and bike lane are used to channel rainwater to prevent property drainage.  Both are swept to prevent debris blocking drains.  

Houston is seeking not just infrastructure, but "really good infrastructure" through better public transit and measures "to live with water.  Houston's highest point is only 100' above sea level.  So, biking is easy, but drainage is difficult."  The city has a big goal of 25 miles/yr of "High Comfort Bike Lanes" plus 50 miles of sidewalk.  These lanes are also called "protective bike lanes", which are bide, protected from traffic by a buffer, and have dedicated travel lanes.  Her office benefits from an "enterprise fund" from a drainage fee on water bills, sales tax on Metro, rather than on the general budget.  She also notes that they benefit from dedicated crews, working to expand their capacity.  Botanists are consulted to choose plants suitable for the ebbs and flows along drainage paths.

Half of roadways are concreate, rather than asphalt, which is cooler.  The city also uses cool pavements, which are gray and permeable, which helps with both heat retention and drainage. Other ways to make biking safer include reducing instances of speeding through better designed roads.   Coupling bike lanes with better public transit also improves bikability, as it helps address "what happens if I need to go far?"

For students nearing graduation, Davis notes that there are lots of opportunities in Houston. 

Ms Davis has 20 years of experience in engineering and transportation planning.  She co-founded Nspiregreen in Washington DC, which manages Community, Multimodal Transportation, and Environmental planning and consulting.  While at Nspiregreen, she led the Vision Zero Action Plans for Washington, DC and the City of Alexandria.  She also co-founded Black Women Bike, an organization and movement that builds community and interest in biking among black women.  She was named a Champion of Change  by the White House (2012) for these accomplishments and advocacy. Davis  earned a Bachelor of Science from University of Maryland College Park and a Master of Engineering and a Master of Regional and Urban Planning, Land Use and Environmental Planning from Cornell University.

This presentation was part of ESF's Earth Week Celebration, and an installment in the College's annual WiSE Professions Speaker Series.

Race, class and gender in the workplace: a conversation with Dr. Lizette Rivera

Dr. Lizette Rivera facilitated a conversation on the topic of diverse perspectives on gender and science at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) via ZOOM on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 as part of SUNY ESF’s seminar of “Perspectives on Career and Gender”. 

                Dr. Rivera discussed a variety of topics including but not limited to cycle of socialization, "decolonizing the minds", racism and "white fragility."

In particular two videos were presented and comprehensively discussed in the session. In the first video, a woman of color was asking a white male to respect her title and he refuses. Furthermore, Dr Rivera said “that has happened to me at least five-six times at ESF.” Students then shared their personal experiences and thoughts and tied the issue to socialization. The second video was focused on “mansplaining”, or the practice when a (generally male) person  explains (often in a condescending manner) to another (usually a woman) about a subject on which the latter is more knowledgeable."  The video presented a suggested cure for the practice, much as would be presented in a pharmaceutical advertisement. Discussion continued on making the treatment widely available, as well as introducing the related phenoma “hepeating” and "bropriating" (a term used when ideas are not well received until repeated by a male voice, who is often then credited with the idea. Additionally, other examples of socialization were also discussed. The example of anti-bias training was expressed to make the points very clear for students.  Dr. Rivera also shared instances of using such training to interrupt and address a variety of statements that "are not OK."

Dr. Rivera has bachelor’s degree in Sociology, master's degree in Public Administration and doctorate degree in Community College Leadership. Her research is on research on transfer program between 2 years and 4 years school. She serves as the Director of Student Inclusion Initiatives and Special Assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY ESF.

For more information about this and similar topics on inclusion, diversity, and equity, please visit www.esf.edu/ide. For upcoming lectures, please visit ESF’s College Calendar at http://www.esf.edu/calendar. Any questions or concerns can be addressed to Dr. Rivera at lrivera@esf.edu.  

As part of the requirements of FOR 797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students take turns summarizing class discussions, for more information, visit: https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/Seminar.htm.   The above was prepared by  Shayan Mirzabeigi, a PhD student in the Department of Sustainable Resources Management.  For more information about this graduate seminar, ple