ANN ARBOR—Eight graduate students at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) have been named Doris Duke Conservation Fellows for 2003. Doris Duke Conservation Fellowships are awarded to master’s degree students who show outstanding promise as future conservation leaders in non-profit or governmental sectors. The school at U-M is only one of five in the country to be chosen for these grants, based on its interdisciplinary environmental programs and commitment to educating conservation practitioners. The students are:
Wendy Adams, Oak Ridge, Tennessee—graduate student in resource policy and behavior with a concentration in conservation biology and ecosystem management. Adams graduated from Davidson College, with an interdisciplinary B.A. that combined her interests in social science and ecology. Since then, Adams has worked in a range of ecological and political environments from the slopes of Mount St. Helens to the floor of the Al Gore Presidential Campaign. Her goal is to serve on the staff of a state or national politician or to work for a non-governmental organization interested in environmental advocacy. Mary Adelzadeh, Holbrook, Arizona—graduate student in resource policy and behavior with an emphasis on collaboration and conflict management. Adelzadeh’s Navajo upbringing, coupled with a strong environmental interest, led her to pursue a B.S. in environmental biology and management from the University of California, Davis. Adelzadeh has worked with organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Land Management to promote collaboration between Native American communities and government agents charged with managing public lands. Her goal is to help restore ecosystems while preserving Native American values and customs associated with the land. Nathaniel Gillespie, Alexandria, Virginia—graduate student studying river management policy and flood control. Gillespie is a graduate of Williams College, and has work experience conducting stream assessments and managing valuable fisheries resources. Additionally, Gillespie has organized citizens, non-profit groups and politicians to improve water releases from New York City’s water supply into the Delaware River watershed. His area of focus and interest is examining the methods of analysis used to make river management decisions to reduce flood damage. Elizabeth Hamilton, Simsbury, Connecticut—graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in natural resource policy and behavior and a master’s of business administration at the U-M Business School. Hamilton has a B.A. in biology from Cornell University, spending a semester of her undergraduate training in Queensland, Australia, studying rainforest, marine and Aboriginal cultural ecology through the School for International Training. Before coming to Michigan, Hamilton spent three years working for The Nature Conservancy’s national science team. After graduation, Hamilton hopes to combine her interests in science, policy and management working for a nonprofit conservation organization. Robert Heiser, Gambier, Ohio—graduate student in resource ecology and management. Heiser has a B.A. in economics and psychology from Amherst College, and a master’s of business administration from Dartmouth College. Heiser has worked as a consultant for Cambridge Associates, advising non-profit institutions on their financial and investment decisions. Heiser hopes eventually to work for a land trust or similar conservation organization to protect land in rural areas. Emily Nobel Maxwell, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—graduate student in environmental justice. Maxwell received her B.A. from the New School for Social Research in New York City. Maxwell founded the More Gardens! Coalition which worked successfully to preserve more than 110 gardens slated for auction in New York City. After spending time in South Africa volunteering with a peace organization, she returned to Philadelphia to coordinate a greening project and hopes to go back to Philadelphia after graduation to work on open space and environmental equity issues. Channaly Oum, Modesto, California—graduate student in landscape architecture. Oum has a B.A. in religion from Swarthmore College, where she helped coordinate a student group involved with homeless people in Philadelphia. After graduation, she lived and taught with a Quaker community which stressed conflict resolution and community-centered values. Her focus is on designing ecologically healthy, community-centered places. She hopes to incorporate community participation in her design and decision-making processes, using this as an education tool and as a basis for sustainable design. Beth Wilson, La Crosse, Wisconsin—graduate student in environmental policy. Wilson has a B.A. in creative writing and biological aspects of conservation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wilson has been active in Madison’s peace movement, and has facilitated outreach for Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WIPIRG) on issues of water pollution and clean energy. Currently Wilson is part of a master’s project that will work with the Walpole Island First Nation community to develop conservation strategies for their unique natural and cultural resources. After graduation, Wilson hopes to continue her work with native communities. The Doris Duke Conservation Fellowships at U-M are administered as part of SNRE’s Ecosystem Management Initiative, an ecosystem-based teaching, research and outreach program that promotes sustainable natural resource management. The Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship provides tuition, internship and loan repayment support for graduate students focusing on the conservation of natural resources and who intend to work in public and non-profit organizations. The overall goal of its environmental program is to conserve the habitat upon which flora and fauna depend in ways that balance both human and ecological needs.

Contact: Lara Magouirk