Seafha Blount, MSSU Honors '05, has just graced us with this detailed update on her activities since graduating MSSU and moving on to graduate work at the Univeristy of Arizona.
I graduated from the Honors Program at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) in May 2005. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, emphasizing in natural resources, and a minor in Spanish.
During my time at MSSU, I took several opportunities, with the help of the Honors Program and the Institute of International Studies, to study abroad. I was able to go to Cuba, Europe, and South America. These experiences were enlightening and life-changing in that my world view was broadened a substantial degree and I was able to see other cultures and ways of life. I am so grateful for those journeys. In addition, while attending MSSU, I completed an internship with the Yurok Tribe, of which I am a member. Working for the Tribe’s environmental program was my first “real” job in my field and I absolutely loved it. I collected water quality data along the lower Klamath River, where the Yurok reservation is located. I was delighted to learn about field work, science, and the professional work place, while experiencing my culture. I reported results from this internship in my senior Honors thesis.
In the summer of 2005, I completed an internship through the Environmental Careers Organization and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
I assisted a graduate student and another recent BS graduate in a remote field camp at
Ugashik Lakes, Alaska. Using sonar and gillnetting, we collected data on resident fish species diversity and abundance.
Our camp was so remote there was only one other person for miles around us.
The only ways to get to our field site were by float plane or a very, very long boat ride.
This was an amazing field experience.
I learned about scientific research and the work involved in both study design and data collection.
In January 2006, I began working on a Master of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources at the
University of
Arizona in
Tucson, AZ. My research topic is long-term response of the endangered
Mount Graham red squirrel (MGRS),
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis,
to post-fire conditions.
The MGRS is a subspecies that is isolated in the high elevation forests of the
Pinaleño Mountains in southeastern
Arizona.
I am comparing midden occupancy (a midden is a pile of cone scales resulting from concentrated feeding in one area), home range size, and vegetation characteristics within home ranges, among areas of various burn severities.
Methods include mountain-wide midden censuses, radio-telemetry, and vegetation analyses.
Upon completion of my Master’s, I intend to pursue either a PhD or an Environmental Law degree then work with Native American communities.
MSSU was and continues to be an amazing resource for support in both my personal and professional life.
Through the smaller class sizes and dedicated faculty and staff, my experience was the best I could have hoped for.
Although I am completely enjoying my time at a much larger University, I am glad to have the strong foundation I received at MSSU.
Links:
University of Arizona main webpage: http://www.arizona.edu/
University of Arizona School of Natural Resources: http://www.ag.arizona.edu/srnr/index.php
The environmental Careers Organization: http://www.eco.org/site/c.dnJLKPNnFkG/b.795025/k.AA86/The_Environmental_Careers_Organization.htm
Yurok Tribe home page: http://www.yuroktribe.org/
Note: You can view the video of Seafha's superb Honors senior thesis presentation by clicking
here.
Seafha Blount, MSSU Honors '05, has just graced us with this detailed update on her activities since graduating MSSU and moving on to graduate work at the Univeristy of Arizona.
No comments:
Post a Comment