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).

Environmental Education: Holding Space for Queerness

By Henry McKenna, Environmental Studies '25.

Environmental education has long provided spaces for personal growth and identity exploration, particularly in residential summer camps. On February 25, 2025, Alexandra Walls and Dr. Michael Mikulewicz presented ‘Queering Camp’ during a combined Science Corps Workshop and Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series event. This presentation explored the role of summer camps and outdoor learning programs in supporting queer youth and fostering inclusive environmental education spaces.

"I prefer to be a realist," said Walls, in reference to the current administration that is enforcing dangerous policies for the LGBTQ+ community. A former camper turned camp educator, Walls pointed out the lack of understanding on queerness in environmental education overnight camps. Walls gave an enlightening perspective on how to “queer
” your thinking, by changing things like housing in order to provide a more comforting experience for students and campers. 

Mikulewicz, an assistant professor of Environmental Studies at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), uses queer theory and critical geography to examine the inequalities embedded in climate impacts and responses. Together, they challenged traditional frameworks in environmental education and advocated for spaces where all identities are affirmed. Mikulewicz defined gender and queerness brilliantly, while providing a digestible definitions to complex ideas.  He explained that the term “Queering” started “with heteronormism being questioned by theorists, scholars, activists, etcetera” but has come to mean “decentering anything from the norm” or the binaries upon which society is built. 

The concept of queer eco pedagogies involves questioning underlying assumptions in environmental education, overcoming harmful binaries, and being attentive to intersectionality.  Walls and Mikulewicz argue that these ideas and values are not at all limited to queer learners or teachers, but rather are universally applicable.

For more information on upcoming public ESF events, visit www.esf.edu.   

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

Find Financial Freedom with John McGraw

Guest lecturer, John McGraw, provided a lively and informative talk on fiscal responsibility entitled “Getting Your Finances in Order” for the Perspectives on Career and Gender class at ESF’s Bray Hall on April 18th, 2023. 

Mr. McGraw states that good financial health is easily obtained by following a few basic rules. Mr. McGraw's tips for financial success are, establish a relationship with a bank, prepare and stick to a budget, create an emergency savings fund, insure the things you care about, save for retirement now, and don't rack up credit debt. Mr. McGraw’s straightforward and relatable lecture made it clear that active participation in financial health will ensure a comfortable life in the years to come. 

Mr. McGraw is an Accounting and Personal Finance visiting instructor at SUNY ESF. Mr. McGraw also serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors at The Landmark Theater.

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 Leanne Hughes, a MS student in Environmental Biology.

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).

Student parents: connect to other parents on campus

 Students with children, eldercare, or other caretaking responsibilities can feel extra stretched, and sometimes isolated.  Talking with others is a great way to discover resources and family friendly events on- or off-campus, set up study-and-play dates (or play dates/study breaks) and to share advice.  

If you would like to join a virtual discussion forum comprised of other caregivers (students and employees), please subscribe to the FamilyResources listserv:  email listserv@listserv.syr.edu a message of:  SUBSCRIBE familyresources FirstName LastName (Please substitute your own name for those last fields, and leave the “subject” line empty).

If you have any questions or need assistance subscribing, please contact Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu

Input needed regarding childcare need

A small, intrepid group has been investigating resources and options for ESF childcare.  

Oakie onesie

Critical questions for those investigating options for ESF include:  "how many spaces are you looking for?  What ages”  Please help move conversations forward, and determine which, if any, funding opportunities might be available, by completing the feasibility survey (Please use ESFid to authenticate) and encourage those in your ESF employee and student circles to do so as well.    Student parents can be particularly hard to reach over the summer, so please nudge them to respond as well. 

 

Whether folks have children, are thinking about when to start families or to foster children, or have other comments to share, aggregated responses will help guide ESF’s next steps as well as answer questions SUNY has asked of campuses (same as above, plus which challenges are impacting each population the most acutely). 

This survey clearly does not address every contingency. Anyone with information that the survey does not seem to address, or is wary of sharing via that venue, I hope is comfortable contacting me directly or referring others to do so. 

 

Related notes:

• We are working on updating guidance for those seeking childcare at:  Any suggestion for childcare https://www.esf.edu/resources/family
• Parents (of any gender identity) and others caring for, or supporting in any way, any family member, friend, or colleague--past, present, or future--consider subscribing to the FamilyResources listserv.  Follow instructions at: https://www.esf.edu/resources/family. 

Is ESF friendly to nursing parents?

ESF Lactation Room: 313 Baker Lab. 258 Marshall Hall, coming Spring 2023!

SU's lactation rooms: see Map

Carer Grant Application. For more information on this trial grant program, click here.

Although lots of ESF kids are nursed, neither ESF nor SUNY have lactation policies in place for employees or students-- it is not addressed in the college's sexual harassment policy, or student, graduate student, or employee handbooks. As such, we did not have an official "lactation" or "mother's" room until July 23, 2013--you may now find it in 313 Baker, with renovations completed over the fall semester. Thanks are due to: Computing and Network Services next door for the more comfortable, easier to clean chair: Physical Plant giving up the room, and for the structural renovations (finishing the walls, replacing the original floor basin with a counter and sink, additional outlet, installing a mirror for checking that all buttons have been refastened); Tim Blehar, HR, for shepherding the upgrades; and the VP for Administration for authorizing the work.

How do we fit into the bigger picture?

New York is among the states that have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location, and that exempt breastfeeding from public indecency laws.

Employees have had ample legal support. A 2007 NYS law (see PDF) requires employers to provide new mothers with a private space to either express milk or breast feed for three years after child birth. Employers are also required to give mothers the time to either express or breast feed. The company does not have to pay the mother for that time (but they also cannot dock her if she can use scheduled breaks or otherwise makes up the time; see PDF). A 2010 federal law states that the employer must also provide a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public for the employee to express breast milk for the child's first year. If these requirements impose undue hardship, an employer that employs fewer than 50 employees is not subject to these requirement.

Putting this into practice was another matter, however. If you were able to schedule when a child could be brought to you to nurse, you were, and remain, free to use almost any place on campus (there are some labs that no one should be eating in; and that should go double for our babes! This is true for the bathrooms!). For those lucky enough to have private offices (ie, faculty, administrators) pumping could and can still be done in the privacy of your office. The rest of us had to be more creative, and were only successful if we had supportive (vs barely tolerant) colleagues. And effective, July 23, 2013, 313 Baker Lab (near the freight elevator) was designated for nursing moms.

According to Tim Blehar, the door should remain unlocked except when in use, so moms do not have to reserve it to nurse, pump, or clean their pumps. HR assures us that the room is available to student and visiting mothers, too. If repairs are needed, please contact Tim, but for general use questions, feel free to contact Heather Engelman.

Syracuse University has also created a series of Lactation Rooms across campus, which have been mapped by Syr Grad Students with Children. See also https://hr.syr.edu/work-life-benefits-and-resources/raising-a-family/lactation-support for locations and links explaining who to contact for each space, and to access those additional resources.

On a related note, the Gateway Building was designed with a family restroom (i.e. large enough for a family member to accompany any person requiring assistance and with room for the individuals wheelchair or other mobility device, including a stroller) with a changing table in its basement.

We still have a way to go to develop policies that support all parents, including flextime and part-time options, but its good to know that we have support for moms at so many levels of the administration. That said, additional Lactation Rooms across campus would be a lot more accessible for administrative staff--especially in the winter.

Please note that while the nursing room appears on the "Locations of Women’s and Gender Inclusive/All-Gender Bathrooms", mothers should NEVER be referred to a bathroom to pump or nurse.

Caregiver Travel Grants for pre-tenure, full-time faculty with nursing infants

Presenting at, and attending conferences, is a key means for scientists, engineers, and other professionals to further scholarly activities, build collaborations, and establish reputations in their fields. Nursing parents face unique hurdles in realizing these critical networking opportunities, including age limitations and cost of conference childcare (if childcare is even available/offered), challenges pumping and managing breastmilk throughout the conference, sponsor travel reimbursement restrictions, and the significant financial strain of bringing a caregiver.

We are excited to announce that the Office of Research Programs has launched a trial Caregiver Travel Grant Program to support conference attendance for pre-tenure, full-time faculty, for two years post-birth. (Adjunct positions, post-docs, and graduate students are not covered by this program at this time.). Please not that for the purposes of this grant, "full-time" extends to those who were full-time Assistant Professors but have temporarily changed title or FTE due to an Extension of Continuing Appointment Decision.

Grants will reimburse up to $500 of the caregiver’s air- or train-fare per fiscal year, for the purpose of assisting with the care of a nursing infant during the conference. Designated caregivers can be a co-parent, grandparent, babysitter, or other individual of the faculty member’s choice.

For application materials and additional instructions, please visit ORP.  Applications should be submitted at least one month prior to conference travel.   Reimbursement will occur after the trip is completed.

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.

Making Space for Marginalized Voices, Women's Empowerment Brunch 2021

ESF's 6th Women's Empowerment Brunch invited participants, panelists, and keynote to consider ways to Make (or Reclaim) Space.

Emcee Emily Li (EnvStudies 2022) introduced Dr. Emily Stewart, Senior Director of Education & Curation, at Syracuse's Museum of Science and Technology  who discussed the ways the MOST has become more accessible for a variety of community members, including sensory friendly exhibits; reduced admission for veterans and active military, and EBT users; as well as supporting community science educators and youth science competitions.  (Families with middle schoolers:  check out their partnership with TACNY, called  Jr Cafe, which provides a free program with continental breakfast and free museum admission, generally 3rd Saturdays during the academic year.)  Panelists Alice Olom and Martikah Williams, co-founders of Black Artist Collective; Dr. Marcelle Haddix, Distinguished Dean's Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice in the Reading and Language Arts department in Syracuse University's School of Education; and ESF students Sachi Segan (EnvStudies 2022) and Isabella Fiorese (EnvScience 2023) answered questions about finding space, allyship, and ways of moving forward.

Panelists shared the necessity of resting, setting boundaries, and surrounding themselves with supporting people, and the challenge and exhaustion: 

of "having to act white" and the overwork of silent labor.  Women and other marginalized identities have to always be ready to respond to emails, even while on vacation.  One panelists who hails from a "collectivist, family-centered background" and being told by elder family members "Don't be too loud, Black and proud" for fear of risking citizenship process.

When asked how allies can make space for marginalized identities:  show up and speak up!  Challenge authority and speak for those who cannot.   Panelists countered with "are you educating yourself? Going where you are uncomfortable so others can be more so?  Thinking about and learning the details taught in Title IX training?"  They also noted that the question is upsetting because folks SHOULD know what an ally is by now, and label "ally" is used performatively, without active  engagement or demonstrative effort. Are so-called allies giving something up? Shifting power dynamics, leaving positions of privilege?  Its an intersectional question with many layers.  Fighting for Black people, Black LGBTQIA+, Black Muslims, fighting for and with.   Are allies standing up for these, even when they are not in the room?

In what ways can we move forward and make space?  Be honest that every day is a new challenge and that women have to fight all the time, especially Black women.  Acknowledge that its OK to "just be" for a minute.  Work with Cafe Sankofa and Women's Health, taking up brick and mortar with the 15th ward, understand what's happening with the I-81 project.  Land acknowledgements are empty; how do they lead to reconciliation of the violence that led to the use of these spaces?  BAC's mission is to interrupt, disrupt, break down barriers and speak to what's happening in our community, at any or multiple scales.  

Questions from the audience:  How do you physically create boundaries?  Takes practice, be specific.  Acknowledge what's causing you harm.  Understand what YOU need to be fully present.  May need to intentionality pause to figure out what your balance looks like.

When confronted with the phrases "Just take care of yourself" or "you should have said something", flip the script "I am struggling to establish boundaries, but I need them." Start small--it takes 21 days to create a habit.  One panelists had to unlearn "yes" because was working self to sickness.    For black women in particular, stories that are empowering but overwhelming, the protagonist is always strong.  Can we be fragile or vulnerable?

If boss does not respect need for rest, it's time to go.  A tip:  Review your job description.  If what you are asked to do is not listed, use that to negotiation.  Review other people's job descriptions, and call folks out when they aren't doing their jobs.  "You are director of _____; that's your job (and not _____'s).  

Suggestions:  Read White Fragility and How to be an AntiRacist, all of it!  More POC on boards, front money and invest in people and businesses that do the work. PAY for the Training, go in with other organizations to cover the costs.  1-3 POC out of 500 is not enough. 

Panelists love Gen Z, who are open and forward and use social media to call out, build up, and hold accountable.  

Last thoughts:  SU (academia?) has to come down from The Hill.  College has a utopian aspect, and college community should be more involved in community organizations like Black Cuse pride, BAC. which are small organizations that are constantly doing the work.  Bring elements back to ESF and SU.  

Be a good person, be more thoughtful, leave it better than you found it.  

  

The 2021 WEB was 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, Vera House,  and the Sustainability Office.  Organizers particulary wish to thank Chris from Vera House and Ruth from Counseling Services for being available for anyone in need of support, Christopher from ITSmedia for sound system set up (and providing student support during the event itself), as well as Bliss Bakehouse, Fat Cat Baking, Mello Velo, Recess Coffee for working with our budgets and guidance to deliciously meet dietary and low-waste constraints. 

To learn more about all WEB events, beginning 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.  

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.  

Vera House resumes CAPT office hours in Centen

Vera House’s Campus Advocacy and Prevention Team will resume in-person office hours for all ESF students (Undergraduate and Graduate), Tuesdays, 3PM-6PM in Centennial Hall beginning November 2.  Students should check in at Centen’s front desk upon entry.

An advocate will be available to talk CONFIDENTIALLY about questions or concerns about sexual violence, partner violence, or stalking as well as reporting options and connections to support services.  Whether students have experienced something, or know someone who has, Vera House’s CAPT is there.  For more information about the Campus Project serving ESF, SU, LeMoynce, OCC and other institutions,  visit https://www.verahouse.org/campus-project, contact CAPT coordinator Chris Kosakowski at ckosakowski@verahouse.org or the Team CPTeam@verahouse.org.

For a printable display to hang on your door or bulletin board, or have visible during upcoming advising meetings,  click here.  

Vera House also offers a support line for all community members 24/7:   (315) 468-3260 (TTY for Deaf Community (315) 484-7263 during business hours).  In St Lawrence County (Ranger School), Renewal House’s crisis line (315) 379-9845 is staffed 24 hrs/day.

For more information about how ESF community members can #IdentifyInterpretIntervene and #ChooseAction, resources are available at https://linktr.ee/ESFchooseactionnetwork.  To get involved, contact  chooseaction@esf.edu, or the Choose Action Network Project Coordinator, Jennifer Keating, MSW, jkeating@esf.edu or 315-470-4867.

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.